The L Word

Hey L-Community!

My cable went out Friday and I just now got it back, so I apologize that I don't have a recap posted yet.

Luckily, cable networks always re-air the helloutta their shows, so it'll be recording this evening. I'm going to come back and replace this with a "proper" recap ASAP.

For now, if you all wanted to start chatting about the episode without me, go for it! I will be back to post my thoughts as soon as I can.

Ciao!

Shane, Shane, Shane. Y'know, I found the whole thing with Shane and the wedding party to be so... surreal. At first, it was obvious that she'd wind up getting together with one of the bridesmaids, and it was funny when she did. But then... it got so out of hand, I started to roll my eyes and become bored with it all. Right. Shane's a player, Shane's got magnetism of epic proportions... whatever. I get it!

The scene I liked most was when Shane had a true heart-to-heart with the bride. Now, the question is, when Shane said "You remind me of somebody I used to know," who was she referring to? As I was watching the scene, I had thought in the very beginning of the scene that the bride looked a lot like Dana. Do you think that was to whom Shane was referring, or was it Carmen? I think it was Dana.

My favorite scene tonight was Kit's arrival in the prison. Foxy Brown in the house! I loved the scene between her and Helena, as if Kit was helping Helena decipher code. Great comedy, and so subtle. Very well-played out scene.

I could tell while Helena was watching Dusty doing her push ups that she was growing less afraid and more intrigued by her. I also didn't realize how absolutely gorgeous Dusty is until she was shown in better light, in the showers. Goddess, her face is beautiful. I am loving the interplay between her and Helena... it's a great balance of vulnerability, comedy and primal chemistry. Hilarious moment of course, when Dusty said, "I never murdered anyone! I'm here for tax fraud!"

So Phyllis can't drop off the U-Haul quite yet. "Help me!" Loved Bette's comment, "Break up with her again, Phyllis. With some lesbians, you have to break up more than once." Too funny.

Looks like Tina is absolutely still into Bette. I think it's cute when she defends Bette when people speak ill of her, and how she seems to be very flustered when she talks about Bette, or when Bette enters the room. We'll be seeing some developments between those two for sure.

I'm glad that Jodi and Bette were more like supporting roles this episode, and still feel like they're all chemistry and no compatibilty.

I am with Alice in feeling perplexed and confused by Tasha's complete devotion to the military.

What happened to Max's girlfriend? The one that accepted him for who he was, and treated him really well during the final episodes last season?

Finally... are you all ready to see the train wreck that is Jenny and her new assistant? I am!

Did I miss anything? Your turn!

WeLcome back, everyone!

I thought this was a very strong season premiere, how about you? In particular, I loved the humor... it feels like with every season, as the cast chemistry and characters continue to evolve, the sense of humor gets more and more wicked-delicious.

The biggest surprise for me tonight was how much I now love Jenny. I think it's great that the writers have decided to embrace her bitchiness to the fullest and make her into a "Hollywood Diva," rather than a self-loathing masochistic whiner. I would much rather enjoy despising Jenny, and this new version of her feels like that guilty pleasure, "love to hate" soap opera vixen. I think I can roll with this... and it looks like Mia Kirshner is having a blast with this new take on her character, too. So many of the scenes between her and the other girls, in particular, Tina, were just fantastic, because they were so over-the-top. May as well make her operatically bitchy, because at least we can have fun with that! I was always fascinated by her character, but... she was becoming exhausting... now her maniacal self-absorption is just hilarious and fun to watch.

Helena! Oh my Goddess. Did you think she'd wind up in prison? I don't really know what I'd expected to happen, but definitely not to see her in the LA jail system. Yeesh. "Don't drop the soap," indeed. Loved the scene in which Alice, Tina and Shane were giving her "prison survival" advice. I giggled when Shane was hitting on some of the inmates, too. Heh. How do you think Helena is going to do in prison? Will it bring out the shark, or will she wind up getting eaten alive? We know she's got a very vicious survivalist inside of her... will it reemerge and save her, or will she just keep waiting for mum's money to save her?

Hot, hot scene between Jodi and Bette. At first, I got a little bit peeved at Jodi for accusing Bette of trying to control her, just because Bette set a nice table for her in the loft... I thought she was looking too far into it... or was she? The way that she decided to "take control" of the situation was... a uh... welcome digression. So... will this relationship turn into a constant battle for control between the two? Can Bette handle a constant power-exchange type of dynamic, or will she wind up going back to the family and comfort of Tina?

