I try to stay upbeat and positive. Like, it is just TV, I have other stuff in my life. But…it is only media that I can look to for any kind of queer women happiness. The Catch was a bit of a mess and I do appreciate the statement that the person on the show who people were calling out for having signed the pledge put out: http://lgbtfansdeservebetter.com/blog/2016/04/30/statement-sherry-white/

Unlike the responses from the people behind Orphan Black, The Vampire Diaries, Empire, and The lOO, it acknowledges our points and shows they were listening. It’s not an excuse or a dismissal or justification. So okay, I can feel a little hopeful about things.

AND THEN I CAUGHT UP ON SAINTS & SINNERS. This was a drama with a mainly Black cast airing on BounceTV and the first ep had a surprise f/f pairing involving two awesome, powerful characters. And then this Sunday’s ep killed off one of them! Gloria Reuben’s character! I wrote this post less than a week ago, already two more of them are dead. And that list’s almost exhaustive on existing f/f characters in every currently airing show in the world. Like, there are a few soaps I’ve left out? And maybe a few more I forgot about or don’t know about, The Tunnel, Flowers which blew through all six eps in a week, Legends of Tomorrow, which, hey, at least they’re using a dead queer woman brought back to life.

I genuinely thought that there were so few of us left to kill that there’d be a halt. But nope. Add TWO more for the week.

So I  guess all the shows I was excited for with f/f arcs have men right
in the middle of them. I don’t need no men to be involved ever, that’s
neither fair nor realistic. But. Surely it’s not entirely fair to center
these stories on men to this extent either? (And I exclude You Me Her
which is a different type of show from this list.)

Of ongoing shows with men involved:
The Family – Lol at my tags for last week’s gifset :/

Home Fires – Today’s ep was really tough to watch. Teresa trying to convince herself she can be with a man and then making out with him even after visibly recoiling. Not having a great time with dealing with the closet myself right now, so it hit really close to home.

The Catch – Well, lol, didn’t expect too much from this, although I was hoping it’d be longer and more interesting than what we’ve gotten so far, but who knows, always a chance. Except Shivani Ghai (Felicity) is a guest star…

General Hospital – This is more about upcoming spoilers that aren’t yet confirmed, but it seems like Kristina will be working out her sexual confusion by going out with a guy. This isn’t exactly rare in real life, but it’s even less rare in fiction, and is used so, so often (just look at this list). Given that there are sections of the viewing audience that are so homophobic and so ready to pair Kristina with a dude, not loving the idea of giving them an option. There are also girls out there who know they’re gay and that’s it. But they don’t get the coming out story, they’re the love interest or the corrupter or the predator.

Faking It – I mean, has Faking It ever not had boys in the middle of everything?

Vis a Vis – Ongoing love triangle of sorts. The man is an utter douche but it seems like the show likes him. The f/f pair were more popular than expected, so there might be more hope for them, but it’s a women in prison show, and a dark one at that.

Wynonna Earp – Not much to say about this one, the male leg of the triangle is a total loser, and it was clear going in what it we were going to get but it’s still a m-f-f triangle and it’s still in this part of the list. Given the stats, it’s not a very original way to go about things.

Saints & Sinners – Lady Ella’s cheating on her husband and he’s a big figure in the show even after his death.

The f/f arcs that don’t have men involved:
Orphan Black – Delphine’s dead, Shay seems to be out of the picture

The lOO – Lexa’s dead

Janet King – Ash’s dead. There are some potential romance options unfolding, but her wife/mother of her children is dead. That part of it is sad af to watch.

Jane the Virgin – Rose is dead and aside from that, Luisa’s barely in the show nowadays?

Seis Hermanes – Both dealt with men over long arcs but at least not currently?

Grandfathered – I like this show and I like everyone in it and I like Annelise and I like Regina Hall. But of the five main/regular characters, four are in endgame-type will they-won’t they het pairs, and Annelise remains the odd woman out. She’s had one ep really about her and dating and that ended with her going to the other woman’s house and yelling at her and her new lover. It really needs to do better with her, she’s a fabulous character and it’s just bad storytelling to waste her like that, aside from being monumentally unfair.

Rosewood – Is like the one show that does not have any of these issues.

So I  guess all the shows I was excited for with f/f arcs have men right
in the middle of them. I don’t need no men to be involved ever, that’s
neither fair nor realistic. But. Surely it’s not entirely fair to center
these stories on men to this extent either? (And I exclude You Me Her
which is a different type of show from this list.)

Of ongoing shows with men involved:
The Family – Lol at my tags for last week’s gifset :/

Home Fires – Today’s ep was really tough to watch. Teresa trying to convince herself she can be with a man and then making out with him even after visibly recoiling. Not having a great time with dealing with the closet myself right now, so it hit really close to home.

The Catch – Well, lol, didn’t expect too much from this, although I was hoping it’d be longer and more interesting than what we’ve gotten so far, but who knows, always a chance. Except Shivani Ghai (Felicity) is a guest star…

General Hospital – This is more about upcoming spoilers that aren’t yet confirmed, but it seems like Kristina will be working out her sexual confusion by going out with a guy. This isn’t exactly rare in real life, but it’s even less rare in fiction, and is used so, so often (just look at this list). Given that there are sections of the viewing audience that are so homophobic and so ready to pair Kristina with a dude, not loving the idea of giving them an option. There are also girls out there who know they’re gay and that’s it. But they don’t get the coming out story, they’re the love interest or the corrupter or the predator.

Faking It – I mean, has Faking It ever not had boys in the middle of everything?

Vis a Vis – Ongoing love triangle of sorts. The man is an utter douche but it seems like the show likes him. The f/f pair were more popular than expected, so there might be more hope for them, but it’s a women in prison show, and a dark one at that.

Wynonna Earp – Not much to say about this one, the male leg of the triangle is a total loser, and it was clear going in what it we were going to get but it’s still a m-f-f triangle and it’s still in this part of the list. Given the stats, it’s not a very original way to go about things.

Saints & Sinners – Lady Ella’s cheating on her husband and he’s a big figure in the show even after his death.

The f/f arcs that don’t have men involved:
Orphan Black – Delphine’s dead, Shay seems to be out of the picture

The lOO – Lexa’s dead

Janet King – Ash’s dead. There are some potential romance options unfolding, but her wife/mother of her children is dead. That part of it is sad af to watch.

Jane the Virgin – Rose is dead and aside from that, Luisa’s barely in the show nowadays?

Seis Hermanes – Both dealt with men over long arcs but at least not currently?

Grandfathered – I like this show and I like everyone in it and I like Annelise and I like Regina Hall. But of the five main/regular characters, four are in endgame-type will they-won’t they het pairs, and Annelise remains the odd woman out. She’s had one ep really about her and dating and that ended with her going to the other woman’s house and yelling at her and her new lover. It really needs to do better with her, she’s a fabulous character and it’s just bad storytelling to waste her like that, aside from being monumentally unfair.

Rosewood – Is like the one show that does not have any of these issues.