The L Word Season Four, Episode Five: The Parenting Perspective

(Warning: spoilers below.)

This week gives us a contrast in parenting styles. Bette’s “manny” Angus drops little Angelica off with Tina’s nanny Hazel, and finds that Tina and boyfriend Henry have decided at the last minute to go out that evening. Hazel points Angelica in the direction of another room and asks if she wants to play with “Mikey.” We hear other children’s voices. The toddler heads off, not to be seen again in the episode. Hazel proceeds to get a guitar lesson from Angus, then to teach him a thing or two of her own. Umm . . . who’s watching the kids?

Contrast Shane, who is concerned that her kid brother not listen to Kit’s “nasty” music and ushers him personally to playdates. It’s at the playdate that both Shane and Kristanna Loken’s character Paige affirm “We do what we have to do, right?” when it comes to caring for our children.

Parenting comes up a few other times. We’re reminded of Helena’s almost-forgotten parenthood in one scene, when we hear her mention that her mother is taking the children to the family’s villa in Tuscany. We also learn from Papi that talking about babies is a good way to chat up women in bars.

Despite the many parents and almost-parents here, children are never the focus, though they act as catalysts for many of the characters, particularly Shane, this season. I suppose a show about lesbian families per se would be a whole different type of series. I think it would have to be a comedy. Maybe they could call it Civil Unionized . . . with Children.