Face Off: Have Sex Later, Damn It!

Many Urban Fantasy books, and certainly Paranormal Romances, contain a fair amount of sex. And there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s nice to see adults who are happily sexual (well, usually) but sometimes we do have to wonder about, well, the timing.

Sometimes, something is more important than getting it on. Maybe you’re under attack, maybe you have a mission, maybe the end of the world is coming – whatever, sometimes you might want to zip your trousers and deal with things before the dry humping starts, just maybe.

I’m not even talking here about the habit of protagonists going all goo-goo eyed with lust at even the most ridiculous moments (Sherrilyn Kenyon, do you really think how ZOMG HAWT that guy is really going to top of someone’s priority list when they’ve been kidnapped?) but actual stopping everything and outright having sex in the middle of the action.

Gin Blanco from Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series will always be able to fight for this title – not least of which because it was so out of character for her and her usual professionalism. But in the first 2 books she has sex with Caine when she should be running away, and another time she has hurried sex in a closet rather than keeping an eye on her target and being ready to act. The assassination was jeopardised because Gin decided that would be the opportune moment to shag Caine in a closet. Uh-huh. Needless to say, this is not professional.

True Blood, Season 5, Episode 4: We'll Meet Again

When we left Tara last episode she was cooking under the lights of a sunbed – thankfully, the extremely not amused Pam rushes in to save her vampire child. After some argument (and disgust on Pam’s part) Pam invokes maker command with her usual, awesome bored mien.

Bill and Eric’s excellent adventure continues, with them being rescued by the Authority, charged with hunting down Russell – and Eric is back at Fangtasia in time for Pam coming home with Tara. Pam actually credits Sookie for this (oh no, Pam, her promise to you was forgotten 5 seconds after it came out of her mouth).

Eric manhandles Pam to demand if she let Russell go – which, obviously she didn’t, and also outrages her that he’d suggest that. After a century together, he has so little trust in her – she demands he release her if she means so little to her so she can leave.

Bill, being the Angstiest Vampire of them All, is probably a good one to comfort Tara about becoming a vampire – and Tara  throws in her best line of the night when asked whether Sookie knows:

“How many of us have nearly died to save her sorry ass? Well I did them all one better”

Bill keeps asking if Sookie’s safe, but Tara keeps hitting the best lines – Sookie is always safe, because there’s always someone there to help her, always someone there to take a bullet for her and he, Bill, needs to stop spending all his time worrying about Sookie before it gets him killed. Tara, have a standing ovation.

Eric and Bill are left wondering who could have possibly known, if they didn’t tell anyone and if Pam didn’t tell anyone.

Later, Pam wakes from her coffin and watches Tara sleep; and she talks to Eric. Eric explains that they’re on a suicide mission – the Authority and Russell are too dangerous. He doesn’t want to catch her in the cross fire of the hole he’s dug – he has to release Pam, not because he doesn’t trust her but because he doesn’t want her to die with him. Pam accepts and understand – and Eric releases her. It’s powerful and touching and long overdue to see these 2 together again.

Speaking of touching scenes; Bill and Jessica are searching for bugs in his office during which he makes it clear he accepts her as an adult and capable of looking after herself. Jessica also makes a plea for him to help and comfort Sookie (Jessica as well? When did she enter the Sookie orbit?) but Bill says Jessica needs to look after herself first (yes yes yes).

Tara wakes to find Pam and Melanie (dinner). Tara doesn’t want to feed on a person – but Pam invokes Makerdom to force her and tell her what it is to be a vampire, to be no-one’s victim, to drink blood etc etc. I’m not happy with Pam overusing her maker authority to control Tara, but I am happy to see a possibility of Tara finding happiness and fulfilment as a vampire.

