The L Word TV Series 20042009

The L Word follows the lives and loves of a group of lesbian friends living in Los Angeles. The main character Jenny is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago who moves to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend Tim and begin a professional writing career. Jennys life is turned upside down when she attends a party hosted by Tims nextdoor neighbors Bette and Tina a lesbian couple who are about to take the step into parenthood after being together for seven years. A brief encounter at the party with Marina the owner of the local coffeehouse suddenly has Jenny thrust into a whole new world that makes her question her own sexual orientation. Other friends of Bette and Tina include Dana a professional tennis player who is shy but eager to meet the right woman Alice a magazine writer who has a brief relationship with a selfidentified lesbian man and Shane a hairstylist who cant stick to just one woman and Kit Bettes half sister who struggles with alcoholism.

Review

This artistically welldone Showtimemade TV series primarily focuses on portrayal of lesbians in their 20s to 40s as urban professionals and deals with their everyday issues at the same time thematic materials such as working on relationships or struggling against temptations have universal qualities so that any openminded persons regardless of gender and sexual orientation can associate with the happenings in the show. Also dramas without males chauvinistic nature create a uniquely comfortable mood which even the straight audience may feel refreshing. Gaining a wide range of supporters and fans beyond the lesbian community must be a big factor of the shows success which made it possible for the series to continue to Season Two.

Speaking of the shows success one cannot overlook its artistic merits which are extraordinary as a TV shows. Many incidents are interwoven into one compelling story a lovable ensemble cast that consists of a variety of personas engages in acting and the director of photography Robert Aschmann takes full advantage of his skills and creativity in amazing long takes aggressive crane shots and illuminative lightings. There is inconsistency among episodes on writing directing and editing due to the fact that several different artists have worked on each episode this drawback may be inevitable for a TV series. Among writers and directors Rose Troche the legendary director of Go Fish writes believable dialogues and directs intimate scenes with crafts while Lenka Svab stands out among editors dazzling and mesmerizing the viewers with a deliberate disorientation. Some writers make homage to historic filmmakers such as Godard Cassavetes and Soderbergh by having the characters refer to them this is a tiny detail but certainly amuses film fans.