Hello, my rainbow-feathered friends! I’m sorry I didn’t have a Boob(s On Your) Tube update for you last week. We had some issues with wifi at camp, and on the real, there wasn’t much to talk about. This week, though, is a whole other story! Pretty Little Liars came back last Tuesday night (expect a 601 recap tomorrow morning, before the new episode), The Fosters comes back tonight (expect a recap of that tomorrow afternoon), Netflix dropped Sense8 on Friday (more on that below), Orphan Black kept steamrolling along (two recaps are coming, probably Wednesday morning), Defiance returns this Friday (you’ll see updates for that here in this column), and Orange Is the New Black lands this very Friday (Riese and I will be co-recapping that for you!). It’s going to be quite a week!
As promised, here is a Google Calendar I will be updating as a queer TV viewing guide. You can also subscribe to it with an RSS reader or import it into any calendar that uses iCal.
Meanwhile, here’s what you missed!
Sense8
Streaming on Netflix
The main teevee thing that happened while we were on the mountain was the premiere of Netflix’s new sci-fi show Sense8, which features a trans lesbian character named Nomi Marks, played by trans actress Jamie Clayton; and a black lesbian character named Amanita. They are girlfriends! That sounds revolutionary, and the first glance I had of the show via Tumblr GIF sets made it look rad (and queer) as fuck, but I haven’t had a chance to watch any of it yet. However, our own Mey Rude is going to watch and review it for you, so stay tuned for that!
Younger
Tuesdays on TVLand at 10:00 p.m.
There’s only one episode left in Younger‘s freshman year, and I think it’s safe to say it has been a really solid inaugural season for TV Land’s first original series to feature a lesbian character. Maggie still hasn’t been integrated into the show as well as I would have liked, but in the penultimate episode, “Hot Mitzvah,” she escaped from her Brooklyn loft and joined everyone at Lauren’s second coming-of-age party. Unsurprisingly, she immediately and accidentally slipped into ladykiller mode as Lauren finally confessed a year-long crush on Maggie and smooched her right on the lips. I should have seen it coming! Lauren dropped hints she was queer, and she protested way too much about Maggie’s age! It was a fun, surprising turn that could pay off big time in the second season if the two of them start dating. (Lauren says Maggie is an OWL, an “older, wiser lesbian.” I like that. I am adopting it.) It’d be such a fun role-reversal of Josh and Liza’s relationship, which: finally climaxed into love confessions and Liza telling him the truth about her age and past life.
Tomorrow night’s season finale should be a doozy.
Complications
Thursdays on USA at 9:00 p.m.
I want to let you know that USA is unveiling a new summertime show next week called Complications. It’s about a straight white doctor dude who becomes a vigilante hero who “does the wrong thing for the right reasons.” White Collar 2.0, or whatever. But! Jessica Szohr (aka Vanessa Abrams from Gossip Girl) (aka The Girl Who Had a Threesome With Dan Humphrey and Hilary Duff) will play a lesbian on the show. Hopefully they’ll do her better than White Collar did with FBI Agent Diana Barrigan, the last lesbian supporting character on USA’s summer slate. Complications lands on June 18.
Hannibal
Thursdays on NBC at 10:00 p.m.
Hannibal returned to NBC on Thursday night, with no Margot in sight. According to the internet. I cannot watch this gorefest even a little bit, not the commercials, not anything. But my girlfriend, Stacy, says she’ll keep us all updated like she did with The Walking Dead.
Lost Girl
Thursdays on Syfy at 10:00 p.m.
Syfy burned through its last two episodes of Lost Girl season 5A, and the main thing you need to know — because there’s not enough space in this column to break down the whole thing, and I’ve got to write four full recaps in two days — is that Tamsin confessed her true love to Bo, but Bo shot her down because Bo’s heart belongs to Lauren. And she told Lauren so, while the Scoobies were chasing Greek gods all around town trying to keep Bo’s dad (Hades) from getting at her. Lauren was like, “Oh, boy” and let that hang in the air for almost the whole episode, until finally confessing that she meant “Oh, boy, yes.” (“It will always be oh, boy, yes.”) Season 5B returns to Showcase on September 6, and to Syfy some time in 2016. Maybe I’ll find a way to write about it better for you by then.
Finding Carter
Tuesdays on MTV at 10:00 p.m.
Carter’s queer BFF from her past life, Madison, and her formerly straight BFF from her current life, Bird, kissed last week on Finding Carter. It was a surprise, a sweet surprise, but not the surprise I was hoping for when this show started, which was to see Kat Prescott playing gay again and Naomi rising from the grave like a Rosewood lesbian and the two of them riding bikes and making out. Sigh. #SkinsFire #NeverForget
Team TV coverage you may have missed
+ 5 Things I Watched to Prepare Myself for A-Camp
This may sound familiar, and that’s because The Rich Man’s Daughter is basically the TV offspring of Imagine Me & You and I Can’t Think Straight.
