It’s Friday, and we guess you know what that means! Boobs on Your Tube! This Sunday will be the Pose series finale but before we get crying over that, Angel and Papi got married in a wedding full of Abundance(TM). Natalie laid out what The Bold Type is getting fatally wrong in its final season. Drew argues that Clarice is proving there is no such thing as a “progressive” police procedural. An almost decade later, and Valerie STILL can’t believe that they did Sweet Marley Rose so dirty on Glee! Heather went on a quest to find the Top 10 best fictional bests who started some shit. And Drew found the second season of Feel Good (now on Netflix) to be simply remarkable as it confronts trauma and messy queer romance.
Of course the biggest television news this week as all things L Word! And have you completely covered:
There was a special edition of To L and Back: The Interrogation Tapes Episode (and a live recording of the ill-fated L Word spin off, The Farm)
Speaking of the original L Word, Drew did a deep dive interview with Daniela Sea that’s gone viral for all the best reasons. So if you missed that this week. now is your chance
Then Gen Q come bursting through the door! First with an official season 2 premiere date (August 6th)
And then with note one — but TWO! — teaser trailers. We analyzed both, because of course we did.
It’s the start of a new month and that means Riese has Everything That’s New and Gay and Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and HBO Max
+ The Chi is two episodes into its fourth season on Showtime. There hasn’t been much storyline for Nina and Dre or Imani thus far but it feels like the groundwork is being laid for them to play bigger roles as the season goes on. — Natalie
+ Shelli wants you to know about Cynthia Erivo’s gay new music video which I feel like can be TV-adjacent, if we let ourselves believe it! (It’s… really gay) — Carmen
Station 19 416: “Forever and Ever, Amen”
I see no reason to hold onto to this any longer: As promised, Maya and Carina get married. They both look stunning, Vic’s family’s pierogi restaurant (newly rebuilt from the riot fires) makes a gorgeous location, it is simple and sweet and gay and I loved it. It also had me think back to Callie and Arizona’s wedding — probably because we get a Grey’s style “you’re my person” reference — and what a massive big deal it was? Do you remember that? Over 10 million people watched live! Not including DVR or streaming numbers. There was an entire press lead up to the event! That was 10 years ago this Spring. It’s funny how much has changed, so quickly. Now two women getting married in a Shondaland drama can just be simple and honestly, I think that’s amazing.
Ok! Enough with trips down memory line, let’s get to the plot! First and foremost Maya cannot decide what to wear. Is she a dress bride or a suit bride? She says the decision will define her forever which was some unintentional commentary on the forced nature of socialized gender binaries, if you ask me. But Andy realizes that the real reason Maya is hyper fixated on her wedding outfit is that she hasn’t come out yet to her parents and, even though that relationship is abusive and difficult, Maya doesn’t want to start her marriage in secret. (To her credit, Carina also figured this out! It’s just that Andy has best friend energy on her side.)
With some gentle pushing, Andy takes Maya to her parents home on the way to the ceremony. Her father opens the door, and Maya doesn’t even take a breath before launching into my favorite Maya speech ever yet on this show:
Maya: Hi Dad, I’m bisexual. Or queer, I guess they say now. And I’m in love with a woman and I am marrying her tonight. Just wanted you to know that, officially. And, Mom, you don’t deserve to be cowering in the hall behind him again.You have other options. You don’t have to be here. My soon-to-be wife has offered to take you in, and I would like to, (gasps softly) so… if at any point you have had enough you know where we live and we will always have a bed for you.
Her father tries to interrupt her, but my girl doesn’t miss a beat: “No! No more from you!” And then she spins on her heels and leaves both her parents, stunned, in her wake.
The speech also moved Maya’s mom, who shows up in time for the wedding and weeps as her daughter gives her vows. (Unrelated side note: That red lipstick Maya’s wearing? H O T. And has Stefania Spampinato ever looked more beautiful than this one episode? I think not. Also the nervous adorableness of these vows are the best.)
So everyone who’s supposed to be married today is married and there is also this very cute improvised moment that Natalie found for you:
But what’s not cute? Sullivan (Boris Kodjoe) did some real — depending on who you ask, though this is my opinion — dirty ass or — again, depending on you who ask — self-sacrificing behind-the-scenes dealing after Maya has one too many run-ins with the Seattle police, first during the Black Lives Matters protests and now saving a young boy’s life from a fire. Sullivan pitches himself as “a battalion chief for the price of a captain” and in the final seconds of the season, during her own wedding reception (!!) everyone receives notice Maya gets put on leave as Captain of Station 19.
