Things you should see: Féminin/Féminin

If a show is done by a bunch like this, you know you want to see it.

I've stated it before: I am a sucker for anything at all with gay content. And I've learnt to accept that the quality often leaves a lot to wish for. So it's such a thrill to find things done with true passion. Féminin/Féminin is one of those.

The adorable web series has eight about ten minute long episodes and each of them focuses on a person/couple. Which is pretty brilliant: I can't even decide who my favourite is. I guess it was whoever was on the focus of the episode. Which is always a sign of something done right.

Féminin/Féminin revolves around a group of twenty-something lesbian friends and it offers pretty much everything you can wish for: comedy, drama, this documentary feel as the characters are interviewed in each episode, good looking people, somewhat realistic feel. Also, there's this relationship between a younger and older woman. Which I always appreciate.

The first episode came out almost six months ago and the rest now in June. And the best thing is that you can watch it free online. The series sets in Quebec so it's French Canadian but don't worry if your French isn't that good or is rather non-existent (like mine): it's subtitled in English.

I really don't even want to write more to keep you from watching it. It's good, cute and it doesn't even take that long to binge watch. So go do it now! Here's a link. And if you like it spread the word. You can also donate if you feel like it so there's going to be more to watch!

Things you should see: Lip Service

 

Sam (Heather Peace), Sadie (Natasha O'Keeffe), Frankie (Ruta Gedmintas), Tess (Fiona Button), Cat (Laura Fraser), Lexy (Anna Skellern). Let's ignore the fact that for some mysterious reason Cat looks like a creepy wax figure here. 

First thing, Lip Service is a bit of old news and second thing, I probably wouldn't use "should" unless it was in the title of this series. But I felt inspired to write about this thing since I've been rewatched the series. I don't know why I thought that would be good idea. I wouldn't want anyone to became the emotional wreck I am at the moment so I'd be pretty cautious with this recommendation. Then again, if you're either a total TV junkie for anything involving gay ladies or someone who's gets a kick out of pain and suffering, well, then you've found exactly what you've been looking for! Congratulations. 

So for those, who missed the train the first time, Lip Service is a British drama series about friends living in Glasgow, Scotland. It was made between 2010 and 2012 for two series which equals twelve episodes. So it doesn't take much of your life to binge watch it. Time wise, that is. As all the main characters have serious lady loving tendencies, it's been compared to The L Word. Because hello, there really aren't any shows about lesbians but also maybe because the three main characters on series one kind of have The L Word counter parts. But Lip Service has more realistic touch. Could be that it's British, could be that there actually are straight people, too, could be that it feels culturally more familiar to me on personally level. Plot wise I wouldn't expect much more, though.

Basically both series revolve around love triangles (with mostly different people) and other stuff happens but I really didn't care for all the subplots that much the first time, let alone the second. And basically if one should compare for example fourth episode of each series one is left wondering if this even is the same show. But it's not bad really. I mean it's not like watching the Real L Word. Occasionally it's really good. And funny. Besides if you get emotionally involved with all the shipping, you're in for a hell of ride. I really didn't feel that strongly about any ship but that doesn't mean I weren't falling for certain characters are caring about what happened to them. In other words, yet again, I got way too involved emotionally.

In series one, I really loved Cat, although it was probably more Laura Fraser's face that I was attracted to than Cat's neurotic ways. The second series made me such an emotional mess for reasons I don't want to go into but you all who've been through what I have, know what I am talking about. I was iffy whether I should just ditch the entire show but there was a reason I couldn't. And the reason was Lexy Price. About everyone and their mother fell for Lexy, who came in as a new character on second series, and why wouldn't they; that was the character the show probably was missing earlier and it definitely lift it to whole another level. It definitely wasn't just Anna Skellern: Lexy was so dreamy she will likely remain among my most loved TV show characters until the end of time. Pretty much an actual dream girl that one.

But actually, no matter what's your type, you probably find a character to fall head over heels in love with. Or at least to identify with. And I personally value good personal chemistry among actors and feels the show gives me. Good writing is always a plus but then again one of my favourite TV shows is Rizzoli & Isles, so there's that. Oh, and also if you have a thing for accents, you're in luck. (That is unless it is the accent you have and you don't find it hot.) The show sets in Glasgow and if you ask me, the Scottish accent is the best of them all. Also, Anna Skellern's from Australia. Sweet! So there you go. Enter with caution and get ready to encounter all your emotions, probably during one single episode.