Lafayette is now realising the horrible truth – without Tara he is now reduced to the one friend who has to tolerate Sookie and clear up her bullshit. See, Tara, you thought being a vampire was bad? This is a fate worse than death. Sookie has told Alcide about Debbie’s death – despite Lafayette already intervening once like that. She just can’t keep lying – y’know, she could have tried! One day does not constitute being driven up the wall by the lies! Lafayette is not pleased and gives her a very nice slap down – he’s not selling her out, but she can’t just keep quiet? Sookie has to do the right thing, she just has to (well, the last 4 seasons she hasn’t, as I’m sure Tara can attest. In fact, how often has Sookie “done the right thing” rather than “done whatever Sookie wants”?) to which we get the best line of the night – let’s have a direct quote here:

Dark Angel, Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot

In 2009 Max and her siblings, then children escaped from a secret facility in Wyoming, in the depths of winter; fighting their way free from Project Mantecore that would rather kill them than let them escape. They trained these kids to be perfect super-soldiers, moulding them genetically from embryos to have super-human abilities, then training and conditioning them to be the ultimate killing machines. They also engaged in several, cruel experiments on the children

Max made it out and made it to Seattle – where she is now an adult. But she doesn’t know where any of her fellows are, or whether they survived at all. She now lives with her room-mate, Kendra (who laments most sadly that while she is tried and hung over, Max stayed out later, got up earlier and is still bright and awake – which is most unfair) in a semi-derelict building with several other squatters.

And semi-derelict is the way of the world – after the Pulse. A terrorist made huge EMP air burst that fried all the electronics in the US, leaving a ruinous depression behind, reducing the country to third world status and the people to getting by. It’s an extremely repressive police state; controlled by check points and hover drones – hovering cameras that cover the whole city, though there are massive crime and corruption levels. In protest of that, we have Eyes Only, an anonymous activist who hacks into the television signals to broadcast his own, subversive journalism; exposing corruption and the untouchable crime bosses that rule the city.

Max gets by as a bike messenger working for her boss (nicknamed “Normal”) a repressive, petty little autocrat they love to annoy and her co-workers: the awesome Original Cindy (a black lesbian with the best lines ever), Sketch (the often foolish white guy who gets into far too much trouble) and Herbal (the wise and clam Black, Jamaican Rastafarian).

That all introduced (really well) we get to the issues of the day – Max’s friend and co-worker Theo being sick and another day at the Jam Pony bike messengers, and Sketch, her co-workers is cheating on his girlfriend with a woman called Lydia (Pam from True Blood!) We get an Eyes Only broadcast exposing Edgar Sonrisa, a drugs and gun runner with big political ties who silences critics; though Max is cynical about the whole idea of Eyes Only.

Max, meanwhile, uses her genetically enhanced super-senses to case places for stealing – and to win bets in their bar with Original Cindy by reciting 14 digit phone number from the dial tones – on speed dial. She has a run in with her ex who complains about how secretive Max is (to hide her past and abilities) – but Original Cindy is there to shoot him down and reassure Max as the best friend she is.

Max also goes to see a private investigator she has hired to try and find some clues about her siblings – fellow escapees from Mantecore with barcodes on their neck. He has information on a car that was owned by a Hannah who helped her escape – though the car was traded and all records were wiped out during the pulse.

Of course such investigation isn’t cheap – and to pay for it, Max resorts to burglary – and during her messenger job she managed to see a gold statue using her super-senses that looks just perfect. Not needing to sleep and having incredible agility, she’s a perfect cat burglar. Unfortunately, the penthouse she chose to burgle is the home of Eyes Only who is currently concerned with protecting a witness who is exposing Sonrisa of stealing a drug that is essential for curing Balkan war syndrome that afflicts many veterans and replacing them with placebos, while selling the real drug on the black market.

Max runs into the witness, Lauren, the witness’s child, Sophie and the armed guard Peter who she easily takes down. Eyes Only himself holds her at gun point, but is relieved she’s just a thief – and not one of Sonrisa’s men out to kill Lauren. Peter tries to handcuff her – but she’s not having that, locks him up and is out of the window and gone.