+ You Should Watch “The Rich Man’s Daughter,” a Filipino Soap Opera Starring a Lesbian Couple
In preparing for this, my first A-Camp, I’ve turned to movies and TV to give me inspiration and calm my nerves. Hopefully I made the right choices, but if not, at least I had some entertainment while I packed.
I am very aware that Carmilla came back last week. We had an impromptu viewing party at camp and swooned until we almost fainted dead away. Give me a week to get caught up on teevee from the big box, and I’ll get you something good for Carmilla!
really excited to marathon sense8 as i eagerly anticipate marathoning oitnb
Me, this last weekend. It was a nice warm up
Done it and it was worth it.
Whoa. . . the scene that introduces Nomi and Amanita on Sense8. No messing around with the portrayal of messing around.
My jaw hit the floor, I punched the air and cry laughed whilst shouting REPRESENTATION!
I need to know how she got that harness off so smoothly and quickly, though. That was amazing!
The slosh as it hit the floor was kinda grotesquely awesome too.
Yessssssssss let’s get some Carmilla coverage up in here!!
Please post something about Carmilla! Binge-watched the entire series on Saturday and I am so hooked (really tried to find a pun about hooks & anglerfish gods but nothing was coming… leaving that to cleverer Autostraddle readers)
Carmilla killed me in the best way possible. THE FEELS. This show makes me feel like I’m fourteen.
I saw a few episodes of Sense8 and I’m already in love with everyone (Lito and Riley especially). I’m not completely sure about the story yet, but it seems quite good so far.
Also I didn’t know that Nomi was going to be a lesbian, so that was a really nice surprise. And Martha Jones is dating her! I’m going to write “lesbian” spoilers about the first episode in the reply, be warned.
With dating I mean fucking her brains out (actual quote) with a rainbow strap-on. That was quite an introduction. (My whovian heart still hasn’t recovered, I think.)
yas
am I like the only person in the world who doesn’t love sense8? I watched the first episode, and, besides the excellent lesbian couple, I just did not care about the show at all.
You’re definitely not the only one – it’s been getting pretty lukewarm reviews so far from fans and critics alike. Personally I thought the pilot (outside of Nomi’s scenes) was dreadfully boring but I’m pretty glad I continued watching since it got a lot better from there. It still has some serious pacing issues and sometimes it feels like I just have to force myself to sit through boring scenes to get to the good ones, but overall I’m enjoying it.
oh, huh. everything I’ve seen people say about it has been positive. if it gets better as it goes, maybe I’ll give it another shot at some point.
I’ve only watched the pilot so far, but it wasn’t particularly fascinating. The idea is interesting, but I’m not sure if they will be able to execute it well with the storytelling. I’m going to give it a few episodes and see if it picks up.
I feel this way. I just finished it and all I feel is ‘meh’. But NOMI AND AMANITA. And Wolfgang. And Kala. And every character but Will-the-Cop. <3
I’m tempted to say that almost anyone who finds the premise intriguing will like the show, but you definitely have to stick with it, this won’t be obvious from just the pilot. It takes awhile for the characters to realize what they are, but watching them do so is really satisfying.
I did not care for the first episode AT ALL. I didn’t really lock in until the third, and then I was completely sold.
No. I like some of the story lines and hate others. After a few episodes I am annoyed with Nomi’s character. . . SUCH A VICTIM eeew. Not sure I will keep watching.
Do we know if last season of PLL is streaming anywhere? My cable provider’s on demand just took off the last season and there is A LOT I am behind on and i have to spend all day tomorrow at the airport and I want to do it with my best idiotic teenage gal pals
It’s on Netflix!
How I feel about TV (at least at this current moment): Everything is gay and nothing hurts.
I only just discovered Carmilla a few days ago thanks to a Tumblr post. I binge watched the whole series over the weekend. I finally got around to watching Orphan Black, too. I watched the first two seasons in 4 or 5 days last week. (I’ve been on a tv binge for a week now.) I’m still in season 4 of Lost Girl and I’ve only watched the pilot for Sense 8. I don’t know where the show is going, but I’ll give it a chance. Only 4 days until OITNB!! I’m loving this flood of queer representation in my tv viewing!
I thought Sense8 was great overall. I was really intrigued by the premise and for me the show exceeded expectations in that area. I hope the show gets another season because I really want to see it explored further.
But, I was really disappointed by the lesbian characters. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched it yet, but I thought their scenes tended to be poorly written in a way that stood out from the rest of the show and was really jarring. Part of it was I thought Nomi was a particularly egregious example of a Mary Sue, and Amanita was just there to tell the audience how much of a Mary Sue Nomi was. I think I’m usually abnormally forgiving with characters that other people criticize for being Mary Sues, but in this case the writing was bad enough that I just couldn’t buy it.