Speaking of family, that little Angelica is looking so adorable. Also, I loved Kit's hair!

Looks like Phyllis is enjoying her new life out of the closet, but may not be ready for monogamy... I like her and Joyce together, but the writers will have so much more fun with Cybill Shepherd by putting Phyllis back out into the dating scene.

The ending scene with Tasha and Alice was such a relief, and so romantic! Also a very hot way to keep us hanging... do you think that Tasha has now gone A.W.O.L.?

And of course, the burning question of the night: do you think that Page committed the arson at Shane's business?

"What are the steaks for?" That had me rolling on the floor laughing. One of my favorite scenes from tonight was definitely the "sign kidnapping." Great scene for Bette, Alice and Shane, and a perfect way to show just how crazy Bette is for Jodi. Or is she?

Tina, Bette and Jodi
Tina and Bette. It's obvious that they each want each other to be happy, but then again, they also seem... to want each other. But why? Is it because they're comfortable in their history, in the way that they share a child together, or in their codependent dynamic? Then again, since they've been apart, Tina has grown to be very strong in her own way, and she really doesn't take any crap from Bette anymore, so in a sense, Tina is also growing into somebody who's on an equal plane with Bette now. I feel really torn after tonight... after seeing Bette and Tina together, but then also after seeing Bette go to such lengths to get Jodi back. I like it that I'm now torn between Jodi and Tina. It's always good when a show makes relationships and characters deep enough that it's hard to choose one person or one side. Oh, and I loved the phone conversation, and how Tom the interpreter was trying to get Jodi to "give" a little.

Shane and Page
Another favorite scene of the night was the "Lez Norman Rockwell" scenario juxtaposed with the steamy love-making session between Shane and Page. My big question mark about those two is how Shane seems to feel that Shay will be back. Do you think she's formulating a plan to get him back? Or is it that she knows her dad will flake out again? I do agree with Alice: "Is this our Shane? Or is this some pod person?" I do like seeing Shane wanting so much to commit and to have a family and to... well, to settle down. But that also makes losing Carmen so much more heartbreaking. It feels like if Carmen and Shane had met just about a year later, would the timing have been right, and would they still be together? Or is having kids in the equation what changed Shane?

Jenny
Jenny, meet karma. Karma, meet Jenny. The fact that she named her new puppy Sounder does show that she at least has a conscience after all. Did you all get the feeling that she was going to drown herself when she got into the boat at the party? I sort of did.... I still sort of wonder. My jaw was on the floor after what she did in the board meeting, but then the scene between Jenny, "Mirken" and Kate instantly one-upped that. Ouch. Jenny definitely deserved to be put in her place, and either she'll learn from it and grow, or... she'll self-destruct. Care to "make a wager"?

Helena and Catherine
Ew. Now that it's been fully disclosed that Helena is without a doubt a slave to Catherine, I'm thoroughly disgusted and disappointed in Helena. All for a "life of luxury"? Come on, Helena! And now she's stolen a buttload of Catherine's money! Or wait... is that Helena's stash that Catherine's been keeping from her? Helena is entitled to quite a bit of money, but she doesn't have a single thing on paper or any way to back herself up legally when it gets ugly. It's just like the mess she got into with the filmmaker in Season 3. She's such a mess, and I have a feeling that the wrath of Catherine is something to fear. I'm actually surprised that one of the biggest cliff-hangers of the evening was Helena's story line!

Alice, Tasha and Dana
Wonderful scene with Dana. I giggled at Alice: "You sure do swear a lot more now." So adorable. I really miss Dana. As I watched Dana challenge Alice's reasons for not going to Tasha's party, the realization at how much love and loss Alice has gone through lately really hit me. That last scene of Alice and Tasha together was so bittersweet. Sigh, I think that this story line is officially one of the biggies that we'll all be most curious about in Season 5.

Papi, Angus and Kit
Bravo, Kit, for realizing that you've got to work on yourself before you "get" with anybody. Not only that, but kudos to you for holding Papi and Angus close to you.... I loved seeing them all walking together on the beach. Papi and Angus both care for her dearly, and I'm happy to see that they truly do want to be there for her.

Joyce and Phyllis
Classic. Absolutely classic!

Max
I loved the slow zoom from the end of the alley to the close-up of his eyes. Such a simple yet effective way to show how huge a decision the surgery is for him. I'm certain that this question mark is one of the big resolutions we'll be most curious to see in Season 5.

Because there will be a Season 5! Yay!

It's been great hanging out with you all this season. I look forward to reading your thoughts on tonight's final chapter, and to meeting up here again next year, for another "L" of a great season!