At home we see the downside to Max’s superskills – the seizures she suffers that requires her to take pills to control – and more of her life with Kendra, her motorcycle and Walter – the local policeman who extorts the whole building for bribes so they don’t get evicted as squatters – just part of the corruption and exploitation in dystopian Seattle. And Theo, Max’s friend and co-worker is sick; he’s a Balkan War veteran who needs the pills Sonrisa is doctoring – his wife and him are both worried.

Logan Cale, Mr. Eyes Only himself, uses his connections, computers and knowledge to track Max down for a talk. His parents are extremely rich and he is appalled at how, after the pulse, so much corruption and the police state arose as scared people gave up their freedoms. Max isn’t impressed – apart from anything else, she makes it clear that all of these problems were still in place before the pulse and the gap between the haves and the have nots was always obscene. Logan Cale tries to give her a recruitment drive, but she’s already vanished the minute his back is turned.

Hex: Season 2, Episode 1: Cursed

When we left our intrepid heroes, Azazeal had just used his demonic pro-life speech to convince the doctor to preserve his evil evil baby by Cassie. Cassie was vapid and annoying. Thelma was awesome and stole the show. Troy was mopey and Azazeal was criminally hot. And everything was very very spooky. Oh and the baby is causing the barriers between worlds to fail, causing ghosts, demons and other badness

With that summation, we now move on to Season 2

Flash back to London in 1849 where a woman in white net curtains is levitating a jar (it looks like the Cunari – the spooky jug), watched by Azazeal. He pays a man to sleep with the levitating woman (clearly looking to produce the magical world breaking child), but he is watched by another woman. She goes to see the levitator, looking very sad and sympathetic – the slits her throat. It’s really well acted, without a word being spoken this was all conveyed, including the murderer’s grief and sadness about having the murder the woman. Kudos.

This is, of course, all Cassie’s dream – and she’s woken abruptly from this by Thelma and a glass of water. Cassie has been trying to stay away for 3 days to avoid her dreams, including taking dubious wakey-wakey medicine. Anything is better than her dreams, she says. Oh yes, says the creepy moving gargoyle who has clearly heard her and is now setting out to prove her wrong – and appears on the other side of the window to scare her. In a bemusing show of fortitude, Cassie not put off my demonic entities leering through windows – and goes to steal some cake from the kitchens (I do admire someone who is single mindedly determined to have cake). But, there is something in the kitchen as well (interrupting her cake stealing!), to which Cassie responds by battering it with a ladle (I quite agree, nothing should be allowed to interrupt cake). Unfortunately “it” in this case is Felix, another student (who is already cursed with the name Felix and doesn’t deserve more abuse).

Another normal day at school – the presence of the ugly gargoyle (assumed to be a nephilim) means Cassie and Thelma are aware that Demonic Child survived (and think torturing Azazeal is appropriate). It seems Troy and Gemma have both left this season – but Roxanne and Leon are still very much present. As is wet teacher Jo – who is awfully distracted. Oh, and Cassie is still not-flirting-honest with Thelma.

Cassie goes to see Dr. Surtees, her anti-choice doctor who has been avoiding her, for obvious reasons. He runs from Cassie, trying to fob her off – and ends up in his little room with… the murderous girl from Cassie’s dreams of 1849 London.

Back at the school, Cassie recounts all this to Thelma over sausages with promises to do said Doctor harm. And we see Awesome headmaster with Jo who is very very distracted again – but she does call out Awesome Headmaster on his condescending sexism. So go more distraction!

The Almighty Johnsons Season One, Episode Eight: I Can Give You Frigg

 

Anders has a brand new plan to find Frigg. Instead of having Axel sleep with anyone who seems pretty enough to be a Goddess, he has placed an advertisement in the paper claiming to be looking for the descendants of the ship that the Gods and Goddesses came to New Zealand on, because he has found a treasure chest. The Goddesses realize quite quickly that this is Anders' work.  

