The new TV season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the expected queer females of note.
Weirdly, the biggest ‘new’ things are old things back to haunt us. And no, I’m not talking about The L Word, friends.
Old Show, New Season
Notoriously behind the times, the biggest comebacks this year are the bizarre and behwildering new seasons of Will & Grace and Rosanne. Both are actually filming right now (and yes, you can catch a live taping), and both had a really weird track record with the gay. Karen suffered from bi-erasure to the point that I don’t think the cast even remembers she was bi. Rosanne the character said her show’s last season was from a book she wrote, making her mother gay when it was really Jackie. I have no idea what that means for the new season.
Also having another season is The X-Files, which was so note-worn and bad, I stopped watching it about 4 episodes in. I loved the original, but the lack of continuity and characterization that made it hard to stomach in the 90s is now impossible. Worst of all, there are no female writers this year. Hard pass.
Current Show, New Season
The CW continues to be network TV’s home for family friendly queers. From Supergirl to Legends of Tomorrow, their superhero dramas are still running around, saving the planet daily. That said … Half of our beloved Sanvers has been dropped to ‘recurring’ status, and DC comics has a weird ‘no one can be happy!’ concept for their heroes that has me nervous. Their unrelated-but-also-comic-book-related show, Riverdale, is bringing in a biseuxal, and has been hinting that Cheryl Blossom may have a sapphic adventure. In Jane the Virgin, the un-dead lesbian is still running around and don’t ask me to explain a telenovela.
Meanwhile, I’m giving a side eye to American Housewife over on ABC, for their lesbian character who may as well be a lamp. She’s not bad but it’s just perfectly mediocre representation. That said, I’m not sure she’d be any different if she was a heterosexual character, so there’s that. And at least they have Grey’s Anatomy, though Arizona’s girlfriend just got punted from the show. Maybe she’s in the parking lot with Erica Haan? How to Get Away With Murder is still getting away with not killing their main character, who happens to be bisexual. That said, the show is perilously close to torture porn… Over in their queerbaity Once Upon a Time, they’re promising new queers in the reboot. I’ll believe it when I see it.
FOX is back with Star and Empire, both of which are … Well. Star‘s okay when it comes to queer representation, but the less said about Empire and the evil bisexual trope, the better. Speaking of not-talking-about-it-shows I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Gotham is not only still on the air, but it still has some queer females. And dead Barbara may not actually be dead. That’s nice, but I’m still not watching until Montoya’s back.
New Shows!
Oh thank god! New shows!
Wait, what do you mean new show: singular?
Seriously? Out of the 80 or so new shows that’s it?
Apparently we get Life Sentence on the CW and the main character’s mom is making out with a woman and … did I miss anything? Nope? Okay then! One new show on network TV with queer females, and it’s a mid-season replacement.
However! Ten Days in the Valley will be on ABC and Tracy’s fav Ali Liebert is in it. And she don’t play straight. So maybe they’re just being super quiet about it?