Great news, L Word fans! Showtime has renewed L Word for a Season Five. Yours truly plans to keep this part of the TV Show Blogs running next year, so I look forward to more juicy L Word conversation with you all during Season 5!

Also, I know that some of you don't like previews, but for those of you who do, they've posted a great advance screening of the season finale. It's a wonderful scene between Bette and Tina... it actually got me a little teary-eyed.

Enjoy this sneak peek if you want, if not, meet me here on Monday morning to discuss the finale!

Goldfrapp. Awesome.Guest.Appearance. Definitely the best since Heart played an acoustic "Crazy on You" last season.

Surprisingly, my favorite scene of this evening was the main Tina-Bette scene. As bitch-on-wheels as they've both been throughout the last two seasons, I enjoy any minute we get that reminds us why we've loved both these characters since Season 1. I'm also happy that they were able to be really candid with each other and for once not have the scene break into hostility and a parting of ways. I don't know that I ever want them to get back together, but I do enjoy them as... well... as family. They share a child, they share a very complicated history, they're family forever because of Angelica. So I'm glad to see that they're working past the hurt and bitterness and treating each other more like family now.

Also, Tina was right about Bette and Jodi; I do believe they're the perfect match. It's good that Bette feels challenged by a partner that is so strong, but it's also a really tough road for her, so she'll have to decide whether she wants comfort or challenge. Now that Jodi's left, I wonder if Bette will do everything she can to get her back, or if she'll just retreat to Tina (Jodi = challenge, Tina = comfort). I hope she tries to get Jodi back because selfishly, I love Marlee Matlin and I love that character.... I want to see her back next season. And I want to see Bette evolve as a person.

I feel so bad for Tasha and Alice. They are so good for each other, but Tasha's career is so volatile, and she's obviously pretty frakked up from her first experience in Iraq. After watching the season-finale previews, I wonder if Alice is going to try to convince Tasha to abandon her post? It should be interesting to see how that story winds up in the season finale. As I'd written last week, that story could potentially be one of the main cliff-hangers next week.

Max. I hated what his boss and coworkers did to him while he was "on vacation" (talk about hitting below the belt), and I'm so proud of him for leaving. On the one hand, it seems like leaving makes "them" win, but... come on, would Max truly be happy and accepted there? No. Not after taking a stand and being honest about his transition. He will be so much better off working independently for The Chart.... I just hope that Alice can pay him enough.

The love scene between Max and Grace was very, very cool, too. I really like seeing him finally connect with somebody intimately; he's had a lonely road for quite some time, now. Next week's previews seem to indicate that he may not get the surgery after all. I'm looking forward to seeing where Max's journey this season winds up in the finale. Oh, and I loved how he shook everyone's hands and said something nice to each person when he resigned. He was a bigger man than every man added up together in that room.

My big laugh-out-loud moment tonight was when Bette was reading "Lez Girls" in bed, and kept cursing Jenny out. The best line was, "That's not even frakking grammatically correct." That really says a million things about Jenny's writing, doesn't it? I'm thinking that things are going to be pretty ugly with Jenny by the season finale. And oh! All during last week's episode, I kept watching Kate and saying to myself, "Why does she look so familiar?" It's Annabella Sciorra! Duh, Jeannine.

The opening scene between Papi and Kit was pretty funny, too: "I guess I'm just not a lesbian." I'm really glad that Kit has finally admitted she has a problem. I was so disappointed to see her doing cocaine, too! Yuck. Poor messed-up thing. The way that Angus treats her now that she's gone to him for help will be the test to prove if they've got anything left worth saving.

Did you all see that Dana's "back" in the season finale? I think it's going to be a wild ride next week.

This episode turned into the Bette hour, didn't it? After watching Bette go through her ups and downs over three seasons, I have to say, I'm siding with Jodi in this fight. Bette is a control freak, and even though she may have had the best intentions in planning the party for Jodi, it turned out to be a bizarre validation device for Bette, and not really at all about Jodi.

It's so ironic. Bette kept trying to interpret for Jodi regardless of Jodi's wishes, and Bette's reason was that she didn't want Jodi to "miss anything." Well, as far as dinner-party banter, sure, Jodi missed some things. However, what Jodi did not miss out on was the one thing that Bette would have wanted her to miss, namely Bette's need to control.

