#gigi did that to bette

[lesbianlotties]

starting the season giving problems to the best couples?? whyy would you do that???

[shewholovestoread]

THE L WORD GENERATION Q MASTERPOST

Back when The L Word Generation Q Seasons 1 and 2 aired, I was inspired to write about it and in particular about Dani Nunez and Gigi Ghorbani. But season 3 was such an unmitigated dumpster fire and the awful way some of the characters were handled (cough-Gigi-cough) that I refuse to waste any of my time writing about it. But seeing as so much work (and thought) already went into it, I'm posting this master-list for any who want to go through them.

Gigi Ghorbani on The L Word Generation Q

The L Word Generation Q - Is Dani into Gigi - Part 1 of 2

The L Word Generation Q - Is Dani into Gigi - Part 2 of 2

The L Word Generation Q - Bette and Gigi

Can you please do an analysis comparison of Dani’s growth as a person in her relationship with Gigi compared to how she was in her relationship with Sophie?: Link

Question cause I wanna know your thoughts. On the night where Dani, Gigi & Micah went out, Gigi runs into Bette and I think this is the scene where Bette tells Gigi she isn't enough (correct me if I'm wrong tho) Do you think that's why she confesses to Dani afterwards? As a sort-of rebound?( I dunno… i always found that kinda off, how she moved so quickly from one to the other): Link

how would you deconstruct the "Are you hitting on me?" statement by Dani. Gigi clearly wasn't seeing this coming and was slightly taken back by the upfront question from Dani and when Gigi says no, it seems like Dani is slightly taken aback and confirms by asking "but you are not sure" as if she wanted her to say yes and for things to move in other direction: Link

Have you done the comparison of Gigi and Bette’s date and Gigi and Dani’s non date? If not can you?: Link

The L Word Generation Q - The Bette and Dani Fight

About Dani’s feelings for Gigi and Finley showing up at her house: Link

What did you think of the scene where Dani shows up at Gigi's office & Gigi gives her an excuse but Dani straight up calls her out on it by saying "maybe you just didn't want to see me" Do you think Gigi was surprised by that?: Link

Dani's scene with Nat and Alice.

I hate Rodolfo for the way he treats his daughter. But I can’t help but keep going back to him saying to Dani that he thought she’d end up with someone like Gigi. Do you think it influenced the way Dani viewed Gigi ? Was it something that nudged her in Gigi’s direction?: Link

the scene in Dani’s apartment where she says to Gigi “you sound like Sophie”. With Gigi’s reaction, I felt like she was a little upset for being compared with Sophie. I think it is because she already had feelings about Dani but and the “ex comparison” thing was something she didn’t like a bit. What do you think?: Link

in the scene where Dani tells Gigi she’s easy to talk to and Gigi responds by saying “not everyone would agree with you.” The look on Gigi’s face after Dani says “fuck ‘em” has always struck me as odd. It’s almost like Gigi is surprised by Dani’s response, or wasn’t expecting that reaction?: Link

I want to say that your analysis of GINI scenes are amazing. I'm curious to know if you analyzed the GINI hottest scene from episode 8 of season 2. If you did please send me a link. If you didn’t I really want to know you thoughts about it (the bode language and the other). Also what do you expect from season 3?: Link (Really clowned myself in this one, didn't I?)

I wanted to ask you why Finley seems to be obsessed with Dani. Link

Thinking about how Marja said GINI came to be cause they couldn’t bring in a lot of actors because of Covid and how Dani was supposed to date around…had that happened do you think Gigi would’ve still been interested in Dani? Link

What did you think of the scene where Dani shows up at Gigi's office & Gigi gives her an excuse but Dani straight up calls her out on it by saying "maybe you just didn't want to see me" Do you think Gigi was surprised by that? Cause I personally think she wasn't expecting Dani to come and apologize but she loved every minute of it when she did: Link

How would you deconstruct the scene where Sophie said to Dani “Because I know you” after consoling Dani in Ojai and Dani’s response was a deadpan “Do you?” to that? Link

The other day on YouTube I read something along the lines of "Gigi mentors/mother's Dani too much and she'll eventually get tired of her, what Gigi needs is an equal as her partner not someone that's emotionally immature" What do you think? Do you think Gigi will ultimately get tired of Dani? I'm actually kinda curious cause Gigi herself said that she eventually tires of her partners. Link

I also think one of the main differences between Bette and Dani is that Dani is willing to learn from her mistakes and actively tries to change for the better. I think this was shown in how she went about in starting a relationship with Gigi. We know that her relationship with Sophie started with Sophie cheating on her then girlfriend with Dani and them “fucking in a bathroom stall” the first night they met. Before starting anything with Gigi, Dani actively made sure Bette was okay with it because she knew they were dating/had just broken up at the time. Link

Hey, thank you for all the analysis. Can you do a deeper analysis on the scenes from the time Gigi tells Dani that her feelings have changed to the time Dani ends up at Gigi's doorsteps just before their first kiss. I am particularly interested in the park bench scene. I feel there is a lot of subtext in their conversation. Also, curious on what made Gigi tell Dani about her feelings after Dana's. Curious if you think the events at Dana's influenced her to just go for it. Link

Thanks so much for keeping us alive post end of season 2. Would love your take on the epic kiss in the rain scene in 207! Link

Hey, Thank you so much for every post you have written about Dani and Gigi. Your posts make me appreciate them more and also grateful to have found this corner of Internet where I can obsess over these two. That being said, I have one more question. I am not surprised that Dani is into Gigi. Gigi is super awesome and there to support her in Dani’s toughest moments and common who wouldn’t love Gigi back. I am curious about why Gigi is into Dani? Link

There’s this look on Bette face when she sees Gi and Dani at the bar in the love shack episode (episode 6 I think). I’m curious what you thought of it. Was it - huh, Gigi moved on too soon look? Or something else entirely? Thanks. Link

What do you make about the scene with Bette’s reaction towards Gigi/Dani being close at the bar during the karaoke scene of episode 6 if she didn’t “give a shit about Gigi” and was pretty much done with her by then? Link

Hi, thank you for your analysis they’re good :). What so you think about the it’s LA I’m sure there was traffic scene? Because for me GIGI kind of let her of the hook easy. That was inconsiderate of Dani. I was curious about your opinion for that scene. Thank you :) Link

[semper-legens]

61. Tiny Pretty Things, by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

Owned: No, library Page count: 438 My summary: Gigi, Bette, and June are all reaching the end of their time at the American Ballet Company. Senior girls, this is the time when they will be expected to work the hardest, be the best, and earn the title of prima ballerina. But only one can be prima, and the rest are ready to fight dirty to gain the coveted role. Pranks turn dangerous. Hatred turns bitter. This beautiful sport is about to become deadly. My rating: 3/5 My commentary:

I used to know a lot more about ballet. When I was little, I was fascinated by it - the athleticism of the dancers, the beauty and skill on display. My favourite ballet was Giselle, the story of a young woman driven to death by love, who rises from the grave as a ghost among the ghosts of other unmarried women. As I grew older, though, my interest moved from ballet to musicals, and my knowledge of it faded. But I still retained a vague interest. Which is why I picked up this book, a story of teenage girls in the American Ballet Company and the trials they go through as part of their chosen vocation. While on the whole I wasn't that fussed about the book, I did largely enjoy it, though I'm not sure I'd pick it up again.

The narrative switches between three characters - Bette, Gigi, and June. Bette is an established dancer from a family of dancers, who is also the head Mean Girl of the school and sore at being overshadowed. Gigi is an up-and-comer with a bright personality who worries about being sidelined because she's black. June is a strange, antisocial girl who is concerned with perfectionism and always being the best. As Gigi starts getting soloist parts, the others are jealous and competing with her, as well as dealing with their own issues. Bette has a controlling mother and believes that she should be on top at all times, just like her older sister Adele. June has an eating disorder and is bullied by the other Korean girls at the school, leading to her isolation. And Gigi has a medical condition that makes dancing dangerous, as well as having to deal with attacks from the other dancers that grow increasingly more vicious. The similarity of the plot to Giselle is noticeable, with Gigi and Bette fighting over the same boy, especially given that Gigi's full name is Giselle - or maybe that's just my personal obsession showing.

Ballet is a merciless thing. To learn how to dance ballet, you ideally have to start at a very young age, and even then only have a relatively brief window where you are at your peak and can perform. Competition for roles is fierce, and standards around appearance are stringent. That basically all the girls in this novel have eating disorders is unsurprising - many top ballet schools prize slim people with barely any body fat, and will harshly criticise any dancer who is overweight. Obviously this is dangerous in any person, but particularly in teenage girls. The art is physically demanding and takes a toll on a person's body, with injuries being commonplace. I think this book portrayed all of that adequately. June's eating disorder, Bette's pill addiction, Gigi's increasing paranoia - all of these things are at least versions of real things ballet dancers experience. On top of that, there's the stress and competition. Solo parts are highly sought after, and attacks on soloists aren't unheard of, dramatised here when Gigi has glass placed in her ballet shoe among other things. Also not unheard of is inappropriate relationships between teachers and dancers. Adults in the ballet world grooming their young charges is abhorrent, but it does happen, and we see hints of it here with Mr K, the girls' teacher.

So then why am I so nonplussed by the book? Eh, it's probably because I didn't really think the story was that strong. The mystery of who's hurting Gigi was really obvious considering that we only have two principal candidates, and Bette's an obvious red herring. My biggest problem, though, was that two of the three protagonists just aren't that likeable. I understand and sympathise with their struggles, but I don't think they're humanised enough to keep my interest. The bitchy and cut-throat nature of the ballet world is emphasised again and again and again, to the point where I just sort of stopped caring about anything that happened to these girls. Gigi was the most human for me, by virtue of her doing mostly nothing wrong. And I know, the book's more trying to criticise the culture around ballet and the atmosphere fostered at top ballet schools, showing that this profession is what has chewed these girls up and spat them out, their plight isn't really their fault. Doesn't mean it kept my interest as a narrative, though. Furthermore, the meanness and backstabbing of the narrative starts really early on, we rarely get any moments of levity, and I think that would have made all the difference to humanise these girls a bit more. It's also noticeable that June's tormentor, Sei-Jin, is gay and June uses this against her - so is Will, who blackmails Bette. Unfortunate handling of your queer characters there. But for all that, I have to praise it for one thing - though it's heavily implied, the book never quite comes out and says that June was the one attacking Gigi, leaving the reader to work it out for themself. I like that! It's a nice move, and I really would have had an issue if the last section had been just June narrating MWA HA HA I WAS A BITCH ALL ALONG, so kudos!

Next, a girl's story of fleeing from war.

[colbertt]

Good Lord, I knew the L word finale was going to be bad but I didn’t expect it to be THAT bad. No storyline has made sense this season. No couple had chemistry. No character has DEPTH. Everything was rushed and all over the place. But the final episode, the so long awaited wedding, was a disaster. Firstly, TiBette should have had the most screentime. Secondly, if I knew people were doing drugs and getting laid left and right at my wedding, I’d be pretty pissed. Thirdly, why the fuck was Pippa there? And why the fuck is she now a thing with Sophie? Where are they going with that? Furthermore, what was the purpose of ruining Tess’s character like that? It broke my heart to see her suffer so much this season, I thought it was just gratuitous meanness.

Most importantly, how did this season manage to make me like two of the most mistreated characters, Finley and Carrie? Out of all the characters they are the one that have had the most remarkable devolopment, for the best ofc. They ruined Dani’s character, not only by breaking her up with Gigi (best OG character, hands down), but also by making her so anonymous. What’s her job? They give her a laptop/ipad and she runs with it. She’s everywhere, doing absolutely nothing. Shane? No words, just bitterness. The writers have made it clear: she can’t change, she’ll always be the same womanizer, but hey at least she’s a wonderful aunt! Alice, my beloved, my favourite since the OG, one of the most consistent characters throughout the seasons. Her and Tasha are meant to be, thanks for bringing her back. Bette. Well, I was wildly in love with her in the OG and in the first two seasons. Then, season 3 happened and she became a shadow of who she used to be. I would have loved if they had explored the politician storyline for Bette, it would have paved the way for more interesting and unique storylines. Angie, simply love her. If they ever did a spin-off I would love it to be about her. 

Overall, I just feel deceived and bitter about this season finale which I’m sure will mark the end of this reboot. They had a great opportunity to create something beautiful and valuable for the fans, but it was crystal clear that the writers had no idea what the OG show was about and created something that has absolutely no resamblance to it. I watched it solely for the OG cast (my beloved Jennifer Beals <3) and I’m happy to have been part of this journey. Farewell, The L Word you were a fundamental part of my gay awakening.

[popchoc]

What did you think of the L Word premiere? I was really excited and it turned out to be really mellow. Which isn’t bad, but I think I expected more? Definitely more Dani and Gigi who felt a little off to me?

Oh, The L Word (Gen Q).... is there any show more messy than this one?! 😆 I honestly think it's what saves them, though. This signature messiness. It's something I started to accept overtime, embrace almost, and with me probably many others. It's what you sign up for as a viewer, and that helps this show survive.

Cause it does not deserve to on its writing and plots!

I think they made a big mistake by making that time jump. Season 2 was a build up, working towards so many new arcs and pairings. Season 3 should be the reward of that. I really wanted to see how this new but seemingly real good thing between Dani and Gigi developed, with everything that comes with it - even after finding out their fate. (Plus I needed to see what happened after the arrest; not in some flashback (if we're even getting one), but in real time.

I'd liked to see how Alice and Tom were making it (or not). I'd liked an episode or two focusing (just a little!) on Finley's recovery - just to leave all that behind after that.

I'd even like to see more of the Tina and Bette aftermath (and I don't care for them at all!), as "I love you" "I love you too" "Okay bye (see you in a year)" is the worst writing I've ever seen! 😂

(Or maybe that marriage proposal was? "Will you marry me?" "No I want a baby!" Seruously, wtf was that?! 🤣)

Finally, I did not like how Shane has to be old Shane straight away. I have no clue who this chick everone seems to know is, but it felt to me that she is some big shot and Shane is just used to give her a bit of a story. Not okay...

So yeah, there's a lot to say about this. But it's The L Word, so why bother. As long as it keeps coming with enough worthy moments in between (I did enjoy that scene with Dani and Fin!), i just laugh about everything else.

[treebranchy]

I’m not feeling the L Word this season at all but your posts make me laugh. I thought the exact same thing about Shane and Kehlani like she stood there and did a whole lot of nothing and Kehlani said WOW! your talent>>> lmao plsss. And Gigi and Dani have never done it for me but I didn’t realize how much they added to the show, much like Bette. Idgaf about Tibette but now that they’re leaving I’m like y’all, please stay lol. And I like Sophie and Finely (unpopular af I know😭) but their relationship never gave—they were so good as best friends—so watching that unfold is meh. Tess and Shane are cute but Shane is obviously checked out and Alice doesn’t even have shit going on. I feel like I’m going to give it one more episode and then drop it. Hbu? What are your likes/dislikes of this season?

I'm glad my posts are entertaining lol!

And do you mean Tibette are leaving or Dani and Gigi? Cause I was hearing that it was just gigi only. I don't really keep up with happenings outside of shows.

I'm really only watching because sometimes I just love mess, and the l word (original and gen q) are guaranteed messes lmao. I haven't watched the new ep yet so I can't say what I like/dislike about this season in particular. I will say I am interested to see where the maribel/Micah storyline will go, but I don't really put too much faith into the couples in this show because all of them are always doomed to fail, loool.

I didnt expect to like the dani/gigi pairing but i really liked the way they set it up last season, so ill be sad to see them break up. I didnt mind Finley or Sophie in s1, their dynamic as best friends was great, but they're such a train wreck as lovers! And I agree with you about Shane being checked out. It's clear she's bored in the relationship.

But I guess we'll see what happens!

[tempestbeauregard]

I wish The L Word Gen Q would figure its shit out ffs.

Yunno what i was gonna put my thoughts in the tags but now I'm just gonna put it on all here cause it's a lot.

Like to go from a semi decent season which was 2 to go to this mess in season 3 like what? Who told them a one year time jump was a good idea?

What happened to dani getting arrested? That's jarring to have that happen then all of a sudden a year later oh gee everything hunky dory 'I work as what an assistant to Alice' like what? Like okay w/e

I can understand maybe separating dani and gigi for some drama and have dani have her fuck around phase cause God knows she kinda deserves it after what Sophie and Finley did to the poor girl.

I effin loved Dani and Gigi in the second season their relaintionship was so fucking healthy i was surprised the L word could pull that off to be honest. It was refreshing.

I also understand having bette and tina finally having their send off cause honestly they had their time like hello the entirety of the original show and most of the first 2 seasons of this new one. Like don't get me wrong I love em but they had their time I want to see new characters and new drama. Like they have their daughter have her character go have some fun yunno.

I still love Alice she deserves to find her person after Dana. I have no complaints for Alice her storylines are always fun. That's probably leishas' doing too.

Also keep it up with Carrie, she's eccentric and funny. No complaints from me when it comes to her stuff.

And yunno I do love Tess and Shane but yunno Shane is gonna Shane like its expected at this point I'm surprised she hasn't gone like hey I should be in a open relationship maybe and like maybe tell my new partners I'm not good at being monogamous' but yes drama good for show maybe down the road whatever. Also jamie Clayton could step on me and Id say thank you. That woman is gorgeous she deserves to have amazing storylines cause she delivers. And fuck all the Terfs that said Shane should be with a real woman and she'd never be with a trans woman. Eff Terfs Jamie is a real woman more woman then any of those terfs would ever be. Also I think it's refreshing to have a role for a trans woman that doesn't revolve around her being trans.(not trying to speak for everyone, but I thinks it's nice...anyway)

Don't even get me started on Sophie and Finley. Just bleh their whole thing not for me. I do give kudos for them doing a addiction story line and going there. I'm just not a fan of them. When I watch the seasons over again I fast forward through all their stuff*shrugs*

I also hope that picture in their main poster for the show showing Dani and Finley is just all it is cause if they have Dani and Finlay together I will log off the show and not watch the show anymore cause blech no just no please god. Not all Lesbians have to sleep together!

Anyway thank you for coming to my Ted Talk and sorry for my word vomit.

[melancholytimes]

Dani did you not like understand that Gigi has kids like Nat is gonna be in her life forever. Whyd you let it get so far if you weren't gonna consider her kids

This bar thing is gonna be a problem between them. I can smell it

ALRIGHT Bette and Tina. That's it y'all have one more time.

Jojo does gets a name drop. Lol

Oh Finley foot in mouth disease is strong with you

But clearly this baby thing is bad

[indig-ospirit]

ok i’m a bette defender but they really did something crazy with her in season two. kinda was happy she got her karma there. i just felt bad for dani the whole season. finley too i know she was in the wrong but even during her intervention her friends weren’t even all that nice to her. my favs this season were dani, finley and gigi. can’t wait for season three!

[merelybeing]

What do you want?

This?

[empressofkalumina]

*spoiler*

[deceptacon-tigre]

A minute of silence for gibette sinking

Such a promising ship. Honestly they were worth at least a season and an actual relationship. But you know gen q writers are rushing it to get to Gigi x Dani and Bette x Pippa so they're like let's wrap this shit up doesn't matter that the fandom loved Gigi and Bette together in those first few eps

[thundergrace]

I liked the season 3 premiere of Gen Q more than any other episode of the show so far but the way nothing really sticks is pretty annoying so I’m with you on not continuing. I mean I’ll probably give it two more episodes but I don’t like that nothing seems to change and no relationships seem to matter. It’s not even the drama it’s that anything seems to be up for grabs in a really lazy way? Idk but I also read about Gigi and Bette possibly leaving and as much as I like them I feel like that might give some of the newer cast time to shine so I don’t really mind their exist if it turns out to be true.

Well Gigi is a new character and, in my opinion, she and Dani are the strongest new characters (literally the only smart thing these writers did was put them together) but, yes, Bette can bounce. In fact, all the original characters can just go. I was glad to see them. Like seeing old friends. But they don't change. They don't evolve. WHAT?? WELL let me acknowledge that Bette has apparently done some real work on herself and changed but it's too bad that that was solely for the purpose of putting her back with Tina in a way that would make viewers (and Tina) believe they will FINALLY work as a couple.

I don't remember what my favorite episode was but I think it was a season 2 episode. I think... if the episode where Bette met Pippa and Dani and Gigi kissed for the first time was in the same episode, it was that one :) Gosh, I'm so sad Sepideh is leaving if that's true. Gigi was a wonderful addition and I remember the joy of realizing she'd be a main character in season 2 lol

But yeah, they only build up relationships to tear them down. Over and over until the show ends. Not just that but these premium networks tend to want their shows extra messy. So not only do they build the relationships up to tear them down, they do it in the messiest ways possible.

[tinakennrd]

@rightfights​ said: “that went well.” Gigi x

       tina sighs as she watches her ex-wife and gigi’s ex... whatever alice was to her. at this point, she wonders how on earth they survived without shane as a buffer between them. she shakes her head, sipping at her drink, relatively CALM about the two women clearly engaged in an argument. ❝ welcome to bette and alice’s relationship. they’ve always been this way, aside from the five seconds they dated, and even then, who knows. it’s what happens when you get two incredibly opinionated, stubborn people who refuse to back down in a room together. ❞ a fond smile. ❝ you might want to GET USED TO IT. ❞

[hilmaafklint]

god michael kors really knocked it out of the fucking park this year

[acidglue234]

Is This…Real?

aka the Dani x Gigi analysis nobody asked for

before we get started, i just want to make a lil disclaimer that this is purely a Dani x Gigi character study so i will not be touching on Sophie. this is not to say i think she is blameless. not even close. i just don't feel like talking about her :)

now..

where to begin?

when Dani and Gigi first meet, it’s at a very interesting time in both their romantic (or lack thereof) lives.

