SubscribeThe L Word’s always had its faults. Some of the acting is truly appalling. And that especially includes supposed star of the show Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame, who does that very soaping thing of ending each scene with a slow-mo glance to the side, eyes to heaven, sigh. Mia Kirshne, who plays Jenny, gives her a run for her money though and her lack of ability is compounded by portraying what is undoubtedly the most irritating character on TV. But at least they’ve acknowledged that Jenny’s writing’s sub-sixth form and sent her off to writing school with Sandra Bernhard.
Its disappointing because season one was well worth watching and not just for all the (non-butch) lesbian sex scenes. First time round these writers knew what they were doing. They courted controversy but managed to hold it all together with some intelligent storylines. They addressed all that social and personal issue stuff without ramming it down your throat and it was more than watchable. No doubt that’s the kind of thing that attracts relatively high calibre guest stars like Sandra Bernhard, Pam Grier and Snoop Dog.
Season two is quickly losing it. It started badly with a new and very immature theme, The Way That We Live, that makes me blush for all the wrong reasons. Then the storylines just dumbed right down. The moral battles between contemporary art and the religious right have gone. Now when a couple split the housewife suddenly becomes top dog at a very worthy inner city charity. Sycophantic black women look on as this very middle class white woman with no experience of anything poaches them a grant that would otherwise have gone to her ex’s art gallery. Yeah right.
