The L Word Season 2 Week 10

We begin in Key West on what I presume to be an Olivia Cruise. As the sun sets a cellist (Amy Ziff of the band Betty) is on the deck playing to tables and tables full of women. One woman in particular is extremely interested though the other women at her table want to interrupt her to talk about sex. Turns out the interested woman is Phoebe Sparkle, renowned fictional lesbian sexpert (modeled on Suzie Bright maybe?). Phoebe and the cellist hit it off and have lots of sex. The reason I really like this sex is because the cellist weighs more than 12 pounds. It's a good thing.

- Fucking Sleazy Creep is asleep with a woman in his bed when Jenny starts antagonizing him via the camera hidden in her room. She's imitating a porn scene I think and he quickly wakes up and heads to her room. When he gets to her she has written "Is that what you want?" on her naked body. He tries to start some Fucking Sleazy Creep bullshit about how she'll understand when she sees his documentary. She rightfully puts him in his fucking place and tells him what a bastard he is. He wants to go tell Shane what he's done and take down all the cameras but Jenny tells him no. Shane and Carmen are going on a cruise (that Jenny is also supposed to be going on) and she refuses to let Fucking Sleazy Creep ruin their vacation. She says she'll decide when he can tell Shane. Fucking Sleazy Creep goes to pout.

This experience has inspired something in Jenny but I'm not really sure what. She commandeered one of Fucking Sleazy Creep's camera and is making a video letter to her mother. She's surrounded by pictures of her family and starts asking questions about someone (I'm thinking maybe a grandfather) losing their mind. Then she wants to ask her grandmother questions about being in Auschwitz. She wants to know if her grandmother remembers the man that tattooed her there. She's very intensely involved in this video letter though I'm not sure where it's going. She's interrupted by Carmen showing up and asking her if she's packed for the cruise. Jenny says she's decided not to go because she's really into her video project and besides Carmen and Shane will have a good time together. Carmen says she wants to go on the cruise with her girlfriend and Jenny says "who's that?" Then Shane comes in a says she's not going if Jenny isn't going and Carmen says she's not going if they aren't going and that sucks because she wanted to go. Eventually they all decide to go. Jenny's passive aggressiveness at the house was just a precursor to her bizarre behavior on the ship. She hints every way imaginable that the three of them should have a threesome, pushes Shane and Carmen into a kiss on the dance floor, and dances and flirts like mad with other people. Carmen is disturbed by her behavior and Shane just tries to avoid it all. She's able to do that pretty easily because, just like every lesbian on this show, as soon as the sexpert meets Shane she wants to hook up with her. So they hang out with one another and head back to Phoebe SnowSparkle's cabin where they both declare that they are tired and Shane crashes on the couch. Thus successfully avoiding the tension that is still simmering in her own cabin.

- Alice and Tennis Player are psyched for the cruise. TP is speaking on a panel. I'm not really sure about what. Just being out in the public eye I guess but I'm not really sure why she's on a panel with the sexpert but I've never been on an Olivia cruise so these things are beyond my little mind. I think the cruise is just a new place for them to have sex. After an embarrassing incident involving their nipple clamps (yes, I just wrote nipple clamps) being confiscated at the airport they can't wait to get it on on the ship. They even play dress up like Captain Stubing and Julie (from The Love Boat people, catch up). The costumes are pretty much for naught as TP gets sea sick during the act. Though obviously disappointed that her sexcapades are interrupted by illness Alice goes to take care of TP like a good girlfriend should.

The most entertaining part of the cruise was a solo acoustic performance by Shawn Colvin.

- Bette's father is unexpectedly in town and as always Bette is terribly happy to see him. Her happiness wanes somewhat when he doesn't ask about Tina. It wanes even more when she tells him that she can't have dinner with him the next night because Tina is being honored and she's attending the event yet he doesn't ask why Tina is being honored. I'm not sure why she's hurt about his lack of concern or interest in Tina now since he's never been before. Maybe it's because he's very interested in seeing Kit, something he hasn't wanted to do in many years. The conversation eventually turns to the demise of Bette's parents' marriage. I got the impression that Daddy had cheated on Mom but didn't really fight to get her back afterward. Bette wanted to know why he didn't fight for their marriage but he told her that she wouldn't understand how deeply he had hurt her mother unless she's experienced the bond of marriage. Later as Daddy, Bette and Kit are having breakfast Bette kind of loses it and goes off on Daddy for not grasping the fact that she does understand because she's hurt Tina the same way. The only difference is she's not giving up.

Kit is still seeing Mr. TOE and her father is quite pleased about it. He and Mr. TOE have good dinner conversations. Of course Daddy doesn't know Mr. TOE is married.

The second night of Daddy's visit Bette goes to Tina's award ceremony. She's being honored for her work with whatever charity it is that she works for. Although she's there with Helena, Tina is interested in speaking to Bette. Bette looks lovely of course and Tina tells her that she's been thinking about "the other day" (aka when we slept together) and that it was nice. Really nice. Bette is a bit taken back by the description of really good sex as nice but she gets over it quickly as Tina explains that she's been thinking about the other day and thinking that she would really like to spend more time with Bette. Bette asks if she's saying she's like to date her and Tina says yes. "What about Helena?" We aren't exclusive. At that moment Helena swoops in and whisks Tina away but the groundwork has been laid. Bette is incredibly happy. And even though they are seated at different tables for the dinner Tina looks for Bette and is pleased to see her. Of course because this is a soap opera Bette gets a phone call that her father is being rushed to the hospital just before Tina accepts her award. And naturally as Tina goes up on stage the face she is looking for in the crowd is Bette's. So a little twinge of hurt that Bette isn't there though clearly she must understand that something has to be wrong for Bette to bolt the place after Tina said "let's date."

If you don't know Bette's father was played by Ossie Davis. In this episode his character is very frail and noticeably weak. It broke my heart because of his recent death. According to previews for next week his character on the show is suffering from end stage prostate cancer and he is refusing treatment for it.

- After Shane, Jenny and Carmen return from the ship (where they sadly did not have a threesome) they find Fucking Sleazy Creep taking down the last of his hidden cameras. He tells that he had them all over the house and that Jenny found out when she saw a tape of Shane and Carmen but didn't want to ruin their vacation. The cameras and tapes are on the table so Jenny picks up said tape and hands it to Carmen. Later Carmen tries to point out that not only did she say that she and Shane have "the real thing" but she also said that it's easy and fun with Jenny so isn't that enough? Jenny says that Shane is her best friend and she doesn't want to fuck that up.

Shane is pretty devastated by Fucking Sleazy Creep. She hits him upside the head with a piece of his equipment (sadly not hard enough or a large enough piece of equipment to do any damage) before throwing it across the room.

This entire scene is cut without any music at all and after Shane throws the equipment she bends over, holding her knees, unable to process the whole thing, the silence is almost deafening. All the credits roll without sound as well. It's a very powerful effect. I was pleased and lord knows I don't say that often here.