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The L Word

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

This week's instalment of The L Word is titled "Lez Girls", which should clue viewers in on what this drama series is about: the lives and loves of a clique of lesbians who live in the gay Mecca of West Hollywood.

But though you don't see many TV series whose main characters are all lesbians, The L Word's plots aren't as unique as its premise: the characters are subjected to the usual soapy fare that crops up in every other drama.

Alice's (Leisha Hailey) relationship with Phyllis (guest star Cybill Shepherd) seems to be getting more serious - but the fact that the weirdly intense Phyllis is married causes Alice great concern. Elsewhere, Bette (Jennifer Beals) tries to resist the charms of fellow art lecturer Jodi (Marlee Matlin), knowing that a relationship could jeopardise both their careers; while Max struggles to keep his true gender identity a secret in one of the more unusual of the episode's subplots.

The complicated back stories of all the characters means that new viewers might struggle to get involved in The L Word. But the lessons that emerges here is that homosexual characters really aren't that different from their heterosexual counterparts: some are melodramatic, some are boring, and yes, others are hateful: in The L Word the honour of "most hateable character" falls to the repugnant Jenny (Mia Kirshner), whose lack of morals would be off-putting in a character of any sexual orientation.

The L Word airs on Movie Extra on Sunday, July 20, at 9:30pm.

Sam Downing, July 2008