On this chapter of The Queerest Things I Watched Last Week, Anne and Ann have a happy ending on the Gentleman Jack season one finale; Professor Shane is back on Grown-ish, and I write part 4 of my 10-part love letter to Tanya Saracho.
- Burden of Truth – Season 2 Episode 2 “The Rabbit Hole” [Catch Up]
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Who here feels like they’re creating angst between Luna and Molly for no reason? Luna has enough going on with her mom and David Hanley, why add this into the mix? I’m so tired of relationship troubles being the default go-to move for TV writers.
This did make me laugh though.
I am good with A/V stuff, but otherwise, my wife and I are the Least Handiest Lesbians on the Planet™.
Luna spends the episode telling everyone who will listen how she and Molly aren’t on the same page.
Like Taylor.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, Taylor. Molly and Luna spent an entire school year apart, and you think more time away from each other will bring them closer?
And Joanna.
The biggest living together issue is Luna wants to work, volunteer with the indigenous town watch, and peruse the lawsuit against her bio dad while Molly wants to go out and have fun. Like in the scene at the end of the episode where Molly doesn’t come home until morning.
This is where we are on this show — a one-way trip to Breakupville for Molly and Luna. At least that is my prediction.
- Gentleman Jack – Season 1 Episode 8 “Are You Still Talking?” [Live]
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It was the Gentleman Jack season one finale, and all I wanted a big Anne/Ann reunion.
The episode starts with Anne leaving Paris and traveling around Europe until she arrives in Copenhagen. There she hobnobs with the elite and makes faux pas with royalty (for a minute there I thought she was going to bang the Queen of Denmark).
Back in Scotland, Ann is over her sister and brother-in-law. After she finds out Anne wrote to them and he purposely kept Anne’s address in Copenhagen from her and her sister, she makes a plan to go back to Halifax.
Meanwhile, back at Shibden Hall, Anne’s aunt is not doing well. She has gangrene (gross), and Anne’s sister, Yara, I mean Marian, has the doctor write a letter to Anne explaining the situation. Anne reads the letter and immediately starts the long, difficult journey back to Halifax.
We see where this is going. Ann is making her way back to Halifax thinking Anne is still in Copenhagen, and Anne journeys back thinking Ann is in Scotland ignoring her letter.
Anne arrives back at Shibden Hall ready to see her aunt on death’s door, and it turns out she’s “bright as a button.” Anne is furious, but while she’s in town, she should attend to some family business.
Ann gets back to Crow Nest and I’m yelling at my TV, “You’re both back, see each other already!” I’m so easily manipulated; I know this is exactly what the show wanted us to feel. Ann actually goes to Shibden Hall (while Anne is out of course).
Ann, GO, GET YOUR GIRL!!!
Anne is frustrated and yelling at the universe when Ann finally arrives for their big reunion.
I am eating this up, y’all. This is the 1800s lesbian romcom we deserve!
After some awkward conversation, Ann finally says what we have all been waiting for.
This scene was so satisfyingly perfect. After a long journey of finally getting back to each other Ann says, “Yes.” It couldn’t be any better.
The ending sequence of Anne and Ann getting “married” by exchanging rings and taking the sacrament together was also perfect.
I loved the sneaky excited looks and stealth hand holding. It totally brought that exciting feeling of being happily in love, but having to keep it secret.
I appreciate the fact that if the show wasn’t renewed, we would get a happy ending which is disturbingly rare for queer-centric shows. But the show was renewed for a season two — it’s a win-win! I can’t wait to see how married life is for Anne and Ann next season.
- The Bold Type – Season 3 Episode 10 “Breaking Through the Noise” [Live]
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It’s The Bold Type season three finale and time to see what post-campaign life is like for Kat after she lost the election.
Tia wants to move on with their relationship, but Kat confesses she still has unresolved Adena feelings.
Tia is very understanding and tells Kat if she, “needs to figure things out with Adena, that’s fine.”
Wow, I’m very impressed by Tia being so reasonable, especially since this is her first relationship with a woman. You think the stakes would be emotionally high.
Kat heads to Adena’s pretty soon after that to do some “figuring things out.”
Kadena fans rejoice!
Post their figuring things out session, Adena makes her desires clear.
Adena doesn’t pressure Kat into getting back together, but she also doesn’t want to lose any more time with her. Kat tells her she needs some time to think about it.
Now we have a classic, “Who will Kat choose” season finale.
As I expected, Kat breaks up with Tia.
