The third season of the hit show, The L Word, follows a group of friends – both gay and straight – through stories of career, family, inner struggle, friendship and romantic relationships. Stars Jennifer Beals, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Katherine Moennig, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Shelley and Pam Grier.The third season of Showtime’s The L Word is all about transitions. The season opens with Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey) coping with her between-seasons break-up with Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels), who is herself headed for an even heavier series of transitions. Kit Porter (Pam Grier) both falls in love with a younger man and discovers she is going through menopause. Shane (Katherine Moennig), who spent much of the first two seasons of the show hopping from bed to bed, finds herself more or less committed to Latina deejay Carmen (Sarah Shahi). And the second season’s resident villain, Helena Peabody (Rachel Shelley), becomes embroiled in a sexual harassment case that leaves her ultimately looking like the victim. As with previous seasons, The L Word gets all hot and bothered with various seductions filmed to sometimes jarring music on the soundtrack, but it’s the day-to-day foibles and celebrations of Los Angeles’s lesbian community that keep the show interesting. Newcomer Moira/Max (Daniela Sea) begins the process of gender reassignment, making for some curious situations with potential employers. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) begin to drift apart when Tina lands a big movie studio job and starts feeling attracted to men, leading to a custody battle over their baby daughter. Where The L Word starts getting preachy and obvious is in the opening flashback sequences. When these vignettes refer to current characters of the show, they make sense; when they depict situations meant to underline how queer identity has evolved over the years, they seem politically overloaded. The L Word works intelligently through its characters’ concerns without having to resort to such direct appeals for tolerance. Its strength isn’t in making lesbian culture appear more mainstream, but in making us care and identify with these women’s struggles, regardless of our sexual orientation. –Ryan Boudinot
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January 15, 2006
#1
I have watched the L-Word from the very start and comparatively, the Season 2 was better than Season 1 and 3(It also had a better musical theme). The Season 1, I found the lesbian couple(played by Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman) there so convincing that you would think they are real lesbians in real life! And what about boyish Shane…just a real eye candy for all the lesbians out there. I think, every lesbian is in love with her(laugh out loud).What I found quite putting-off though was the injecting of heterosexual characters(boy and girl)there who seems to have more love scenes in the whole series than the lesbians…who seems to HOG the screen most of the time too. Isn’t the L-Word a lesbian series, after all??? Let it stay that way please! Why can’t they simply just make a lesbian series that is “all lesbian”??? I think, the producers have this silly notion that straight people won’t watch a series without heterosexuality on the plot/story which is just pure misconception. Heterosexuals are ever so interested on how the “other kind” lives, thrives and even, become intimate. They are big voyeurs to the unknown and not spoken of! So, for goodness sake, make a proper all-lesbian series!!! Even more so on the 2nd Season, what’s more irritating is the heterosexual girl on Season 1 becomes totally gay here(totally transformed and not interested in men anymore, duh!). Isn’t change a gradual thing? This demeans our intelligence, in my opinion. The one who wrote this must have been straight as a ruler to NOT know the real world or facts about lesbianism!!! And, what is this about another straight black woman singer who looks ridiculously outcasted in this world of gays and les? I didn’t see her story as any help in “putting meat” on the whole series, sorry to say. To put it blunt, the producers just wasted good money paying for “misplaced” talent(though she sings real good admittedly). I was expecting the 3rd Season to be better, but alas, they lost the story all throughout here. What a big disappointment!!! A lesbian character dying in this season didn’t help boost the ratings as they have expected it would, I suppose. Nobody likes to see people dying, gay or straight! I think, what they should have done here was expand on the lives of the characters more(such as put flashbacks about their past lives, how they became to be, etc.). It would have been better too if they added more “credible gay characters” …new, fresh faces, as we say. Even Gina Gershon(Of “Bound”), though quite mature, would have lifted their ratings sky up if they have included her in the cast. And, what about REAL lesbians included in…Ellen De Generis(a real cutie!), K.D. Lang, Melissa Etheridge, Portia de Rossi…they would be real “crowd-drawers”!!!
I think, it is about time they leave gay filming to those who know the “raw deal”…not just because they want to create a fad or exploit the world unknown to them or even more, just make money out of it. Lesbian producers, anyone for the taking?
January 15, 2006
#2
Unlike the first person who reviewed season 3, I think this season outbeats the 1st season by a long shot….more story lines in season 3, and less sex….not that i have a problem with sex scenes, but season 1 i feel just had way too many. I dont think season 3 was as good as the 2nd season (i think season 2 is the best thus far), but i do think it was good…definitely worth buying.
January 15, 2006
#3
i love the L-word and there is nothing else to say, if you watch it you get hooked. have fun ! packaging was fine, no problems with delivery.
January 15, 2006
#4
I absolutely LOVE The L Word & could not wait for the thirs season DVDs to release. I pre-ordered & started watching the night it came in. When I got to disc four though, the DVD was pixelated & skipping. I was so mad, because I was that far into the season & had to wait for another set. I processed the return, got in a new set & the same thing happened. Disc four was all messed up. Now I have to wait again! Needless to say, I am a little frustrated.
January 15, 2006
#5
I rated this season at three stars for a few reasons. The writer’s create such an unrealistic homophobic atomosphere. With the exception of one seen with Jenny and Moira, it is a little too unreal.
I also feel that the series ignores a talented actress. That is Danielle, who plays Moira. In my opinion, she was really the star that made season three interesting. Because she is not as “feminite and pretty” as the rest of the cast, she is not even in the photos. That includes the lword fan site. Irene (the writer) should be ashamed of herself. Irene degraded Danielle, in my opinion.
Also, the season sort of defies logic. It is an “us against them” mentality. With the exception of one seen with teenagers, this goes
beyond logic. Examples include :
1. An employer who openly discriminates during an interview. Not afraid of lawsuits. A little unreal.
2. An adoption agent who discriminates against orientation. She is very open and candid about not having a man as a parent.
The writers need to do a much better job with logic and realism. The acting is superb, and Danielle deserves a lot of credit. She is a very good actress.