I knew we'd meet again some sunny day: the return of Bomb Girls

Let's just ignore Ivan (Michael Seater) on the right shall we and concentrate on these glorious ladies: Charlotte Hegele, Meg Tilly, Jodi Balfour, Anastasia Phillips and Ali Liebert. (And Marco. Played by Antonio Cupo.)

Okay, so basically this blog seems to be about me being an exclamation point about various semi gay pop culture news. But this just in: the Bomb Girls TV film has an air date (it's March 27th which is really soon and I literally just wrote it down on my calendar)! Because guys - you don't know how much I have waited for this! Well, not as long as some for it was only last summer that I watched the series but knowing it was cancelled, it was pretty much a hopeful wait from the very beginning.

Like stated when gushing about The Bletchley Circle, I have this thing for 20th century period drama and women kicking ass. These things definitely met in Bomb Girls and I was smitten. As an added bonus, there actually was a gay character. Not just an implied one. Not just on subtext level. But as a main character whose love life and other aspects of live were treated equally to her straight friends. And which is always thrilling, is having women of different age. So one of the main characters being old enough to be mother to the others was also pleasing. Her story lines had definitely that extra something the younger ones couldn't have.

source of both photos

 Meg Tilly as Lorna Corbett and Ali Liebert as Betty McRae.

 The film is to wrap up the things that were left open at the end of series two - and boy were there many! But two hours is pretty much no time at all to cover the few months that have passed (the film, Facing The Enemy, sets in spring 1943, four to five months later as the series finale) and there are so many people. I want to know how each and everyone is doing! So that can't be the end of everything?! At least this article gives some hope on that matter. But as for now, I'm just super grateful for this. I mean, that's way more than you usually get when your favourite TV show gets cancelled. And these girls, I've missed them so! For those of you who haven't seen the show: what a time to check it out. Which is obviously something you should do asap. I myself just may have to go look at some gifs of Betty McRae.

I'm just a prisoner of love

One of the best things and somewhat a phenomenon of summer 2013 was the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Everyone seemed to have binge watched it in a couple of days (by everyone I mean myself, three friends, a punch of queers I follow on Tumblr, and some folks I don't actually hang out in real life or in virtual world like Tegan and Sara Quin and Sarah Paulson: I lead a very limited social life so I consider this a big enough crowd to prove the point). It is just something that happens because it is so good and you don't want to stop but then again you don't want it to end either. And with all your feels you end up in an emotional void because hello, what am I going to watch now and what am I going to do with my life in general and what's the meaning of my existence (I personally continued with the colour theme and watched Orphan Black in two days: it's a vicious circle and only gave answer to one of these questions). Well, you know what I am talking about because you probably had a rewarding marathon with it, too.

While watching, working as drug mule for international drug cartel started to sound a considerable career choice for more people that ever before thanks to one Alex Vause.

Not enough people on TV shows wear glasses. They should because that's just hot. I mean just look at this exhibit A.

Thanks to this certain Alex Vause indeed, Tumblr pretty much exploded and the dash was flooded with shippers and people whose lives were ruined hopefully in the best possible way. I want to take this moment to thank these gif making folks for I found endless comfort in the that form for my lonely and empty nights when I missed the happy two days I spent with the show and pondered if life in prison would actually be bad at all and I'd meet more ladies than in my current life (more clear minded state made me realise it's probably not worth it, though...). I should never watch anything: I get too emotionally involved. I fall for fictional characters and I fall hard. Especially in this particular case. Yes, Alex Vause, I'm talking about you.

You never know what upcoming series bring. You wish for the best and fear for the worst and this wait for Orange is the New Black series two has been one emotional roller coaster. It hasn't been just the anxious ”oh, I can't wait I think I have to watch the first series three times until it airs again” or ”oh, I hope the second series lives up to all the expectations because I would really appreciate new episodes in addition to these I know by heart”. No, it's been a constant thriller whether or not Laura Prepon playing Alex Vause will return to the second series and if for how many episodes. It started from maybe none, to one and then four and I then don't even know: I think at that point I curled up in a ball and concentrated on crying about it. But yesterday it was revealed that she's apparently returning for ”most of it”. I don't know what that means. I don't care. My baby's back and those tears running down my face are tears of joy. Looks like all those, mostly metaphorical, pies thrown for Alex Vause weren't in vain.

