In most shows, the women would get revenge and/or throw Mark out. But, for better or worse, The L Word isn’t like other programs. Jenny dared Mark to remain at the house and deal with the Pandora’s Box he opened up. Kirshner scored again in this story, barely restraining Jenny’s rage after a contrite Mark stood before her naked and offered himself to her.
The lack of buzz for The L Word is disappointing, but in that regard, this show is no different than several other high-profile cable offerings of the moment. There is little talk about HBO’s Deadwood, outside of ongoing praise for Ian McShane’s consistently strong, Emmy-worthy work as blue-talking businessman Al Swearengen. Meantime, FX’ The Shield isn’t making much noise, despite the much-heralded addition to its cast this season of Glenn Close as Captain Monica Rawling. Perhaps this is due to the dismantling of the Strike Team, the unstoppable force at the center of the narrative for its first three seasons. We want to see Vic, Shane, Lemansky, and Ronnie working together, not separately, and not at odds with each other.
Indeed, the last cable drama that had people buzzing was Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, which concluded its first season with a slam-bang season finale a few weeks ago. Perhaps the situation will change in four weeks, when the traditional broadcast season comes to a close, and broadcast’s best shows go dormant for several months.
By Ed Martin
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