Michele and Anders meet in the woods to taunt each other about how close each side is to find the Frigg.  Michele believes that when they have found the Frigg that they have won, but Anders points out that unless they plan on locking her in a closet for the rest of her life, they have actually won nothing.  Michele replies that all they have to do is to keep her from the Gods and Anders tells her that this plan is "lame," because Michele has no idea how to accomplish this, because she is not in charge. He goes on to say that if they find the Frigg and they kill her that she will still be a minor Goddess, with limited power and an overworked baby doctor. Anders suggests that if they find her that minor will become major. He promises that if Odin meets Frigg that he would share the love with anyone who helped him and he asks her to think about it.

Mike is called to the hospital by Valarie because Rob is missing.  Mike is shocked, but Valarie says that he is recovering quickly and has even learned to walk again already. Mike uses his power to find Rob at a bar having a beer.  Umm yeah, where did he get the money and the clothing? Mike has a flashback to the day that Rob got hurt. Rob is overwhelmed with all of the changes like large televisions and cell phones.  

Back at the house, Valarie recommends that Rob be allowed to move into Axel's old room. She is going to put a hold on her IVF treatments until the summer, so that she can help Rob with his rehabilitation. When Mike brings up Olaf, Valarie says that he can sleep anywhere.   Clearly, this is something that Mike does not want to do, but when Valarie says that they have so much and Rob has nothing, he gives his consent. 

Olaf is not pleased with getting the boot and says that he cannot stay with Anders because there is only so much of him that he can take and Axl is quick to point out that they don't have a spare room. When Rob arrives, he tells Mike that it was good of him to agree to letting him stay, but Valarie says "nonsense, it was the least we can do.

At Anders', Olaf is going through the responses to Anders advertisement. Ingrid calls Olaf to say that she has to cancel their surfing plans because she cannot get away. Apparently, they are both chained to the computer.  The conversation is halted quickly when Agnetha enters the room.  It turns out that the goddesses are the ones responsible for all of the responses that Anders has been receiving. They are purposefully sending the Gods on a wild goose chase. Ingrid says that she feels like they are tampering with fate and that something this big will be.  Ingrid believes that if you push fate that it will push you back, but Agnetha simply rolls her eyes.

Stacey walks into a butcher and sees Eva for the first time and is so overwhelmed, she instantly runs out of the store.  On the window is a flier for a concert that Eva is going to perform that night. Stacy calls Michele, who gives her something for the nausea.  When Michele asks how Stacy knows that they have found the Frigg, Stacy responds that she has only experienced this feeling once before - the first time she met Agnetha. When Stacy suggests telling Agnetha about their discovery, Michele responds that it should just be the two of them, because Agnetha will be a bitch to them if they are wrong.

When Mike gets home, Valarie tells him that Anders is meeting with Rob because apparently, Rob has been getting a lot of interest from media people. Anders believes he can get him tv coverage, magazine stories and maybe even a book. Mike reminds Valarie that she is talking about Anders, but Valarie says though she is not wild about him, if it helps Rob that it's a good thing. When Anders and Rob leave the bedroom, Valarie suggests hauling out the old photographs and Anders says he has to go.  Rob follows him to the car believing that he is up to something.  Anders says that he is all about family, even when his family does not appreciate him. 

That night at the bar, Stacey and Michele bicker. Stacey is upset that Michele never asks her anything about herself, and Michele reminds her that she is just a handmaiden. When Eva walks on stage, Michele is instantly struck by her presence and spills her wine on the floor.

Rob and Mike sit down and Rob starts asking things like when the bought the house, and when he and Valarie got married.  Valarie puts in a dvd of their engagement party.  As they sit on the couch together and hold hands, Mike is clearly not impressed. Mike leaves claiming to have things to do, but they barely notice that he is gone.

