I Binge Watched Each Of “The Actual L Word” In A Week. Here Are My Personal Feelings. | GO Magazine

Like most self-respecting (albeit then-closeted) queer girl, I found myself familiar with “The Real L Word,” Ilene Chaiken’s 2010-12 spin-off in the demonstrate that defined a generation of us in a single way or any other. At the time the program aired, I becamen’t interested. It had nothing to do with my personal assertion of my bisexual identification and every thing regarding the reality that I found myself however pissed at Chaiken for undertaking


my girl Jenny Schecter


therefore really, extremely completely wrong inside season finale regarding the original “The L keyword.”

Fast onward a decade whenever homosexual stars aimed for me personally and I found myself bingeing all three seasons in one week. A lot of factors provided to the involuntary decision. One: I became in the home stretching of edits for my 2nd queer YA novel in 2021 and I desperately needed mind chocolate. Two: Showtime hit upwards my inbox with a 30-day free trial offer, fundamentally when it comes to year of “massive amounts,” a show We have never seen. Three: Well, I Became inquisitive.

In older times, I became a faithful follower of “The Hills,” MTV’s utterly absurd, utterly addicting fact crisis about fairly, hetero 20-somethings staying in Los Angeles. “The Real L Word” possessed alike sun-drenched, sugary sense of escapism — only way, method,



means



gayer — plus with more puppies and, starting in season two, a rather lovable kitty. Certain, there is mess: fake crisis that’s plainly staged by manufacturers, a lot of very real yelling in really crowded groups, and really, Romi. Nevertheless, “the true L term” had a lot of good things that held me viewing till the actual conclusion of Whitney and Sara’s large gay wedding ceremony, immediately Googling just what every person’s as much as today, and after my faves on Insta (


hi, Kacy!


) — and additionally dorkily dancing around my apartment to


that snappy motif song


. Here’s what I all of a sudden adored:

Good Coupling

Jill and Nikki are lovable while they squabble over a chandelier and preparing a marriage which wasn’t legal at the time but ended up being important for them on your own level. Kacy and Cori keep the notion of a baby exactly who might not appear, while never ever wavering in their really love and assistance for one another. Tracy and Stamie learn how to stabilize work, intercourse, and the care of three adorable young ones — among who had special needs. We thoroughly enjoyed the storylines of these three lovers navigating lesbian life in a straight world together. (And I ended up being firmly group Jill in Chandelier-Gate. That thing had been unsafe!)

Sweet Smashing

At the beginning of season three, I found myselfn’t positive the way I believed about Kiyomi, the Hunter Valentine frontwoman whose method of exercising polyamory was not precisely reasonable to the woman spouse, Allie. When Kiyomi came across enviably pink-haired and pearly white-teethed Angeleno Lauren at Dinah Shore, however, all bets happened to be off. If they kissed throughout the grass, it absolutely was sweet. Once they shyly gazed at the other person and giggled during confessional interviews, it absolutely was cuter. Once Lauren cannot steer clear of Kiyomi’s home of New York City for just one even more min? Cutest.

Moments With Mothers

Take a look, we’re in
quarantine
and that I skip my personal
mommy
. This might clarify precisely why it rained-on my face each and every time a loving mommy figure came out. Whether it was Jill shouting cheerfully when the woman mother made a shock visit to assist her choose a marriage dress, Kacy’s mama satisfying the woman child for lunch and consoling the woman about baby Charlie, or Whitney’s granny witnessing Whitney’s garden Connecticut Wedding, I happened to be a mess, y’all. Let us not forget Francine coming out to the woman ultra-glam mom Yoko, who instantly reacted “i enjoy love plenty you,” and Sadjah’s mother Sarita praising Sadjah’s Vote for Equality peers for residing their reality.


”


I recently think that its beautiful available all to face upwards to suit your rights and fight for just what you truly, certainly rely on,” she says.

Real, Alive Bisexuality!

Perform I adore the way Chaiken manages bisexual figures and storylines? Not necessarily. But as a bi myself, Im hungry for just about any and all of representation of my folks in the news (Spoiler: still maybe not alot!). At this time, we’ll get everything I will get, and that I think it is heartening observe Romi with boyfriends during the tv show’s third season, and the causing conversations of just how bi/queer/pansexual women usually believe omitted from the gay community in general. It’s rare i discovered Romi relatable, but We relished this particular topic that continues to ben’t mentioned sufficient.

Claire. Enough stated.

Oh, Claire. She remaining her definitely gorgeous gf Vivian in ny to “start a lesbian internet site” in Los Angeles — and shack with ex Francine (guess how good that finally one moved). She blithely rejected an internship with “But i am a Cheerleader” manager and queer symbol Jamie Babbit. And she’d drunkenly scream in groups. Claire ended up being the undisputed



king.



This year two major user was actually since sloppy as the woman ‘80s rock star-esque blonde shag, basically



precisely



what you want in reality television. Aren’t getting me wrong, I happened to be a fan of the quieter moments in “The Real L term,” but Claire delivered the pure dramz, and I was right here because of it. (In addition, we grew up perhaps not definately not the woman home town of St. Louis, so hell yeah for fellow weirdo Midwesterners!)

Here Is The Method In Which We Live

Bringing it back again to “The L keyword” theme song we-all appreciated: There nevertheless aren’t most shows, movies, etc. about queer ladies



present



(chatting, chuckling, loving, breathing, etc.). Even though I was frustrated with Whitney’s pre-engagement member ways, Sajdah and Chanel getting also really serious too fast and reading the millionth variation of “so what’s up with both you and so-and-so,” we relished spending some time with queer women in numerous stages of these lives, simply figuring situations away. I cannot say We miss out the times when unscripted programs reigned over the airwaves, but “the true L keyword” ended up being really worth watching, not simply for any club-screaming, chandelier-squabbling and broken keyboard-pouting (bad Somer), however for the big lady-loving lesbian fuel.

Bonus: no body dies in a pool.