When it comes to reading people, Jodi has a keen sense of character judgment, and that didn't work so well for Bette tonight. Jodi read Bette like a book, but Bette didn't want to hear anything that Jodi had to say about it. Being deaf has nothing to do with how much one can read other people. Words are just words, and actions truly do speak louder than words... at least, tonight it did for Bette and Jodi.

In my opinion, Jodi is absolutely right: Bette does seem to want a partner who works for her. I know that she doesn't do it on purpose, but it's just the way she's wired. And I'd never realized until tonight just how controlling Bette is around her friends more than anything. When she's alone with Jodi, it seems like Bette acts more calm and relaxed, but... something about being around that group really gets Bette all wired up and bossy. That party turned out to be almost as awkward as that gay/straight mixer Tina threw in the beginning of the season. Yikes. The only thing that made it a little less awkward was the fact that at least the main women of the group know Bette and love her in spite of her weaknesses. That's family for you.

In the opposite extreme, things with Max going home for his mom's funeral turned out to be a little less horrifying than what I was expecting. One thing that made me smile was when his dad said, "Your mother told me that she thought you should have been a boy." That had to have made Max feel good to know that even his mom knew what he had known about himself for so many years when he felt trapped inside of Moira. I also smiled when his dad called him "son" when they were looking at the car together.

It seems like his dad wants to understand and embrace him, but he just hasn't figured out how. Any reaching out at all is a sign of progress and a sign of acceptance, which was a nice surprise. I hope that some of those signs may have helped Max deal with the loss, and maybe even turned over a new leaf for Max and his dad.

What do you all think of the filmmaker? I can't figure out if I like her. When Page whispered to Shane that her movie was pretentious, I can't say it didn't surprise me. It should be interesting to see how the film progresses, especially since Jenny and the filmmaker both seem to have that diva factor going on.

I felt bad that Papi didn't realize she was enabling Kit, and I wonder if Papi will feel that Kit was lying to her. At first, when Kit had asked for sparkling water, I'd thought "Whew, maybe that was a one-night alcohol stand" (the night Papi took Kit out after she'd confronted Angus), but I guess not. *Sigh*

I'm still quite puzzled over Catherine and Helena. Alice has it right: They are very twisted together. Just how twisted is still what I'm waiting to see.

I was happy to see Page and Shane get back together to "read stories." Too cute.

Two episodes left.

It's been pretty light and fun for most of this season's L Word, so it seems natural that with only four episodes left, it would be time for some heartbreak.

The biggest heartbreak of the night fell on Shane, and I felt so devastated for her, especially as the camera revealed her face literally falling to the floor as she hugged Shay goodbye. She kept it together for Shay, which was the right thing to do for him, and she was the epitome of grace in the situation. I just hope that Shane learned it is worth it to be responsible and devoted to somebody. One thing for certain is that while she took care of her brother, we got to see Shane's true colors, and they were very different than the person we witnessed leaving her bride at the altar last season. She's really grown as a person. She made a damn good big sister, and she's a wonderful friend. I hope that even though Shay wound up leaving, that Shane remembers who she really is... and that she truly is not like her father... not anymore.

(Oh, and every time Eric Roberts is on the show, I marvel at what a good casting choice he is for that role; those two even look alike.)

OK, back to heartbreak. So then on the cute side of heartbreak, we've got, "Arnold is in my bed." I loved that scene: wonderful comedic timing and chemistry with all of the ladies and with Arnold. I'm really happy that Phyllis isn't a clingy character anymore, and that she and Alice agreed to be friends. Maybe now we'll get some more fun scenes with Leisha Hailey and Cybill Shepherd. It was so sweet when Phyllis told Arnold that if she ever wanted to be with a man again, it would be with him.

The first-place prize for Most Adorable of the Evening is one Papi smitten with a Kit(ten). Do you think she and Kit will hook up, or do you think Kit will take Angus back? I've always really been a huge fan of Angus, but I love, love, love Papi and Kit... especially the side of Papi that we see with Kit. And I hope that the girls help Kit soon, because that spiral down into the bottle is not pretty. Besides, she's too good for that. C'mon, Kit, dust yourself off, girl!

I would give Jodi and Bette second place for Most Adorable of the Evening, but instead, I'm giving them first place for Hottest L Word Couple. Wow! I love them together. See, didn't I say in one of the first blogs this season that Bette would fall hard for Jodi? Jodi's really good for her... Bette seems softer since she's been with Jodi. She smiles more often, she's less bitter, she's even nice to Tina lately. Jodi's good for Bette, I think.