Ingrid sneaks Olaf into Agnetha's office. He thanks her for diner and when Ingrid comments about how much he eats Olaf replies, "that's because I am Baldr and I have to be reborn everyday." Finally, we have an explanation as to why Olaf seems to be constantly stuffing food in his mouth. We learn that Ingrid was hospitalized at one time and has a son, though she hasn't seen him in ten years. Apparently, when she finally did admit to hearing voices, that only confirmed the doctor's diagnosis.  She still blames her husband for having been institutionalized. When Olaf lights a match for his spliff, he accidentally drops it and all of Ingrid's research goes up in smoke, with the exception of a page on Colin Gunderson.  Immediately, Olaf and Ingrid realize that they have been given a sign.

At the bar, Eva's music is decidedly emo. They pull her aside and she says that when she turned 21 her life changed over night and she started having dark thoughts. Eva says that her mother is dead and that she and her father don't speak. Eva says that she feels a force between herself, Michele and Stacey. Eva asks "are you like dykes or something?"  Okay, pause, "dyke" is a slur and her protestation that it doesn't bother her if they are, does nothing to reduce the harm of her language. Eva is also quick to say that she is straight. It's amazing how much homophobia they managed to squeeze into a short conversation.

Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate, Book 4 of the Fallen Series

In 9 days, Lucifer’s co-opted Fall will reach Earth. And when it does, the last 6,000 years of history will be erased, time can be re-written according to his whims and his image. It is down to Daniel, Luce and their friends to find the location of the Fall and get there before Lucifer to stop the entirety of history being re-written.

The problem is, none of the Angels remember where the Fall was. It takes a quest to find ancient relics where the Angels recorded their memories and bringing them together to actually find the location of the Fall – and all within 9 days. It’s a journey that takes them to Italy, to France, to Austria and to Egypt to ultimately find the location.

Though they have new, surprising friends, they also have both old enemies and misguided fools ready to fight them to a stand still – with friends having to sacrifice themselves to ultimately make it to the end – where we finally learn the true nature of Luce’s curse and her full history.

Luce is, again, kept in the dark throughout the majority of this book. Yes, there’s a very good story reason why she can’t be told anything (and that story reason is finally explained) but even casual questions “where are we going? Why? What are we doing?”, questions which would have taken a second to answer, are routinely ignored. I mean that, literally ignored. Half the time she’s barely even given a “I’m sorry Luce, I can’t tell you.” They just pretend she hasn’t even spoken – and Luce? Accepts this. They also make a lot of plans while she’s asleep, or unconscious or otherwise unable to contribute – which just makes her more worthless and more as a poseable tool in their hands – and emphasises just how little she adds to the story (as well as keeping us – and her – in the dark).

When she does actually achieve anything (like swimming. Or remembering something) everyone flocks around her like she’s just won every gold medal in the Olympics while simultaneously winning all the Nobel Prizes at once. The fawning is so over the top I actually re-read it, wondering if it might be sarcastic – but no, apparently they are sincerely this impressed at even the most mediocre achievement on her part. They also comfort her immensely when there is any kind of grief – even when she probably has the least reason to be grieving. When immortal beings the Angels have known for centuries – millennia even, die it is Luce who they all comfort as she grieves, Luce who needs the angels to all be ready with a shoulder for her to cry on.

Bedlam, Season 2, Episode 4: Jude

We have new residents - Scott and his young brother Jude, a child who doesn’t talk. Max, being the super-nice guy he is, helps Scott move in since the lifts are broken. And Jude wanders off into the no admittance super spooky area, the old medical wing to the background of creepy flickering lights (welcome to your new home! The first murder attempt will be in, oooooh, 15 minutes).

And his little toy phone starts ringing. Which we’ve already seen has no batteries in it. A child’s voice in the phone whispers to him in Latin – which he then speaks aloud.

Well that was some early creepy well established.

Ellie wants Max to help her find the staff records for the bald guy with the Bedlam symbol on his head who she is sure did something to Eve; though Max is working. But he has got a contact with photos to help her – and she touches his wrist, just in time for Dan to come into the room and see them being close. We’re also reminded that Ellie is living on sick pay (since she’s on paid leave from being a paramedic).

