I’ve not lost interest in the show at all! Please don’t take my lack of giffing and posting to mean that, I’ve just been busy with real life things. What free time I do have, I still very much spend on it.
How I feel about the show itself, though, lately… Well. Yes, I do think it’s been lackluster. I don’t like the lack of Jathea lately, or that Jade is still married, how much David we’re getting. I don’t like how they drop crucial plot points that end up making Jade look uncaring or dim. But mostly, I really don’t like what Althea is going through. They’d already shown her abused and traumatized, for apparently no reason anyway, since we’re getting the cautionary tale of the married lesbian in slow mo with Jade still. And we had Paul and Wila also beaten up for their queerness, so at this point it’s really in very poor taste.
But. My realization, or rather, reminder of what I was watching was way back at the introduction of Althea’s kid. Since then, I’ve never really forgotten that this is a soap and there are going to be soapy plots. So I’ve appreciated the good in what we’ve gotten and handwaved the rest.
My problems with the show are objective, not in a specific lesbian way, and of course there’s overlap, since we get so few lesbian shows, but I don’t feel the same as I did for Faking It, Last Tango in Halifax, or Call the Midwife. It’s become a bad show in general, not bad lesbian representation. There are so many things TRMD has not done and while they shouldn’t be getting credit for avoiding others’ mistakes, I feel that they do sometimes get the blame for them (”why so much of this male character?” is something that has arisen after way too much lesbian media focusing on dudes), so I’ll grant them that.
In terms of lesbian content, I think the missteps they’ve made have come from well-intentioned ignorance, not apathetic ignorance (see all the deaths and sleeping with dudes). Jade and Althea’s romance has really been very pure in a way I don’t see often anywhere, let alone in lesbian romances. I’ve made my share of gay panic jokes but Jade has not once wavered in how much she loves and is in love with Althea, no matter how much David we’ve had. In fact, the one thing that really drew me to the show, Jathea, has not gone anywhere. Even through some of the terrible plots, it’s shown through adorably.
After seeing how the MTRCB rapped them on the knuckles for the mildest bit of dialogue, I’m again reminded just where this show is coming from. And it’s done really well for that. When you think about it, the show tried to be daring in THREE different ways. Not only did it focus on a lesbian romance (rare enough across the world), it tried to go for a more realistic non-soapy format, which I guess didn’t work ratings-wise and made them rethink their approach, and it didn’t have a leading man. My Husband’s Lover, similar in being gay-themed, DID have the hunky dudes that the target audience would much more readily watch. In fact, that’s probably another reason for so much David after the second half.
I think, barring a few terrible tropes they could yet introduce, once this finishes, I’ll still think of it as a success and remember it fondly. Sure, it could have been better, but when it was good, it was soooo good, and I’m glad it happened and I’m glad I’m watching it.
I’ve not lost interest in the show at all! Please don’t take my lack of giffing and posting to mean that, I’ve just been busy with real life things. What free time I do have, I still very much spend on it.
How I feel about the show itself, though, lately… Well. Yes, I do think it’s been lackluster. I don’t like the lack of Jathea lately, or that Jade is still married, how much David we’re getting. I don’t like how they drop crucial plot points that end up making Jade look uncaring or dim. But mostly, I really don’t like what Althea is going through. They’d already shown her abused and traumatized, for apparently no reason anyway, since we’re getting the cautionary tale of the married lesbian in slow mo with Jade still. And we had Paul and Wila also beaten up for their queerness, so at this point it’s really in very poor taste.
But. My realization, or rather, reminder of what I was watching was way back at the introduction of Althea’s kid. Since then, I’ve never really forgotten that this is a soap and there are going to be soapy plots. So I’ve appreciated the good in what we’ve gotten and handwaved the rest.
My problems with the show are objective, not in a specific lesbian way, and of course there’s overlap, since we get so few lesbian shows, but I don’t feel the same as I did for Faking It, Last Tango in Halifax, or Call the Midwife. It’s become a bad show in general, not bad lesbian representation. There are so many things TRMD has not done and while they shouldn’t be getting credit for avoiding others’ mistakes, I feel that they do sometimes get the blame for them (”why so much of this male character?” is something that has arisen after way too much lesbian media focusing on dudes), so I’ll grant them that.
In terms of lesbian content, I think the missteps they’ve made have come from well-intentioned ignorance, not apathetic ignorance (see all the deaths and sleeping with dudes). Jade and Althea’s romance has really been very pure in a way I don’t see often anywhere, let alone in lesbian romances. I’ve made my share of gay panic jokes but Jade has not once wavered in how much she loves and is in love with Althea, no matter how much David we’ve had. In fact, the one thing that really drew me to the show, Jathea, has not gone anywhere. Even through some of the terrible plots, it’s shown through adorably.
After seeing how the MTRCB rapped them on the knuckles for the mildest bit of dialogue, I’m again reminded just where this show is coming from. And it’s done really well for that. When you think about it, the show tried to be daring in THREE different ways. Not only did it focus on a lesbian romance (rare enough across the world), it tried to go for a more realistic non-soapy format, which I guess didn’t work ratings-wise and made them rethink their approach, and it didn’t have a leading man. My Husband’s Lover, similar in being gay-themed, DID have the hunky dudes that the target audience would much more readily watch. In fact, that’s probably another reason for so much David after the second half.
