Ok, so I used to phrase this secret this way:
"I started watching a few episodes because I'm interested in the societal impact and the portrayal of the women"
But, after completing the second season this weekend (when I should have been, you know. out with other live human beings), the semantics have changed:
"I am obsessed with The L Word."



You heard it here first, folks.  I am officially coming out as a fan of a silly, only mildly well-acted dramedy about lesbians (and a token bi woman, and a token straight woman) in LA.  Yes, me, who has sworn off television for years (except for Netflixed "The office" and "Six Feet Under," of course).  I've definitely watched more than one episode in one sitting - in fact, it's made me late to work a few times because I've propped my lids open to watch the whole DVD at once at 3 in the morning.  Yeah, alone...so? 
In my self-defense:  It makes me nostalgic for ye olde "Queer as Folk" days - when I used to secretly watch it on HBO after my family was asleep and shamefully change the channel when I heard footsteps on the stairs - the same days when my mom tried to make me turn off the TV during the episode of "Ellen" where Ellen came out.  For a girl named Ellen, this was a bit of a blow.  
The issue is not that I watch "The L Word" - it's that I make fun of everyone I know for the stupid shows they waste their time on then secretly rush home to my sacred red envelopes - ripping them up in a wild frenzy - searching for just one more episode or special feature or tantalizing picture of Shane...
But enough about me - here's a little bit about the show...
So these 8 or so stunningly beautiful, impeccably dressed, seemingly unemployed women gather at the local gay bar (the planet) to mingle, make bad jokes, make fun of men and bi women, and get it on with eachother.  Drama and mild amusement ensues.  
What I love:  Only one of the actresses in this series is really phenomenal - and that's Mia Kirschner, who plays Jenny Schecter.  This is a dream role (the only role that's really developed or psychological, besides Shane) and she is a dream actor.  What I realized while watching some of the "bonus features," however, is that this woman is just like Jenny, so it's probably not much of an acting stretch.  Whatever her level of invention  - this woman is mesmerizing.  
What I hate:  Several of the actresses are downright terrible, and I won't list them here because that's mean.  
It's obvious that the show is trying to be inclusive of lots of different types of gayness and lesbian-ness (they've featured a drag king) and it also appears that they're trying to use real lesbian extras in many of the scenes at the planet.  However, the weird effect of this in every "crowd" scene is that the main characters are like glittering, sexy jewels in the foreground, and the rest of the scene is peopled with short haired, construction boot wearing dykes.  That's fine, but there's this huge aesthetic discrepancy between the actors and the "real lesbians" - a little weird.  
Also, the first two seasons have featured some terrific guest stars, most notably Camryn Manheim in a hilarious role as a Hollywood movie exec.
So, if you're not convinced yet - here's the most weird and tantalizing thing about the L word (and I haven't been able to dig up any info about this on google).  In each episode there's a lead-in: "last week on "The L Word", etc.  RIght as this segment fades to black and the real episode starts, there is one hidden frame that I recently noticed - and I've seen it in 3 episodes now - the exact same still frame (last three episodes of 2nd season).  I'm not going to tell you what it's of - but it's absolutely freaky.  It also bears some relation to the plot of the series.  
Let's get to the bottom of this.