"Lady of the Lake" Review of Episode 3

Please forgive my being so derelict in my blogging duties! Generally, I found episode 3 to be rather boring, and was feeling unmotivated to write, but here goes, just before episode 4 airs tonight.

Let's talk about Shane . . . and Sex!

So Shane declares a moratorium on sex, drama, and jealousy. I imagine that this choice of the word "moratorium" is supposed to be reflective of one of Shane's new hobbies in her sexless lifestyle: flipping through the dictionary and memorizing ten new words a day. On top of this, Shane has managed to accomplish other things she has been putting off and even set goals for herself! Wow. She talks about "this celibacy thing" being like a "master cleanse to my body." Now Tina is quick to note that going without sex for long periods doesn't have quite the "salubrious" effect on her (and Shane gets to learn yet another new word, "salubrious," which she slowly sounds out like a kindergartener, "saaa leeww breeee uuusss.") What are we seeing here, besides Shane's lack of intelligence? Well, of course, anytime someone forgoes something that occupied much of their time, they will find themselves freer to do other things. For example, I am doing the Master Cleanse right now, and I find myself getting much more done (except blogging, apparently) during the time I used to spend cooking, eating, and pursuing food (as in shopping and foraging, not hunting!). However, while every now and then, I might get a craving for some food, I drink some lemonade and revel in the benefits of my fast; I have a focus, in fact, I even happen to have a spiritual focus, which is not necessary for one to have but segues nicely into the concept of celibacy and Shane's meditation scene. So, we are led to believe in the beginning that Shane's moratorium on sex is motivated by her desire to avoid all the drama she's been experiencing in her relationships. Mostly, I think the problem is not sex in and of itself, but it's the way in which Shane deals with her lovers. Maybe she needs to work on communication and managing relationships instead of just giving up sex. Instead of reading the dictionary, maybe she could read some self-helps books, or just spend some time reflecting on these drama inducing relationships. Anyway, to get back to the matter at hand, Shane is constantly distracted by sex, as seen when she ogles the woman at the gym, and when she simply cannot control herself and tries to make out with Helena. The point is that she has no real focus, so she's denying herself something and she's constantly struggling against it. And then she has the nerve to call it celibacy and even attempts to meditate, as if giving up sex will make her more "spiritual." However, she mumbles while sitting cross legged in a room full of candles, "I don't know how people do this." Then she tries to do some sort of walking, deep breathing meditation, stops and says, "Fuck it, I can't do this." Next thing you know, she's jumping up and down, breathing heavily, so full of energy and no way to expend it! What does this all mean? First I thought, maybe it's just a mock up of that Seinfield episode when the characters make that bet and give up masturbating and have all sorts of energy, but are constantly tempted and one by one, give into self-gratification. So it has its humorous effects, but I think this does a little more...this moves into the territory of celibacy. Now, I respect the different reasons for which people commit themselves to celibacy, and there are many reasons, but since the writers had to make the spiritual connection with the meditation scene, there are greater implications for Shane's "vow" to celibacy. She expects it to make her able to meditate and therefore focus herself spiritually. The way it is treated in this episode belittles a commitment to celibacy, as it is portrayed as comical with ill motivation and faltering dedication. What Shane needs to do before she dives into meditation is reflect and realize there is more to life than sex, and all her new free time can be spent exploring those parts of her that are already there, where her interests already lie, instead of forcing something like meditation into her life just because it is typically linked to celibacy. But really, not everyone who is celibate meditates and not everyone who meditates is celibate, so please, let Shane find herself, and stop trying to reinforce the conceptions of the status quo. Basically, the approach is imbalanced, but I think that this story line with Shane is a good idea and has the potential to do many things, if only the writers were smart enough to shift her consciousness around. Most likely, Shane will simply give into her physical passions in some out of control way (like her tongue-filled attack on Helena). But, I will say, it is good to see the characters at the gym, at least we know they work out on top of starving themselves. But in closing, can I just say, wasn't there someone on set who could teach Shane to do a proper pushup?

The "Big Butch Prison Daddy Dyke"

Yes, the "big butch prison daddy dyke." These are the very words which Eleanor, Helena's mother, uses to describe Dusty. Reiterating last week's post, this is exactly it. To Eleanor, a woman in prison couldn't be anything but that, and by the representation of the women in prison that we saw, they weren't represented as anything but that. Now, as I thought more about it, I realized that what the casting crew accomplished through this representation was effectively casting the women in prison as other. They are all other than Helena who represents the normative, as she is reflective of the cast we see moving through LA on a day to day basis. It's just another way to reinforce oppression, marking the other this way. And honestly, Dusty is hardly a "big butch daddy." Thankfully Helena was able to see into Dusty, assuring us that "it turns out she is one of the most enlightened, beautiful women" Helena has ever known, and Helena is going to retrieve the money she stole from Catherine, get Dusty out, and run away with her. Oooh, this is exciting. And, it's good to know that even these tougher look women can be beautiful and enlightened! As a compliment, I will say that this scene was beautifully done. The awkward silences and the silent disapproval of Eleanor's commentary by the other characters was very well acted. Congrats! (I told you my posts wouldn't all be negative.)

Tune in tonight!

Be sure to tune in for episode 4 tonight: looks like we're getting into some Bette/Tina action, and we're launching into an emotional military investigation. I'll try to be more apt with my posting this week too!