I think, barring a few terrible tropes they could yet introduce, once this finishes, I’ll still think of it as a success and remember it fondly. Sure, it could have been better, but when it was good, it was soooo good, and I’m glad it happened and I’m glad I’m watching it.
youhavenotseenmyvengence said: I
think the whole conversation with Batchi about the PI she hired to look
for Tommy was supposed to hint at Althea looking for something valuable
he took. Coz I don’t think she’d hire a PI to look for him just to see
his stupid face.
Yeah, that was the most solid indication something else was going on, but a son! Her demeanor was more someone frazzled about money, not defeated and desperate about losing her chance on something so important.
Anonymous said:
I
agree with you about what you said regarding TRMD, the writer showed
how lacking she is with that out of nowhere kid storyline, the fact that
she had to tell people on social media that there were hints shows that
no one caught her hints. Also who the hell calls their dog after their
missing child? And why didn’t Althea ever mention him with anyone? I am
with you that i’ll never recommend this show again to anyone lesbians
with husbands kids is not exactly a pleasant plot.
Naming your dog after your missing kid is so preposterous. I don’t understand
how that was a hint, and to call it such is almost insulting. Althea never bringing up the situation in the most natural of conversations was definitely a deliberate decision to drive up the impact of the reveal, but I feel it has failed. We’re supposed to have an aha moment as things previously hinted or suggested at fall into place, not unhappily confused and seeing how out of character it is.
I don’t personally care about the part with a lesbian having a husband and a kid, that’s part of her past and background. It’s just that its impact on the present is being handled in all the wrong ways.
lazycheskie said: I
feel you. I can’t drop the show either. I love the characters, &
the actors too much. especially the actors. I really do want to support
them in everything they do. should’ve known tho. classic soap move. just
thought this would be different
My problem isn’t how out there it is as a soap trope or even that there’s a surprise kid at all, I just wish it’d been written better and not hurt Althea’s character so much.
Anonymous said:
Hey
booasaur, just wanted to say I totally agree with you about your latest
TRMD post. I’m so disappointed that the show showed such amazing
promise at the start and now has taken a really shitty turn with this
new, dumb storyline. I’m now too embarrassed to recommend this show to
anyone. I only keep tabs on it via tumblr now because the actresses have
been respectful to the LGBT community and are doing the best they can
even with the limitations censorship and bad writing has placed on them.
Yeah, I think that’s why I’m taking it so hard, it could have been so good, and it HAS been really good in places, the chemistry and interactions, the Tanchincgo siblings, Jade and Amanda. But then, everything good that we’ve seen was written and acted knowing that this would come, nothing has really changed behind the scenes. Hopefully we’ll get a lot more of the good that we liked to outweigh the bad. I’m not the type of person to enjoy hate-watching things, so I’ve basically had to brainwash myself to wrench around my
thinking on this and acceptance of it, but it’s either that or stop watching something I really liked.
Posted on
Responses to the TRMD post earlier.
youhavenotseenmyvengence said: I
think the whole conversation with Batchi about the PI she hired to look
for Tommy was supposed to hint at Althea looking for something valuable
he took. Coz I don’t think she’d hire a PI to look for him just to see
his stupid face.
Yeah, that was the most solid indication something else was going on, but a son! Her demeanor was more someone frazzled about money, not defeated and desperate about losing her chance on something so important.
Anonymous said:
I
agree with you about what you said regarding TRMD, the writer showed
how lacking she is with that out of nowhere kid storyline, the fact that
she had to tell people on social media that there were hints shows that
no one caught her hints. Also who the hell calls their dog after their
missing child? And why didn’t Althea ever mention him with anyone? I am
with you that i’ll never recommend this show again to anyone lesbians
with husbands kids is not exactly a pleasant plot.
Naming your dog after your missing kid is so preposterous. I don’t understand
how that was a hint, and to call it such is almost insulting. Althea never bringing up the situation in the most natural of conversations was definitely a deliberate decision to drive up the impact of the reveal, but I feel it has failed. We’re supposed to have an aha moment as things previously hinted or suggested at fall into place, not unhappily confused and seeing how out of character it is.
I don’t personally care about the part with a lesbian having a husband and a kid, that’s part of her past and background. It’s just that its impact on the present is being handled in all the wrong ways.
lazycheskie said: I
feel you. I can’t drop the show either. I love the characters, &
the actors too much. especially the actors. I really do want to support
them in everything they do. should’ve known tho. classic soap move. just
thought this would be different
My problem isn’t how out there it is as a soap trope or even that there’s a surprise kid at all, I just wish it’d been written better and not hurt Althea’s character so much.
Anonymous said:
Hey
booasaur, just wanted to say I totally agree with you about your latest
TRMD post. I’m so disappointed that the show showed such amazing
promise at the start and now has taken a really shitty turn with this
new, dumb storyline. I’m now too embarrassed to recommend this show to
anyone. I only keep tabs on it via tumblr now because the actresses have
been respectful to the LGBT community and are doing the best they can
even with the limitations censorship and bad writing has placed on them.
Yeah, I think that’s why I’m taking it so hard, it could have been so good, and it HAS been really good in places, the chemistry and interactions, the Tanchincgo siblings, Jade and Amanda. But then, everything good that we’ve seen was written and acted knowing that this would come, nothing has really changed behind the scenes. Hopefully we’ll get a lot more of the good that we liked to outweigh the bad. I’m not the type of person to enjoy hate-watching things, so I’ve basically had to brainwash myself to wrench around my
thinking on this and acceptance of it, but it’s either that or stop watching something I really liked.
