The L-Word - Season 3 [2006]

Amazon.co.uk Review

The third season of The L Word is all about transitions. The season opens with Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey) coping with her between-seasons break-up with Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels), who is herself headed for an even heavier series of transitions. Kit Porter (Pam Grier) both falls in love with a younger man and discovers she is going through menopause. Shane (Katherine Moennig), who spent much of the first two seasons of the show hopping from bed to bed, finds herself more or less committed to Latina deejay Carmen (Sarah Shahi). And the second season's resident villain, Helena Peabody (Rachel Shelley), becomes embroiled in a sexual harassment case that leaves her ultimately looking like the victim.

As with previous seasons, The L Word gets all hot and bothered with various seductions filmed to sometimes jarring music on the soundtrack, but it's the day-to-day foibles and celebrations of Los Angeles's lesbian community that keep the show interesting. Newcomer Moira/Max (Daniela Sea) begins the process of gender reassignment, making for some curious situations with potential employers. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) begin to drift apart when Tina lands a big movie studio job and starts feeling attracted to men, leading to a custody battle over their baby daughter.

Where The L Word starts getting preachy and obvious is in the opening flashback sequences. When these vignettes refer to current characters of the show, they make sense; when they depict situations meant to underline how queer identity has evolved over the years, they seem politically overloaded. The L Word works intelligently through its characters' concerns without having to resort to such direct appeals for tolerance. Its strength isn't in making lesbian culture appear more mainstream, but in making us care and identify with these women's struggles, regardless of our sexual orientation. --Ryan Boudinot

Customer Reviews:

Alright but not great.......2008-01-10

The storylines seem to be going a bit bizzare, and the characters are becoming a bit unlikeable. Some of the storylines just seem to fizzle out and that theme tune needs to go. I hope the fourth is better...
I think Alice is hilarious though!

Not as good as the other 2.......2007-09-22

I was dissapointed with this series so much so that I was tempted not too watch the 4th series but trust me the 4th is really wort it.
The story lines were lacking the only good thing is that Bette and Carmen were in it, i'm glad they have sorted it out now.
I would say save your money and wait for the 4th series but you will loose the storylines so you have to watch it really.

a long and winding road.......2007-07-04

The initial attraction of this great series was the believable storylines that illuminated the different experiences of professional gay women in West Holywood.With depth and insight the programme was sincere, honest and at times very funny. Women struggling with coming out, being happy and being accepted, forming relationships and starting a family. Set against an increasingly hostile right wing political climate series 3 develops the characters we have come to respect for their integrity and sadly streatches credibilty,perhaps for the sake of a broader mainstream appeal or perhaps it just lost its guts!!
Issues of gender reassignment, bisexuality, gay marriage, gay adoption and the rights of next of kin are explored. All of this is very interesting. Where the series doesn't always seem as genuine as before is in the fact that these issues are pinned onto long established characters like labels, causing huge shifts in attitude and behaviour that just aren't that convincing. The need to fit it all into 12 episodes means the required depth to show different points of view or justify uncharacteristic behaviour just isn't there. Its a shame!! Its also something that the producres were able to resolve for series 4 so phew- don't judge it too harshly. So watch this- agonise,despair and laugh as Tina goes back to men, Bette goes unemployed, Shane commits ....a little. Jenny becomes sensible and unpleasant things happen to Alice, Dana and Helena. There are some stand out episodes but largely it gets worse as it goes on. Stay tuned for seasons 4 and 5 girls!!!

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