The L Word: Seasons 1, 2, and sort of 3

The L Word: Torgo approved until Torgo disapproved

We started watching this online. Perhaps civilization has been advancing solely to reach this point, where we can watch tv shows on computers at our leisure, watching entire seasons (hell, entire series) on a whim.

I enjoyed Season 1 (S1). It's a melodrama, but a good melodrama, with interesting characters. Not just a show about lesbians, it's a show about relationships, at least during S1.

Alice, Dana and Shane emerge quickly as our favorite characters. This may just result from their being the funny ones. During S1, I could just watch these three for an hour and be content. Even Shane's wacky affair, predictable though it may be, is good viewing. Also, Dana's blossoming romance with Lara is so awkward and cute it's also fun to watch.

I like everyone else much less:

Jenny is annoying. She's a terrible writer, but that doesn't mean we should be subjected to her terrible stories.

Tim, in what becomes a long string of straight, male characters, is a total jerk. He has a constant look of rage.

Bette and Tina are dysfunctional like couples in real life, though Bette's issues and Tina's submissiveness grow tiresome.

All in all, though, S1 is a winner.

S2 gets more funky, but is still enjoyable (except for the season finale, which is wretched -- Gloria Steinem? What are you doing at this funeral having a discourse on feminism?).

The roommate/porn director thing is dumb all around. When he finally gets found out, Jenny keeps him there almost by just saying, "Well, your contract to be on the show runs through the end of the season, so you might as well stay."

The Tonya/Dana relationship is only saved by Alice. Alice and Dana are so funny together (especially while making the party favors) that Tonya's cartoonish, ridiculous personality is offset.

Sandra Bernhard shows up because I guess if you are an actual lesbian or a feminist you need to be a guest star. But she can't act and there's nothing I like less than bad actors playing writing professors in badly written scenes.

Though I dislike Helena Peabody intensely, it was nice to see Tina stand up for herself and against Bette.

In S3 everything goes to hell. Helena Peabody is inexplicably still around. Why? And why is she friends with Alice? But oh, Alice, why, why did you become so unfunny? Is it because you became friends with Helena?

Then there are the Public Service Announcements:

Jenny's new friend Moira serve as a "Boys Don't Cry" PSA of sorts. Dana's breast cancer is a PSA right down to dialogue out of a brochure. And while I agree with Bette's criticism of the Bush administration, she sounds like she's reading a NY Times Op/Ed piece instead of acting like a human being.

Shane becomes comic relief with Carmen, going to her sister's quincenera, which is great.

But I think we're giving up on the show for now.

It's weird to see the evolution of a show so quickly. Changes due to contract disputes (like Marina and Dana), studio/fan pressure (does that explain Moira?), things like that all take place over a few days instead of several years.

We got so caught up in this show for a week or so. Combine that with the neverending story that is "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and I need to go reclaim my masculinity by shooting a lion or something.