And Ellie spots Jude with his Scott, scribbling randomly with crayons and she has a vision – of a child in ye olden times being taken to the Bedlam hospital. Ellie leaves, disturbed by the vision and Jude continues not to talk and to randomly scream and whisper under his breath.

Dan and Ellie have an Awkward Moment and then Dan goes to interrupt Keira and Warren’s “meeting.” Dan instantly steps waaaay into the out of line territory by telling Warren he thinks Kiera is after Warren’s money and how generally what a bad idea she is – something Warren slaps down before leaving. He leaves his phone and Dan starts poking around in it.

Max is the Nice Guy to new resident Scott – bringing him a beer and looking after Judge while he gets a pizza, and trying to question the silent Judge about being haunted. Jude doesn’t say anything but he does make the lights flicker and make unplugged in appliances work (this would be menacing if the appliance weren’t a whisk. It’s hard to be menaced by a whisk). Of course, making everything else electrical in the flat go on and off while chanting Latin – that’s considerably more menacing indeed. Scott comes back and the creepy light show ends (see, the ghost just wants pizza. Perfectly understandable)

When Max leaves, Jude continues to ramp up the creepy with electronics and Latin on the tape recorded. Creep factor rising to critical levels – why is it children make the spookiest ghosts?

Max goes to explain this to Ellie – but Ellie has another concern – she’s pregnant (of course she is. She had casual sex with Dan and in TV land, consequences must be shown!) naturally she shuts down Max’s information and slams the door on him.

Later he gently asks if she’s ok and gives her the history notes she was asking after; but she (obviously) has other things on her mind. At this point Scott arrives with his tape recorded full of Latin to show to Max. Scott is happy that his brother is finally speaking! Max is a little more concerned that he’s apparently reciting the Last Rites in Latin. Then the tape devolves into him protesting “it wasn’t me” and then screaming. Throwing Ellie into a vision where she sees a small boy in past Bedlam being subjected to electroshock therapy. Scott is worried someone tried to hurt Jude – but Ellie says it wasn’t Jude that was hurt, and then the recorder starts making death threats while Jude gives Scott an evil little glare.

Dan and Max have a run in and I cringe waiting for the emotional drama about Ellie – but they actually talk sensibly (and mock Dan’s taste in music). How Dan is always playing a role and an act, and how Max doesn’t pretend to be Ellie’s friend – he just is her friend, but has trouble being considered for something more. But then Dan gets angry because the Bedlam Ghost website is back up, which he rants about to Max (who, of course, writes it).

The Problem with GLBT Representation in True Blood and Lost Girl

This piece was originally published at Bitch Flicks

When it comes to GLBT representation in the media, unless a television show is targeted specifically at the community, erasure continues to be the norm. Urban fantasy has moved from a small die hard audience to the mainstream and though we can regularly see shows about vampires, werewolves, fae, and ghosts, there are few GLBT characters and a dearth of decent representation.

HBO’s True Blood and Showcase’s Lost Girl have the most visible GLBT characters on television in North America, in terms of the urban fantasy genre. Though both shows have GLBT characters who have extremely high profiles and a reputation of being extremely GLBT friendly, there are certainly many problematic elements.

True Blood is based on The Southern Vampire Series written by Charlaine Harris. In the novels, Lafayette is killed off quite early and is shamed for participating in a sex party. Thankfully, the character of Lafayette in True Blood has become a staple of the show. Despite being a fan favourite, Lafayette is a character that inarguably fulfills a lot of stereotypes that are aimed at same gender loving men of colour. Lafayette is a cook but he moonlights as a sex worker and a drug dealer. Though he is routinely given some of the best lines to say, he too often falls into the sassy best friend role.

Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette and Kevin Alejandro as Jesus in True Blood

In season three, we learned that Lafayette only started dealing V and doing sex work to pay for the hospitalisation of his mentally ill mother and though the reason is understandable, no other character on True Blood has been forced into this position though they are all working class.

