Boobs Tubers, just a reminder: We’ll be at A-Camp next week so there won’t be a new column, but Natalie’s going to cover Jane the Virgin with a standalone post during the week for you, because she loves you. This week, Carmen wrote some can’t-miss pieces on The Bold Type and season two of She’s Gotta Have It. Drew explained why she’s happy to keep getting murdered by Killing Eve after that finale. And an all-new To L and Back!
Some notes from the TV Team:
+ STARZ HAS ALREADY RENEWED VIDA FOR SEASON THREE!
+ Yesterday, we got some bummer news about TV cancellations, including Abby’s and Star. That last one made me go back and read some of Carmen’s work on the groundbreaking show, and if you’re feeling sad about losing it I think you should too. . — Heather
+ We are officially 100 days into the #FightforWynonna with no word from IDW about whether they’ll fulfill their promise to fund seasons four and five and friends, I am NOT PLEASED ABOUT IT. I’m still clinging to hope with every fiber of my being, but I am tired. — Valerie Anne
In the Dark 108: “Jessica Rabbit”
Written by Valerie Anne
I’ll confess I haven’t seen last night’s episode, but I did catch up on the show and shit has gone DOWN. Amongst all the murder mystery, they’re making some really interesting choices about Jess and her girlfriend. You see, Jess has always been a little paranoid about the fact that her girlfriend, Vanessa, had never been with a girl before Jess. She didn’t want to be a phase. But the thing is, every queer woman has to start somewhere, so with reassurances from Vanessa that she loved her, Jess put it out of her head. But then in last week’s episode, in the midst of an argument, Vanessa started to say she’s not…she let the word go unspoken, saying she was in love with Jess. But it’s clear she doesn’t see herself as a queer person, just a straight person who happens to be dating a woman. Which…isn’t the best feeling for Jess, I imagine. So in her strife, and in her trauma of having watched a man get killed in front of her, Jess ends up reaching out for comfort and finding it in a random woman at the bar. (Which was super awesome in that Jess isn’t the typical body type of women on TV and yet they still made the scene very sexy, which unfortunately isn’t always the case when you have women on TV that aren’t a size zero.) Murphy helps get rid of her by pretending to be Jess’s girlfriend, and the advice Jess is given is to just not tell Vanessa ever and move on with their lives, but I have a feeling this is a ripple that will have to be dealt with soon lest it become a tidal wave. And the thing is, these are things that happen to queer people. There’s an interesting story in here. I’m just not sure this show has the bandwidth to handle it, what with all the murder. I do look forward to finding out, though.
Gentleman Jack 106: “Do Ladies Do That?”
Written by Heather
I cannot believe how good this show is, how gay this show is, how — in 2019! — it is showing us a thing we have never seen before on-screen. I can’t believe how much it makes me cry. And cheer. Or how many times Laneia and I, collectively, have watched this week’s episode. Because holy cats, y’all.
After getting attacked on the way home from Crow’s Nest, Anne arrives at Shibden and sneaks upstairs, broken ribs probably, openly bleeding everywhere. She doesn’t want a doctor, no. She doesn’t want anyone to see her like this. Her face is still bruised and swollen when one of the Coal Brothers arrives to tell her her assumes her price has lowered now that she can no longer sink her own pit and is, you know, seriously wounded because of the goon they sent after her. She bends, slightly, but doesn’t break. She is determined not to let them get away with stealing from her land.
What does break her, though — and oh boi how — is seeing Miss Walker’s mental wellness unravel as she begins having nightmares and hearing voices, completely terrified that demons have come to drag her to hell for her lesbianism. Miss Walker’s latest cousin whose staying with her sends for Anne and they stay up all night, over and over, trying to soothe her through the worst of it. Anne knows she needs to go to her family in Edinburgh, to see the doctors there, and while she knows it will make her life easier, seeing Miss Walker like always unhinges her! She even proposes again, only to be thwarted (again!). The night before Scotland, Anne breaks down in Miss Walker’s arms, sobbing about how hard she has worked to train herself to not notice the suspicion and derision of everyone she meets, and how she hadn’t really appreciated how hard that would have been on Anne, but “You came so close!”
She cries, Miss Walker cries, I cry, you cry, the world cries. They part ways. Anne will go to Europe, alone.
Jane the Virgin 510: “Chapter Ninety-One”
Written by Heather
And if you didn’t cry enough watching Gentleman Jack, don’t worry: Jane the Virgin came through! JR decides to take that job in Houston, to start again, a whole new life, one outside of Petra’s wildly dramatic circle of family and friends. Petra tries to get her to stay, even finds her a job in the same state as her, but that only upsets JR more. They had something special, she knows, and she tried, but she just can’t anymore. And that’s not even the crying part!
The crying part is Petra showing up at Jane’s, completely broken, and Jane welcoming her into her arms and heart and home like the family she’s become over these five season. In such a little meta wink, Jane writes down the sweetest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life: Add more Petra to the novel.
ADD MORE PETRA TO THE NOVEL.
I don’t think Petra and JR are over. I’m expecting a rom-com-worthy reunion in the finale. But even if that doesn’t happen, this thing with JR — and what it has meant for Petra’s relationship with Jane — has become one of my all-time favorite queer character storylines. Ever.