I hate seeing Max getting persecuted at work. I guess it was too presumptuous to give the benefit of the doubt to his boss (Brooke's dad). I felt so bad when that woman text-messaged the other guy in the boardroom: "He... she... it?" That was horrible. And then his family asks him not to come home to attend his own mother's funeral? Talk about heartbreak. I love Grace, she is really good for Max. It's just nice to see Max with somebody who seems to care for him, because it's been one helluva lonely road since he made the decision to leave Moira behind.

Jenny and Tina: oh my gosh, what an entertaining disaster! If I were Tina, I'd be ready to poke Jenny's eyes out by now, or at least do something creative with her tongue to get her to shut the L up at those director's meetings. I did love Mia Kirshner's Julia Roberts impersonation, though. Too funny! Oh, and I loved the opening "Lez Girls" scene. The idea of making the story into a musical turned out to be a bit cheesy, but the opening scene was a great pace-setter for the rest of the episode. I'm really curious about how the Lez Girls movie will continue to evolve through the rest of the season.

The award for Most in Need of a Lobotomy goes to Helena Peabody. So let me get this straight: She's Catherine's girl toy, administrative assistant and cash cow, yet she gets no money for any of the above? Hello?! Helena's smarter than that, isn't she? Isn't she?

Steamy, steamy night tonight! We haven't had an episode like that in quite a while. *fanning myself off*

Now then.

"Oh, Sounder, am I going to burn in hell?"

Uh... yes, Jenny, you are.

Jenny's even more obnoxious as a hot Hollywood commodity now. I love how Bette was able to impress Jenny's agents on behalf of Tina, and I also enjoyed seeing Tina's humanity return to the story. I really felt for her, and found the opening scene between she and Bette to be particularly sensitive and beautiful. That's the Tina I always liked, and I hope that they'll continue moving her into a softer, more sympathetic direction throughout the remainder of the season.

It seems that our new "dragon lady" is Cathryn. It feels like she's the person that Helena used to be, and I fear that her influence on Helena is dangerous. I couldn't believe it that Cathryn was able to talk Helena into canceling her "date" with the kids. Even back when Helena was "the" official ice queen of the L Word, she loved her kids more than life and would stop at nothing to spend time with them. Seeing the way Cathryn has influenced Helena is making me a bit uncomfortable.... I also wonder what Cathryn's real plans with Helena are? There's something about her that doesn't feel right, and I mean that beyond the B-word. It feels like she's trying to do something to Helena, but I can't figure out what....

I really love the dynamic between Tasha and Alice concerning their views on the war, and that they've been talking it through and discussing valid points for both perspectives. I also think it's great that even with their differences, they are continuing to take their relationship to the next level. I loved Alice's response when Tasha said, "Well, then what the eff am I doing here?" Classic.

I was also way into Papi and Kit's dance tonight, and smiled when Papi took care of Kit, treating her like a real lady, after she'd done a bit too much to get her mind off Angus. And Kit's reaction the next morning, “You mean I didn't make the effin chart?!” Hilarious. I do wish that Kit hadn't gone off on Angus on stage, though. Why would she let him sabotage her moment, her big CD release? That sucked. I wish she'd confronted him either before or after the performance.

Jodi and Bette... do you think they'll try to work it out? Or do you think Bette and Tina will get back together because of Bette's loyalty and predisposition to monogamy?

I was devastated to see Shane's dad show up (even though I think Eric Roberts is mad hot)! If he takes Shay away, I don't know that Shane will recover from that. And it'll only teach her that it's not worth it to commit yourself to somebody... not even family.

I missed Phyllis.

The flu has been going around at work all week, and lucky me, I'm dealing with it during my three-day weekend. At least I've got that extra day of sleep going for me.



*mope*

I did watch the show tonight as part of my "lay on couch, sip 7-Up and broth" routine; I'm just not in any shape to blog right now.

Feel free to "guest blog" on my behalf and start discussions in the comments. I'll be back as soon as possible. (I've got a lot to say, just no energy yet to say it.)

Have you missed any L Word Season 4 episodes? WeLL, tomorrow night is your chance to catch up!

L Word Marathon Saturday, February 17 9PM ET/PT.

I've noticed quite a few questions in the comments lately regarding Max's history, so I thought I'd devote a post that recaps the Moira/Max story. Now, this is purely from my memory of last season, which was a year ago, so if you remember more details or see anything I've posted in error, feel free to chime in!