If Lafayette is dogged by several stereotypes, Talbot revels in them. The lover of Russell Edgington (who is an awesome villain but also personifies the depraved, psychopathic homosexual trope), Talbot is a 700-year-old vampire who squeals at the sight of violence. He throws epic temper tantrums over the interior decorating. Someone stamp a rainbow on him and call his unicorn, he’s done. But to quickly fill his shoes we have Steve Newlin - get yourself another trope bingo card because he’s a) a gay man trying to force his attentions on a straight man b) a closeted homophobe, c) a closeted, bigoted preacher and d) getting campier by the episode - have you hit bingo yet? Bet you will by the end of the season, this was just 2 episodes!

The women aren’t free from stereotyping either; Tara finds her love for women and with it an interest in kick boxing - did she get some free dungerees and power tools with that?

I do have to say that not all the portrayals are stereotyped - Eddie subverts many (albeit he exists to serve and help Jason grow) and Jesus more - we don’t see enough about Pam and Nan to see what they fit. But except for Pam, they all fit one trope - GAY DEATH. Yes, there’s a drastic amount of “gay death” on this show. It’s a sad trope that GBLT people rarely live long on the television screen and their sexualty is often the cause of their deaths - and with Talbot (who actually died during gay sex! And to hurt his gay lover), Jesus (at the hands of his gay lover!), Eddie (found by his killers because he hired a gay prostitute), Sophie Ann and Nan were racking up the body count.

But, perhaps the most glaring flaw in True Blood is how the GBLT romances compare with the straight counterparts. True Blood is not a show that is shy about nudity or sex scenes - it is pretty unusual for episodes to go by without at least someone humping someone wearing very little. Eric, Sookie, Jason, Bill, Sam - we have seen them naked and going at it hammer and tongs. But Lafayette and Jesus? The contrast is blatant - even most of their kisses are in low light conditions. They go to bed wearing multiple layers of clothing (in Louisiana, no less) and their scenes together commonly have them sitting pretty far apart and lacking any real physical (or even emotional) intimacy. The emotional distance is very telling in what should be some of the most poignant scenes between them - when Jesus is grieving over his dead friend, when he is risking his life going into Marne’s shop, when Jesus emerges from that shop injured (Lafayette actually ran to hug Tara while Jesus bleeds); you’d expect some emotional angst here. But throughout season 4, you could have mistaken them for roommates, not lovers. This sanitisation is sadly prevalent with gay and bi male couples in television in general - their sex lives are considered more obscene than their straight counterparts, in need of censorship and “toning down.” True Blood’s straight explicitness makes this extremely blatant - with Lafayette and Jesus and even with Sam and Bill’s “Water in Arkansas” dream sequence (that cuts out just before a kiss). The closest we get to any explicit scenes is with Eric and Talbot - again with low light kissing, no nudity and, of course, saved for straight audiences by including the dreaded gay death.

We contrast that with the lesbian relationships and, if anything, we see a different story. But is this putting them on the same explicit level as the straight relationships or is it an attempt to pander to the straight male gaze? If anything, the scenes between women are more sexualised than between straight couples - not because they’re more explicit, but because they are less personal. Nan Flannigan and Pam both have sex (oral sex that doesn’t smudge their perfect make up, no less) with nameless, characterless women. The only actual relationship we have seen between two women is Tara and Naomi - and again, we saw them make out and have sex almost before we knew Naomi’s name. She appeared in exactly five episodes - and not for much of them at that - and in that time they were either having sex or fighting over Tara’s deception. She has now disappeared. Tara and Naomi’s relationship seemed to exist more to show sex and provide Tara with conflict than to be an actual relationship. All of these sex scenes feel even more gratuitous than the majority of the straight sex scenes because they add precious little to plot, story, development or any relationship - they’re there for the sake of the sex.