Firstly, a few things. Sorry for the brief hiatus. I've been very very busy trying not to do assignments and essays, and sorting out some glitches with the column. Because, as I gather many people are aware, DtC has gone password protected, which took some setting up. I gather a few people have been wondering why, so here's a brief explanation: the board was getting a lot of trouble with spammers and general deadbeats with nothing better to do than be nasty to us on the board or about us on other boards. (no, not KK.com. Which board it was doesn't really matter.) So, having had enough of this frankly juvenile yet threatening behaviour (yes, it achieved both at the same time), we've taken measures to keep them away. However, the column lives on, so here it is in all it's glory.
Also, any inaccuracies with regards to what actually happened in the episode are entirely my own fault...I write these columns before I've seen the episode, so I'm going off what people have told me.
The Kiss (well, c'mon. What did you think I was gonna write about?)
So, a mutual lesbian kiss on primetime TV. And, from all accounts, a hot one at that. This has to be a good thing, right? Well, in a lot of ways, yes.
Firstly, let's look at the facts. A. Mutual. Lesbian. Kiss. On. Primetime. TV. Yep, sure seems like a good thing. Kerry went after Sandy - finally taking the initiative rather than simply letting things happen to her then reacting a little while later, and we got a kiss. Not a kiss with an agenda - to give Kerry some sort of kick up the ass - but just a mutual, loving kiss, because hey guys, guess what? Lesbians kiss for the sake of it too. (and do a whole load of other stuff, but I'm not going there - sorry to dissapoint.)
This kiss had significance in other ways too - it wasn't a simple recognition of lesbians doing what lesbians do, because if that what was this episode was trying to do, then I guess we all go round killing each other too. But more on that later. No, this kiss had significance for Kerry personally. There she was, in the middle of the street, smooching with another woman. A woman who, not so long ago, she wasn't that comfortable just being out with. This kiss speaks volumes for Kerry's self worth and acceptance issues. She knows she's gay, so she goes out there and does the whole gay thing. Go girl. (If it had just been Kim she had intercepted.....)
This episode also had significance for Kerry's ability to see sub-text, namely in the stabbing storyline. Now, I'm not too sure on the complexities on this, but then from what I gather, neither are people who acutally saw the episode, so....Anyway, from what I gather, there was something involving a trio of girls, one of whom had stabbed another, something possibly to do with them being lovers and being in the closet...right, ok, so that's clear then. However, what is worth noticing is tha Kerry saw the lesbian subtext in the story, and picked up on what was really going on (whatever that was), whereas when Shannon Wallace made her infamous appearance, Kerry really didn't have a clue. About anything, least of all that Shannon was a scared, confused little lesbian (or babydyke, to use the more correct term). But now, our girl's all grown up and a real lesbian, so she can spot this sort of thing. Very good.
Yes, there is a but, and it's a big one, so I'll leave it till next week. Until then, enjoy your ER.
Jess