TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.07

Sunday, February 19, 2006

From Showtime: Jenny injects hormones into Moira; Dana undergoes chemo therapy and lashes out at Lara; Shane and Carmen get matching tattoos; Alice frantically searches for the Dana cutout; B52s hit the stage at The Planet; Kit fires Billie; and Tina takes another step towards Josh.

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Once again this series seems to have made a complete turnaround from earlier episodes this season. I was so unhappy with how season three opened up, but the series has now improved, and I am enjoying this series as much as I did when the series opened up season one. This episode titled Lonestar once again opens up with a scene that relates to the characters in the show. Last week, we saw a younger Bette experimenting with straight sex. This week, we see an older Bette with Alice having sex at the opera. We all knew these two had a relationship together before Bette met Tina, but we never knew that Bette left Alice for Tina. Now we do from an conversation between the two women during the episode.

We then jump to present day to see the lifesize Dana get trashed. From there we go to Jenny and Moira. Jenny is helping Moira transition into Max by helping her take her testosterone injections. Billy has somehow gotten them for Moira. Jenny is given Max her injections a bit early since she is leaving for NY to meet with her editor. Once Jenny leaves, Moira and Billy once again have a small meeting that leads to sex. I wonder if Moira will tell Jenny when she returns from NY. Jenny is really into helping Moira transition to a man.

In NY, Jenny's meeting with her editor doesn't go as she expected it would. The editor wants to make major changes to her work, and Jenny isn't willing to do that. The two have words, and Jenny walks out. She then goes to the publisher, and she tries to smooth things over between the two women, but the editor ends up saying she isn't the right women to edit Jenny's book. Something that Jenny appreciates because she really didn't feel she could honestly make the changes the editor wanted her to.

A major focus of this episode is on Dana and her battle with cancer. She is now undergoing chemotherapy, and this whole ordeal is truly getting to her. It is making her bitter and mean. She is quite mean to Lara, and she finally pushes Lara to the point where she leaves Dana. I think this was a bit quick. I thought Lara wouldn't leave Dana so quickly, but I can see why she left with how Dana was treating her. Dana then turns to Alice for support. Alice is a much different person than Lara, and as she tells Dana she won't take any shit from her. I think that is the type of person Dana needs by her side right now. She needs someone strong, and Lara wasn't. Alice even gets Dana out of the house and to The Planet for the B-52's performance on tonight's episode. Alice is told by her vampire lover to find the lifesize Dana cut-out, and she does try, but that is probably a lost cause.

The other major story line in this episode has to deal with Tina and Bette's relationship. The two are apart this week. Bette is at home, and she does try to be a good friend to Dana during her time of need. She shows Dana some relaxation exercises her therapist taught her. While Bette is helping Dana, Tina is off in Canada with Josh, the producer she is infatuated with. The two get closer over the time they are together, and they are about to have sex, when Josh makes a comment about her not being a lesbian. This somehow sets Tina off, and she pushes him away. She then kicks him out. I was so happy to see her not go through with it, but from the looks of the previews for next week, it might already be too late for Bette and Tina's relationship.

Minor plot lines this episode revolve around the building relationship between Dylan and Helena and Kit's firing of Billy. I think Dylan and Helena are good together. Let's hope this story line continues on. As for Kit, she walks in and catches Billy high as a kite with the door to the cafe wide open. This isn't acceptable, and she fires him right away. Also Shane and Carmen get matching tattoos this episode, but something tells me there is trouble ahead for the couple. Shane and Carmen also confront Moira on the injections, and news of what Moira is doing soon spreads throughout the group.

Even though this series has improved greatly since the season began, I still have some problems with the series. One being what appears to be a writer mess-up. As I mentioned earlier in this episode we see Alice and Bette during their time as a couple, and it is also referenced in the episode. However, the reference doesn't fit with how the relationship was described during season one. In this episode, it is made to sound like Bette left Tina for Alice. However, when their relationship is mentioned in season one, episode eleven, it appears they were already broken up when Bette meet Tina. One thing I hate is when writers can't keep the back story of the characters right. I know it is a small detail, but I was talking about it with a friend just now, and she immediately picked up on that back story snafu.

I'm also a bit confused over another point. That comes with Moira and Jenny. I'm not sure I understand how easily Jenny took finding Billie and Moira last week. She handled it a bit too well. I wonder how she will handle it if she finds out it happened again. Hopefully, she won't be as forgiving. I am really enjoying the more recent episodes. I'm glad to see Alice sane again. i really had missed my L Word, and with some minor problems I am glad to see it back. You can download the preview of episode eight here, courtesy of Titan on Media Blvd.