In my lesser favorite queer storylines, Luisa and Rose are still dancing around each other doing double-triple-quadruple crossings. I don’t even know what’s going on with them anymore.
Luisa really is the most frustrating and confusing character, still. Why?!
To be fair, she really did try very hard to prove herself this time, and Rafael shut her out anyway, so although going back to Rose is the absolute worst thing she could do, it makes sense because she has nobody else left.
However, this time I’m hopeful that she actually has some plan in mind to double-cross Rose and make everything right, but I guess we’ll see.
Petra and JR never seemed to work. It’s good they broke up.
B L A S P H E M Y
Just finished the “companion” book for Gentleman Jack (because waiting a week to find out what happens next was TOO MUCH), and I’m impressed by how much of the stuff I thought was probably just added to create drama/tension in the show was actually historical.
So, which Anne Lister book should I read next?
As much as I want to get back into Jane the Virgin (I mean Rosario Dawson is everything) I just can’t. Not after having witnessed Gina Rodriguez’s rants and racist (lets call a spade a spade) word vomit towards and about black women and black women in Hollywood. And instead of apologizing and showing she understood how her words caused more derision and hurt, she dug her heels in with the old racist nugget of “I can’t be racist because I’m related to someone who’s black”. In this case, her father who is a darker skinned Latin man but certainly not Afro-Latino in appearance.
I’ll settle for the recaps and YouTube videos of Petra and JR.
I had no knowledge she said such things. Could you elaborate on the comments she said?
i also hadnt heard about it, this article summarizes it: https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/what-to-know-about-the-gina-rodriguez-controversy.html
Same. I only watch JR/Petra scenes. Gina is quickly turning into Michelle Rodriguez for me, in the sense that she constantly opens her mouth to say dumb shit in relation to race and then refuses to understand why black women are pissed off about it. And she’s done it many times. Yall can google that on your own time.
Just a reminder from an afro latinx person, you don’t have to look afro latinx to be afro latinx. I am well aware of my history and some of my family members have afro latinx features and some of us do not. I have an uncle who’s father looks indigenous and has afro texture hair. This uncle has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is the whitest man you’ve ever seen. Both my other uncle’s take on our indigenous side while my mother has always been black passing. There is also a long history of white passing in the black community.
I’m not standing up for Gina Rodereguez, just want to inform you that a person’s looks cannot tell you all of their ethnic history. Especially in the black and brown community. It is very likely that Gina has black ancestors, doesn’t make her comments any less anti black. My brother is almost fully white passing and my dad is darker than me. Genetics are a funny thing. Again not standing up for Gina Roderegeuz I am just passionate about this topic.
I completely understand what you’re saying but I think my point came across wrong. Her father is Afro-Latinx but that’s not how the world sees him. The world sees a Latinx man which poses a different set of obstacles in comparison to someone who presents as Afro-Latinx. Gina Torres, Tatyana Ali and other Afro-Latinx actors have talked about not getting the same opportunities as say a Gina Rodriguez because they present as black. Colorism is just as insidious as racism and for Gina R to swim in the pools of both is gross especially given the divides it creates in this country and across many Latin countries.
Thank you for the clarification! That makes sense and I understand as well as 100% agree
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ANN(E)S
Heather said it (so I’m not spoiling it), Anne travels by herself to the continent. According to the companion book, on her way out of England and into France, she literally visits every single one of her exes, which is just about the most lesbian s*** I have ever read.
i’ve read the wikipedia page for anne lister’s life so i have the vague eventualities in mind, but i am definitely enjoying not knowing what happens in the immediate future of the series!
sorry, i was trying to rhetorically say “I AM ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT,” but that didn’t come across :-D
Even if you know what happens in her biography, you can’t know what the show will choose to focus on (case in point, the father-murdering pig farmer) or how it will play out, so there’s still plenty room for surprise.
Anyway, I really just wanted to talk about Anne Lister dealing with her Ann Walker angst by visiting all her ex-lovers. Lesbian processing: expert level.
It just seems like kismet. Petra and JR break up, Jane and Rafael are fighting, and Jane wears the Petra’s wedding ring.
How about #saveODAAT ? How is that going? Any news?
Seeing normally stoic characters break down is my emotional kryptonite, and tonight I watched two such episodes back-to-back (JtV and the season 4 finale of schitt’s Creek) so I am done, thank you and goodnight
Ugh, Gentleman Jack is SO GOOD.
It really is
it is quickly becoming the “lesbian essential”. The L word but based on real historical people
Gentleman Jack is SLOWLY MURDERING ME WITH FEELINGS!!! ‘Tis a fitting end for me and I shall meet it bravely and lesbianly.
let’s talk about the sly little moment in last week’s Jane when Rosario Dawson explains to Petra that when she was growing up “we couldn’t even pay rent”
Oops sorry, didn’t mean to respond to respond to your gentleman jack comment with an unrelated comment. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your death
Haha, no problem and thank you!
let’s talk about the sly little moment in last week’s Jane when Rosario Dawson explains to Petra that when she was growing up “we couldn’t even pay rent”
Ahhh thank you for pointing that out because I completely missed it!
RIP Abby’s. you were taken from us too soon