Things you should see: The Fosters

Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum) hugging their daughter Mariana (Ciarra Ramirez) in ABC Family's The Fosters.

  

I wasn't supposed to write about TV series two times in row but then again I was supposed to go to sleep hours ago and not dilly dally around the world wide web, so there you go. Anyhow in short: The Fosters – watch it. Rest of this post is a more wordy version of the very same tip.

The Fosters is kind of a sappy and melodramatic family series and those aren't necessarily my cup of tea. I mean, family relations as a topic, yes please, but think more like Mommie Dearest. That being said, I counted days until the return of all this teenage angst, parenting problems and other things that don't necessarily have anything to do with my life. Because how often do you really get it: a family show that revolves around multicultural family with foster kids and two mothers. That's a jackpot my friends!

The family includes a son from one of the mothers' previous relationship, adopted twins and two new family members, the foster siblings, who come to live with the family at the beginning of the series. As all these kids are more or less in their teens, there's all that. But don't be fooled; there's so much more. Actually the show brings up pretty heavy themes like expressing your gender or racial and cultural identities. In the latest episode there was a transgendered teen and that's something you don't come across as often as you really should in media. And then there's the fact that both parents of this family are women. But none of these things are too much in your face nor are they handled in too preachy way.

Usually whenever a show has a lesbian character (which kind of still is an achievement itself), it still means one can forget relaxing and fun times. Because that character probably dies. Or they lose a limb. Or they lose anything and everything. Very likely the one they love. Drama series don't acknowledge happy couples, let alone happy gay couples. So you're constantly ready to get your heart ripped out out of your chest and be trampled by a feral band of horses.

But you get none of that crap with The Fosters! Lena and Stef sure have their fair share of problems but fair is really a key word here. Shipping them is so relaxing you almost forget they are a gay couple because you're not worried they could burst into flames out of the blue. Only that you don't forget it for you are so aware of its uniqueness and beauty that your heart is about to burst into pieces: you're happy it's made so believable and real and sad because you aren't used to it and you rarely see it. 

And that's really why this show matters. That's why people should watch it. Those who think there's only one kind of family that's right and those on the fence about all the big themes of the show. But those, too, who need to see themselves and their family and their friends portrayed just as they are.

Things you should see: The Bletchley Circle

 ITV's  The Bletchley Circle:  Sophie Rundle, Anna Maxwell Martin, Julie Graham and  Rachael Stirling.

I have quite a few favourite things. This list includes but is not limited to: tight groups of females of any age, sisterhood and period dramas, especially those set in the 20th century. When all these meet, I'm more that likely into it. When I was pining with my feelings of loss regarding the TV series Bomb Girls (which has all these elements and more and which everyone and their mother should watch right this minute and of which I am so blogging about in the future), I run into some mention of The Bletchley Circle. As the second series started this January I decided finally to check it out.

I checked out the entire first series and the first half of the second one in one sitting. Well, the first series has only three episodes and the second one four but even if there were twice that many I still would have dedicated my entire life to it. Me binge watching something means nothing and if I'm not obsessive watcher I don't know what I am. However, in this case I got so hooked I just couldn't stop. Also, this is what I would call quality TV. It's the bee's knees.

The Bletchley Circle sets in London in the early 1950's and focuses around women who used to break codes during World War II. Now they use these mad skillz to solve complex crimes. To describe that with just one word: brilliant! It's like all those oh-so-handsome, oh-so-boring American dudes with special  skills in numerous TV shows only that it's gazillion times cooler since it's done by kick-ass ladies doing what the police can't / doesn't bother with. Basically they are like super heroes: they are true rebels and don't give a shit if the men are belittling them and their little ”puzzle solving hobbies”. They help other women in need and are willing to risk their own lives in doing so. That's what I want to see.

And you probably want to see it, too. If you like shows like Sherlock or Endeavour and the like you'll love The Bletchley Circle. Chances are you'll love it even more because, well, hello ladies! The fore mentioned ladies include for instance Anna Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling who've both been in filmed versions of Sarah Waters' lesbian favourites: Martin in The Night Watch and Stirling in Tipping the Velvet. Doesn't get much better than that, if you ask me. So yeah, go! Watch! Now!