Los Angeles--About 7 months ago
Episode 9 begins where the intro to Episode 8 left off, with Dana leaving Alice’s apartment. She gets into a waiting car. Lara is in the driver’s seat. Across the screen, The Chart lines map Bette to Alice to Dana to Lara. Clearly shaken, Dana speaks of the hurter vs. the hurtee, how it is often worse being the hurter than the one who is heartbroken. Lara leans in for a kiss and Dana resists, telling Lara she didn’t break up with Alice to be with Lara, rather because her relationship with Alice wasn’t working. Lara replies, ”I’ll wait. I’ve waited this long. We have all in the time in the world.” That last line is a killer and I am nearly fetal on the floor. Am I prepared for this? Are you?Trans Prom
How I wish there had been a trans prom at my high school! The prom scenes in this episode are really funny and definitely worth rewinding. They bring back lots and lots of super great memories. Ones I thought I had long repressed and denied. (Thanks, Ilene.) Can we say chiffon and the boy next door, who told my parents, “I’ll have her home at a decent hour.” And damn him, he did. Anyway…Max and Jenny host Trans Prom to raise funds for Max’s transition. When Max sees Jenny dancing with another boy, he becomes jealous and abusive. In Jenny’s words, a “monster.” Who is the person behind the skin? Max vows, yet again, to be a better man. I can’t help but think, Jenny – you really know how to pick ‘em, don’t you? Should we call Dr. Phil? He was outstanding with Paula Abdul.Kit’s Vocal Chords
Kit, you’re my hero. Will you be my big sister? The heart of the episode, Kit brings home two essential points. When talking with Max about her desire to become a man, Kit challenges Max’s thinking. She says, “It saddens me to see so many of our strong butch girls giving up their womanhood to be a man. We’re losing our warriors, our greatest women…What’s male inside? What’s female inside? Why can’t you be the butchest butch in the world and keep your body? You’ll be giving up the most precious thing, being a woman.”Later, when Mangus asks to discuss their relationship and future, Kit tells him that she loves him, but that she won’t marry him. “I would marry you if I’d marry anyone. My friends are gay and my sister is a lesbian. I feel in my heart that until they can get married like we can and have the same rights that we have, I don’t want to use the same system that excludes and discriminates against the very people I love the most.” Like Charlize Theron, you rock!