* * * *
Meet Moira, Season 3

After Jenny is found self-mutilating in season 2, she admits herself into a psychiatric ward back home in Illinois. (Too bad the psychiatric treatment didn’t seem to help her beyond the cutting! ) It's in Illinois that Jenny quickly falls in love with Moira, a soft-spoken, gentle-natured computer technician, who also happens to be pretty butch. Jenny convinces Moira to come back to LA with her, so they embark on a road trip back to Cali in Moira's truck.

On this road trip, they find themselves in a really scary situation when Moira becomes the object of a brewing hate crime. Since Moira looks androgynous and acts masculine, a group of kids at the rest stop think she's a guy, and not much else. I even seem to remember that Moira stirs up small talk with the kids and that they're nice to her at first... can anyone confirm this? The hate crime begins to unfold when the group sees Moira use the women's bathroom.

As the ugliness continues to flare up, Moira just wants to get the hell out of there. Of course, as Jenny is prone to do, she insists on confronting the group (because she knows and we know there's a taser in the glove box, but Moira isn't aware that Jenny found it.) As annoying as Jenny's constant quest for making a statement can be, the homophobic instigator deserved a good jolt, and we're left wondering if Jenny may have killed the guy by overdoing it with the taser.

When Moira and Jenny first arrive in LA, none of the L Girls click with Moira, because not only is she butch, she's also working class. She doesn't wear expensive clothes; she isn't a connoisseur of fine art, fashion and expensive food. Moira's just a drama-free Midwestern girl that wants a good job, a girlfriend and a pretty simple, yet stable life. This is of course, not quite the way our beloved L women live! She wants to leave LA at first because she feels so alien there, but Jenny convinces her to stay. (To me, it seemed more like a Midwestern girl's culture shock in LA than gender issues at first).

There's a very painful scene when Moira meets the whole group for the first time at a fancy dinner. She can't afford any of the food, orders a salad, and the group looks at her like she just turned into yellow polka-dotted elephant before their very eyes. With lobster as one of the main entrées, Moira tries to stir up conversation with an interesting tidbit about lobsters:

"You don't have to put a lid on a pot of female lobsters... because once they realize they're all in a pot of boiling water, they just start grabbing each other and holding each other down. They're like, 'If I'm gonna die, everyone's gonna die.'"

After that, the room falls uncomfortably silent, and many more of these moments happen throughout the season with Moira and the group. (To me, it felt like in season 3, Moira was "lost in translation." In season 4, Max is "lost in transition.")

A few episodes into season 2, the brilliant Alan Cumming guest-stars as a hotshot promotions manager (Billie), whom Kit hires to work at The Planet. When Billie meets Moira, he's instantly attracted to her as a man, and this is before she's voiced any feelings about becoming one. Billie even hits on her, and eventually consummates his attraction to her, which becomes the catalyst for Moira's transition into Max. Billie also introduces her to a group of his trans gender friends, and Moira finally fits in somewhere. Unfortunately, Billie's also the one that hooks her up with illegal testosterone. Of course, in typical delicious L Word drama, Jenny catches Billie and Moira together "in the act," and Moira confesses to Jenny that she slept with Billie because "he’s the first person that made her feel like a 'real' man."

Besides Billie, the only other person that Moira remotely connects with is Dana, because Moira/Max is a huge tennis fan. Of course, we lose Dana to breast cancer, so Moira really loses the only person she connects with in the L Group. Billie gets fired, so he's suddenly gone, and Jenny... well, we all know how Jenny can be, right? At one point, when Moira doesn't get hired (at the company that later hires Max), Jenny launches into how men are pigs, yada yada, and Moira says to Jenny, "If you've got a problem with men, then we've got a problem."

Jenny does try to support Moira's transition, but more as a friend than a girlfriend. As the testosterone makes Moira more aggressive, it totally turns Jenny off, because she realizes that Moira is now Max, and Max is different than the Moira that Jenny fell in love with. (In Jenny’s defense, the illegal testosterone was turning Max into a jerk, but luckily, that didn’t last for long.)

I also seem to recall that Shane always accepted Moira/Max and didn't care either way whether she's a lesbian or a trans gendered male. They didn't exactly become best buds or anything, but Max at least always felt comfortable with Shane. I also think that's why Max has really stepped up to be a big brother to Shay this season.

I wish that they'd bring back "Ivan" (Kelly Lynch), the trans gender that (I think) Kit was falling in love with, and I would also love to see Alan Cumming on a regular basis. (Not only because he's a great actor, but... I am strangely attracted to him)! I also feel like Max and Tasha could get along pretty well because Tasha's also "drama free," and more working class than high society. She's also pretty laid back, and I just think that they'd get along as friends.