I don’t know. I liked the rest of the show enough that I would still recommend it to anyone who finds the premise interesting, but I hope the writers find a way to improve those characters if the show gets another season. Or maybe I’m seeing something that isn’t there and nobody else feels this way, I haven’t read any other opinions about the show.
Oh, I liked the comment after only reading the first paragraph because I’ve seen some lack luster comments about the show as a whole. But I personally loved Nomi and Amanita.
I too did this Jen and actually I really liked the show. I should read in full before I like.
This is gonna be a bit long, but I ask for a little patience, this monologue is the reason why I’m still watching Sense8:
“I’ve been thinking about my life, and all of the mistakes that I’ve made.
The ones that stay with me, the ones that I regret, are the ones that I made because of fear.
For a long time, I was afraid to be who I am because I was taught by my parents that there’s something wrong with someone like me.
Something offensive, something you would avoid, maybe even pity.
Something that you could never love.
My mom, she’s a fan of St. Thomas Aquinas.
She calls pride a sin.
And of all the venal and mortal sins, St. Thomas saw pride as the queen of the seven deadlies.
He saw it as the ultimate gateway sin that would turn you quickly into a sinaholic.
But hating isn’t a sin on that list.
Neither is shame.
I was afraid of this parade because I wanted so badly to be a part of it.
I’m marching for that part of me that was once too afraid to march.
And for all the people who can’t march… the people living lives like I did.
Today, I march to remember that I’m not just a me.
I’m also a we.
And we march with pride.
So go fuck yourself, Aquinas.”
– Nomi Marks (Sense8, Episode 2)
The whole season can go to the crapper after that, I don’t give a shit.
This monologue was AMAZING. I loved it so much. Another punch the air moment.
#SkinsFire #NeverForget
My fiancĂ©e has explicit instructions to have “Naomily Forever. Skins Fire never happened.” engraved on my tombstone. I hope no one thinks I’m joking. I’m dead serious.
Ba-dum-tsh!
No, but seriously. I’m not joking at all.
We’re engaged to the same person?
I just spit out my coffee, thanks. It must be that or… WE ARE THE SAME PERSON??
Whatever it is, we’re clearly united by the shared wounds left by the Episode That Shall Not Be Named.
Jessica Szohr as a lesbian? Yes, please.
Screw you, Bo! You and your non Tamsin loving self. You love Lauren, Dyson, and even…Rainer! RAINER! AGGGGGGGHHHHHH! How can you not love Tamsin? She’s wise beyond her lives.
Well, but this puppy-love version of Tamsin was awful.
The way the writers portrayed Tamsin in love shows you wich is the winning ship here. So, except if the writers decide to surprise us with some weird I-would-kill-you-if-you-do-that tragedy, Doccubus is winning path.
I loved sense8, not going to lie. I’m a sci fi nerd so I was interested in the premise anyway before I knew about the Queer aspects of the show. Plus I heard Wachowski and thought hmm these people know a bit about how to tell a story and a bit about cinematography. But I didn’t really expect anything other than another average sci fi TV show. However I had some jaw on the floor punch the air moments from Nomi and Amanita’s scenes within the first ep. I also enjoy the other characters…yes Will is kinda boyscout, but I find everyone interesting enough to stay with it all the way through.
I read some bad reviews in the papers but a huge part of me wonders what expectations those reviewers brought with them to watching the show? I didn’t expect anything and was rewarded, if they expected the Matrix, fast action constantly and a cishetwhiteman oriented show then yeah I see why they were disappointed.
Totally unrelated comment (though I agree 100% with what you said) but I’ve been seeing your comments on the same stuff as mine all day, and I kept thinking your picture was a snake! My glasses are clearly the wrong prescription.
Oh wow, no that’s my busted old vans on the beach. Haha.
Yeah, I feel like a lot of critics and viewers think only of The Matrix when it comes to the Wachowskis, and they totally forget they’re the siblings who also brought us Bound!
Yes and people often forget how good that was WRT design. They only used 3 colours in the whole thing-3! It was shot brilliantly as well. That film holds so many memories for me from being a young kid who hated seeing the cover in the video rental store in case anyone saw me looking at it and knew I was gay and then later as a teenager watching it with girlfriends and friends.
I’m just going to reply to myself now because I hear the voice of my gf I my head saying one colour and “values” so basically black, white, grey and a specific red. Sorry had to correct this.
DOes someone watch Last Life, the webserie ? I watched the first minutes and it was very gay, but I had to stop because I could not understand them (I understand written english, not oral english). Any advice on this ? Is it like Carmilla ?
In here you have Last Life with English subtitles, I hope it helps
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0PbNldKPtut6aZql7Ui9p8418ORgadvv
Coooool ! It’s perfect, thank you !
new summer clothes too?
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KillThePatriarchy