Poor Tia. I hope she can someday add “out and proud lesbian” to her Twitter bio and find a nice girlfriend now that Kat helped her come out.
I fully expected Kat and Adena to get back together in a series finale, grand romantic gesture, but this happened instead.
Wow, Kat chose to stay single. Good for her knowing she needed to be alone to process the aftermath of losing the election.
Adena however also thought Kat was going to choose her because she took a staff photography job at Scarlet. Oh, snap!
Well, this is going to be interesting next season.
I think The Bold Type did a great job with Kat’s story this season relationship-wise. I wasn’t into the election thing, but I loved the new relationship and the return of Adena at the end. I hope they keep it up next year.
- Pose – Season 2 Episode 1 “Acting Up” [Live]
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Blanca and the House of Evangelista are back and we’ve jumped ahead to 1990. By 1990 I was out and can remember a lot of the events depicted in the series like Madonna’s Vogue coming out and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral protest by ACT-UP and Wham! (which happened in 1989, but that’s okay). I am probably the same age as some of Blanca’s children on the show. Now I’m old enough to be her mother.
Blanca has an appointment with Nurse Judy to interpret her latest labs. The news isn’t good. Her T cells have fallen below 200 and she’s gone from being HIV+ to having AIDS.
Poor Blanca. I know people who held on with low T cells until antiretroviral drugs were introduced in the mid-90s. Hopefully Blanca will be like one of them.
With the release of Madonna’s Vogue, Blanca thinks their underground community will finally have their moment. Others think it’s a pop star making money off the queer PoC community, but that does not dissuade Blanca from encouraging Angel to try out for a modeling contest. Angel needs professional photos to apply and a pro photographer tells her he’ll shoot her for free as long as he can take additional photos for his “Private collection.” Ugh, that does not sound good.
Meanwhile, Nurse Judy drags Pray Tell kicking and screaming to an ACT UP meeting.
We also got to meet Judy’s girlfriend, Wanda!
I really appreciate how this show pays respect to queer women being a big part of the AIDS activist movement.
The “private collection” shoot goes as horribly wrong for Angel as we thought it would. But after Angel fesses up to Blanca about what happened, she, Angel and Lil Papi go to the photographer’s apartment, beat him up and destroy the photos. I have to admit that scene was very satisfying.
With the good photos in hand, Angel brings them to the modeling contest and makes it to the next round. That made me so happy.
The show ended with these words in white on a black screen.
I have to admit it made me feel emotional. That time was painful, but it was also powerful. The queer community fought back and people finally started to listen. Realizing that was 30 years ago blows my mind, and I am grateful to this show for providing a history lesson for young queers.
- Grown-ish – Season 2 Episode 13 “You Decide” [Live]
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Grown-ish is back for the second half of season two, and two episodes in, we lean Nomi is still texting with Professor Shane.
Wow, I didn’t think Professor Shane would be back! Let’s see what the two of them are up to.
Am I being a giant prude here, because Professor Shane is making me nervous with creep vibes.
When Nomi asks her where they go from here, Shane tells Nomi that the semester’s over, and she’s no longer in her class (which makes them dating okay?). They reminisce about class for a minute, but Shane is glad class is behind them.
Oh, jeez, here we go.
This whole thing is giving me double dip feelings, because while I’m squicked out by Prof Shane I’m also completely entertained by this whole thing. It’s a low-stakes moral dilemma I’m willing to live with.
- Vida – Season 2 Episode 4 “Episode 10” [Streaming]
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Dear, Tanya Saracho.
I loved Nico making her first entrance into the bar.
I think Emma totally knew what her name was, but she played it all cool.
At this point, I didn't know if Emma and Nico were going to be friends or more than friends. Knowing what I know now, the subtle flirtyness and Emma's low key crush vibes made for the best of slow burns.
Like when Nico is laying our her vision for the bar menu, the flirting is beautifully subtle.
They obviously have chemistry, but it's not rushed.
I'm a sucker for a "running after someone before they leave" scene and loved Emma running after Nico to ask her to work at the bar.
Emma and Nico's day-long date was a perfect way to establish Nico's character on the show.
Brilliant work as always.
Love,
Tracy
PS. Emma looking back over her shoulder and talking about cocktails is my new sexuality.
I know I said this week I was going to write about my strong feelings regarding the new Tales of the City, but there were too many other queer things to write about. Next week I will try to get to it. Also this week Good Trouble is back!