So... that's the story of Moira and Max. I think I remembered everything important, but if I left anything out or got anything wrong, you know what to do!

Finally... Happy Valentine's Day, L Group!!

I am absolutely floored by tonight's L Word. How floored? Well... let's just say that if I were one of the show's "Powers That Be," this would be the episode I'd send out to the Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes)and ATAS (Emmy Awards) members.

From the opening "real time" sequence with all of the different phone calls and the editing with the various split screens, to the amazing music, to the juxtaposition between Papi's poker lessons and Jenny's mind games. Brilliant, subtle and absolutely brilliant... a stunning episode that I could easily watch over and over again.

I'm really pleased that Bette wound up talking to Angus about Hazel and Kit... just like I said I would do if I were in her shoes, eh? And see? It did get him shaking in his boots and got him to decide what to do pretty damn quick. Go, Bette!

One thing I'm not so sure about is Bette's insistence that Angelica attend an Ivy League pre-school. Pre-school? Ivy League pre-school? Do you think she's being overly selective at this point in Angelica's life, or do you think she's right? I'm not sure what I think....

It was sad to see Jodi's confession of not liking kids sort of shatter Bette's hopes of a relationship with her, but at least she was honest. It looks like Bette's giving her another chance, but the previews for next week indicate that Jodi may be a bit too much of a wild child for Bette. We shall see. I do like them together. A lot.

I really like Tosha. There's just something so cool and sexy about her; I can see why Alice would be drawn to her, even though they seem like such polar opposites. Alice (once again) got the biggest laugh out of me from the obscenities that ensued when she got hit in the eye! (I would recap it, but as open and free as TV Guide allows me to be, we still have to keep it a "general audiences" kind of blog.)

Max! Max dropped the biggest, coolest bomb tonight, didn't he? And then they promptly left us hanging! So does this mean that Max just "came out" to the boss, or what's going on, here? If he did come out, what a brave and cool way to do it! That was amazing. I'm so curious to see what happens next with Max's ever-evolving character arc.

But the biggest bomb of the night for me was Helena Peabody's bad hand. Bloody "L," is Helena about to pretty much become a prostitute to pay off the $50K? And did she basically get set up? Talk about a wild card! I'm really, really intrigued and scared for her right now.

Another big question mark is Jenny. Do you think she'll try to continue pursuing the vet? I guess that not all of it was a total game to her, and that she really was starting to fall for her... which makes me think that Jenny won't give up on her, because that's just so Jenny. Your thoughts?

What an episode. My head is still spinning after this one.

I couldn't believe my ears the first time Phyllis said, "I love you" to Alice on voicemail, but then to Alice's (and my) horror, she had to go and say it again and again while desperately clutching Alice's arm. Yikes. I really didn't want Phyllis to become so desperate and clingy; I just wanted Phyllis and Alice to have lots of fun scenes together so that we could enjoy Leisha Hailey and Cybill Shepherd's brilliant comedic skills. [Sigh] Oh well, as cringe-inducing as Phyllis' affections are becoming, it is great drama, and it tells a lot about how lonely she's been for so many years. I just hope that Phyllis comes out of this relatively unscathed and that she and Alice can maintain a friendship.

I'm relieved that Helena was able to find a way to save her catering job, except do you think that her caviar purchase may have actually taken the money right back out of her pocket? The sad thing is, the whole time she was prepping the food in the apartment kitchen, and then in Phyllis' kitchen, she looked so calm and in her element. Not only that, but judging from Alice and Mr. Phyllis' taste tests, the food was delicious, too! I was convinced that Helena would be an amazing caterer. Well, all is not lost. After all, it is perfectly natural for some mistakes and disasters to happen the first time on the job, and she managed to come up with a solution under extreme stress, so maybe she'll still do really well with a catering business.

My favorite scene of the night (of course) was Jodi, Dean Porter and Jodi's interpreter (whom I love) "blowing off some steam" at the party. You know, Jodi is exactly what Bette needs, don't you think? They're polar opposites, and Bette seems immediately at ease with Jodi, which isn't something we see out of Bette very often. I like seeing her in this light, and I'm looking forward to more Jodi-Bette adventures. I do like it that Jodi also challenges Bette, because that is something that Bette really needs as an artist and as a person. She's sort of lost herself in the politics of art, and she used to be so passionate about the actual art itself.... I think that Jodi will help bring that passion for art back to Bette.

