Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Relationships get complicated in entertaining, sexy drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The L Word
What's the Story?
THE L WORD depicts lesbian relationships much like straight relationships: Messy, passionate, bewildering, challenging, and, if one should be so lucky to find a stable, solid one, ultimately fulfilling. The main characters include Shane (Katherine Moennig), a female lothario going through her list of conquests without an ounce of care; poet Jenny (Mia Kirshner), who is awakening to her lesbian tendencies Dana (Erin Daniels); and a female tennis player coming out of the closet in fantastically awkward ways. And there's the delicious/painful rollercoaster of Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), who struggle to make their live-in relationship work.
Is It Any Good?
Prurient minds may think that this hour-long drama is nothing but a romp-fest of naked women. And, in many ways, it is. Women do have sex -- and lots of it -- but that's not what it's all about. It's exciting for lesbian relationships to have such a frank forum; for them to be characterized in living color, with all their complications; and for the "L" word not to be a forbidden word anymore.
Yet while the series is stylish and its ensemble cast is obviously quite talented, in many ways it panders to the stereotypes it tries so hard to smash. Shane is caricatured -- as if to say she's just acting like a "man" instead of like someone who's simply unwilling to commit. Predictably, Jenny is a poet, as if to say only "creative types" go through sexual confusion. Why can't she be an accountant? With its hip L.A. backdrop, the show presents an exciting and dazzling, even intoxicating, milieu. But it's not perfect, and it's definitely not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to be a lesbian and how difficult it is to exist in a world that has problems accepting people's sexual preferences. How complicated must it be to love someone and have that not be accepted by everyone important to you? Families can also discuss how there are many similarities between heterosexual and homosexual relationships.
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 18, 2004
- Cast : Jennifer Beals , Laurel Holloman , Leisha Hailey
- Network : Showtime
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : April 7, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate