The L Word

In my group of friends we're always pegging each other as different "Sex and the City" characters. I've always thought that that was the beauty of television. Whether you're Samantha or Charlotte, you can look into the screen and see a representation of yourself, your friends and other aspects of the world around you.

 Sure, a lot of the elements of "Sex and the City" bear no resemblance to my life, but I can relate to the (mostly) heterosexual relationships on the show.  This approach to television made my best friend and me a bit confused when we first stumbled upon "The L Word," a drama series that follows the lives of a group of lesbians living in a community in West Hollywood.

"Wait, so there's like no hot guys? Just girls?" was my friend's reaction. I have to admit, I wasn't sure that I could see myself in these characters as I could with "Sex and the City." My foremost thought was that I simply wouldn't understand the terminology, the humor or the dynamic of a show that revolves around a group of lesbian friends living on the other side of the country. Actually, I felt just like Charlotte in an episode of "Sex and the City": I could spend time with these women but would always feel like an outsider in their world.

But "The L Word" doesn't make any assumptions about its audience. In fact, the show is actually made to transcend the lines between lifestyles. From the start, a heterosexual audience finds that they aren't the only ones entering a new world. The show begins by following Jenny, one of the main characters, as she transitions from a Midwestern upbringing and a long-term relationship with her boyfriend Tim to a new home in West Hollywood and an accompanying newfound sexual curiosity. Following Jenny, I soon realized the other, more important use of dramatic television as a representation of a world different from my own in many respects.

 "The L Word," however, unlike many shows centered on friendships and relationships, isn't just a compilation of the characters' woes; it's actually a glance at the rest of the world from their point of view. Unlike some shows that are set in what appears to be a bubble, untouched by current events or important contemporary issues, "The L Word" tackles these problems head on. Seeing topics like gay parenting, gender identity, religion and sexism manifested in the lives of the main characters of "The L Word" forces you to view these issues from a very unique and important point of view.   

 "The L Word" relies on some traditional television standbys; still, "The L Word" finds a way to put a new spin on even the most overused television plot devices, the most apparent of which is the characters. "The L Word" is full of all the usual suspects: the player with a soft side, the spunky fun-lover who'll try anything once and, of course, the lovable weak-willed nerd. But restricting these old personas to an all-female cast places tired devices into a new context. "The L Word" mixes old and new to ease an audience used to typical drama series into the world of this distinct group of friends.

Unfortunately, the sixth season of "The L Word," airing this January, will be the final season of the show. Showtime has announced that it will be creating a spinoff series starring one of the main characters. I only hope that the new series will be just as powerful in its ability to blur the lines of sexuality on television.