I'm also glad that the Nadia story line has faded a bit, because I wasn't too fond of Nadia.... Something about her seemed really fake, and at times it felt like their "romance" was thrown at us.

The scene between Jenny and Vet Girl was really tough to watch, because I recently had to put my dog to sleep, and it broke my heart (I'm still not over it, and I had to look away). I also couldn't believe Jenny could be so cold as to take in a dying dog and watch the dog's euthanization just to prey on Vet Girl. It made me feel so angry and dirty.... How can she look in the mirror most days? Then again, I do love Jenny, too, because she's so fun to watch and so fun to hate. Watching her "work" Vet Girl at dinner was a fascinating study in psychology. As a matter of fact, lately I'm starting to wonder if Jenny's a bit of a sociopath. I loooooved her fight with Alice, especially Alice's retort on the Monet comparison. Go, Alice!! It was also great to see Jenny get discovered at the club, and I hope that Vet Girl really lets her have it in some future episode.

Finally, what a relief that Max still has his job. In the beginning sequence, I was starting to worry that Max was about to do something to hurt himself.... The mirror and the heartbeat and the look on his face made me feel really concerned. But I'm glad he's OK, and I hope it stays that way.

Question of the night: If you saw Angus and weird-accent-pixie-nanny making out, would you tell Kit, or would you handle it like Bette and "stay out of it?" I was actually proud of Tina for caring enough to address the issue with Bette, and I'm glad that she still feels protective of her friends, even though she's been distant from the group in more ways than one these days. Do you know what I would do? I would talk to Angus. Yep. Make him shake in his little indie-rocker boots, and get him either to realize what he's about to lose, or just really get honest about where he stands right now with Kit, and I'd encourage him to talk her about it.

One other thing: Do you think that Shane and Papi will ever...? Since Shane obviously doesn't care about Papi and Papi feels a bit threatened by Shane, it'd be quite a conquest for Papi, wouldn't it?

The opening scene of tonight's L Word had to have been one of the funniest “O” scenes ever, even funnier than "Sally's" "I'll have what she's having!" Once Alice and Phyllis' explosive uh... lesson was over, I thought to myself, "OK, they're my favorite couple now!" Unfortunately, Alice is just playing to play and not for keeps. This makes me sad for Phyllis, nervous for Bette and a little bit peeved at Alice. But I'm holding out hope that we'll get some more great scenes with Alice and Phyllis together. Of course, Helena came through once again with a perfect comedic comment on the situation.

I really hope that we'll get to see Helena cater Phyllis' event, and that maybe Helena will kick some major booty at it, too. I want her to suddenly realize that she's gifted at something really amazing (beyond "backwards basketball") and catering could possibly be it. I mean, as "Miz Peabody," she knew how to coordinate amazing parties and events; maybe she could actually be good at it as a profession. I'd love to see that.

(I don't know why I just thought of this, but... why doesn't Helena ever hear from her ex-wife and the kids?)

I felt so, so, so very bad for Max, and the situation may not be over. Do you think that boss' daughter will just keep it to herself, or do you think she'll tell her dad and get Max fired? That's a real nail-biter there.

I cannot believe how low Jenny has sunk to get revenge on her worst critic. [Cuing up Psycho violins: zing-zing-zing-zing]

The basketball game rocked. I'd love to see the girls go at it again in a rematch. Hilarious how Bette was taking the game so seriously, which is so very like Bette.

I wonder if Nadia's going to do anything psycho now that Bette threatened her with disciplinary action, or if she'll just back off. It's really hard to tell if Nadia actually cares about Bette, or just lusts for her.

I adore Jodi. Oh my goddess, I want to see more-more-more of Marlee Matlin. Her character is amazing as an artist, too. I think she'll be challenging Bette in some interesting ways... and that maybe Bette will fall for her. I also love Jodi's interpreter and their rapport together.

I'm angry at Angus for allowing that weird blonde chick to sway him from Kit. Leave it to a broken ego to make a person self-sabotage like that.

Goosebump-inducing moment of the night: Shay's drawing. Major tear-welling for me with one look at Shane's expression. I feel so badly that Shane wound up having to do that photo shoot to pay Shay's medical bills, but it proves how willing she is to become responsible, and that she truly feels invested in him now. She looked amazing in the photo shoot, too. I mean, Katherine Moennig is so stunningly gorgeous and photogenic, all she has to do is stand there and she's perfect.

Finally, I raise my glass to Dana. When the girls were all talking about "L sports," even I felt a little twinge of grief when they mentioned tennis. We miss you, Dana.

OK, L Commitee, your turn!