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

Parenting as excuse, aggravation, interference, curse, and finally blessing. This episode has it all.

In the opening scene, Shane tries to get out of the launch of her Hugo Boss underwear campaign by saying “Well, I don’t know if I can get a babysitter in time.” She ends up going, however, and leaving kid-brother Shay with new friend Paige and her son.

(Warning: spoilers ahead.)

We then see Bette in her office, repairing a stuffed bunny as she takes phone calls. Work-life balance in action. Alpha Bette fully comes out as Alpha Mom, though, when she and Tina spat over where to send Angelica to preschool. Tina wants the convenient, reasonably priced Montessori; Bette wants “the best school, period,” and damn the cost. Tina exclaims in exasperation “I am not gonna let your overachieving, psycho dysfunction stress out our kid before she’s three years old. It’s just fucking preschool for God’s sake! Crayons! And Play-Doh!” to which Bette responds “It is not just crayons! It is a fucking Ivy League education!” The scene is funny, but it’s also frightening to know there are parents who really think that way.

Later, parenting comes between Bette and new love interest Jodi, when Jodi asserts “I don’t like kids. . . . They need too much attention.” Bette is clearly thrown by this. By the end of the episode, however, Jodi seems to come around to the fact that dating a mom might not be so bad. Especially if it’s night, and the child is sleeping. Especially if it’s Jennifer Beals. We’ll see how long her resolve lasts. (If I were writing for the show, I’d do a scene involving Angelica, Jodi’s studio, and a leaking sippy cup. . . .)

Alice’s only reference to parenting happens when she gets accidentally elbowed in the face and yells in pain, “Ow! F— my mother!” We’ll assume that’s rhetorical.

The best parenting moment in the show, however, is when Shane returns to Paige’s house and they look in lovingly at their sleeping boys. It’s the most true-to-life moment of the episode.

Scribe Grrrl at After Ellen has the full recap.