while Dani has just gotten out of a long term relationship with a broken heart and trust issues, Gigi has just been kicked out of a throuple and, in trying to ditch her, gets setup on a blind date with Bette, an emotionally frazzled woman who is more interested in chasing down a potential client than Gigi.

neither Dani or Gigi are romantically available, Dani internally and Gigi externally, so when they come together as friends, there is no pressure on either side to be anything more than who they are. there is no judgment. there are no expectations. there is just mutual understanding and a longing to connect. this creates a healthy basis for their friendship, and then eventual relationship, to blossom.

but ultimately, it creates a way for Dani to confront her self-doubt/inability to express herself, and a way for Gigi to find balance in her often tumultuous romantic relationships.

Dani and Gigi are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to emotions and how they express/internalize them. emotional expression vs emotional suppression. while Dani is better at controlling/suppressing her emotions, Gigi is not. and while Gigi is more emotionally expressive, Dani is not.

Gigi leads with her heart.

Dani leads with her head.

logic comes first for Dani.

feelings come first for Gigi.

after Dani’s father is arrested, Gigi helps Dani realize that she filters herself to avoid hurting others. as we’ve seen, when Dani is upset, she doesn’t mince her words and can be very “cutthroat” in the way she expresses herself. and so she’s gotten used to putting a “PR spin” on the way she communicates.

Dani does this because she doesn’t want to be like her father. as Dani’s father constantly created conflict in her relationship with Sophie, it only makes sense that when it came to Dani expressing herself—a trait she shares with him—to Sophie, Dani would shut down instead of being honest. after all, the last thing Dani wanted to do was emulate her father, someone her partner didn’t get along with.

Dani shares that this was mentally taxing for her (as it would be for anyone to cut off a part of themselves and how they naturally express/communicate their emotions.)

in the next scene, Dani admits that a part of her always knew that she and Sophie weren’t right for one another. she wonders how she was able to ignore that part of herself. Gigi agrees and attributes this to self-preservation, but instead of saying “ignore that part of myself,” Gigi says “we lie to ourselves.”

this distinction is important.

not only did Dani filter her form of expression to avoid hurting Sophie, but she also deceived herself in order to avoid the pain of that truth. with that much protection and suppression, Dani eventually built up walls around her which made it hard to let Sophie in and even harder to let her emotions out.

now that this relationship is over, Dani finds herself struggling when it comes to healthy self-expression and knowing when to trust herself after self-deluding for so long.

but in comes Gigi, someone who is very intuitive, in touch with her emotions as well as others’, an open book when it comes to expressing her feelings, a great listener, and a natural communicator.

*swoons*

however, Gigi is so emotionally available that sometimes it could be...a lot.

in past relationships, Gigi tells Dani that she used to “love like that,” meaning she was all in emotionally, probably to the point of no return.

but not anymore.

now she’s more interested in learning from whomever she’s with, giving her partner enough space to work their shit out, and taking enough space to work on her own shit. Gigi tells Dani that she lets things run their course and is just along for the ride. while this might sound nice (as Dani puts it), there is a certain level of disconnect to the way Gigi describes those relationships. there is no fire. there is no passion.

this is further supported when Gigi admits it’s nice for awhile until she gets bored and ends up alone again. from what we’ve seen of Gigi’s relationships, she can be very all-in or all-out. they seem to be fast and passionate or, as Gigi describes, drawn out and boring.

what Gigi’s lacking is balance.

Dani, i believe, helps Gigi find this balance.

Dani puts Gigi in check, holds her accountable for her “shitty” actions, and knows when to slow things down when Gigi wants to go full speed ahead. and where others have misunderstood or criticized Gigi for her affinity to be open and emotionally available, Dani says “fuck em.” by the look on Gigi’s face, this isn’t a part of her that’s often embraced.

but Dani embraces it.

Dani, on the other hand, is relearning how to do something that Gigi is a pro at, and that’s emotional security. Gigi is very good at knowing what she wants, when she wants it, and expressing those feelings without a second thought (it comes so easily to her that she sometimes doesn’t even realize she’s doing it, especially at the wrong times).

but when Dani realizes it, she calls Gigi out on it. and never one to shy away from her feelings, Gigi is honest.

upon first watch, i’m not gonna lie: this interaction confused me. besides highlighting Gigi’s flirt game, i didn’t really get the point of this scene. but upon a few (hundred) more views, i’m starting to get it.

this pattern of asking and affirming continues throughout their friendship.

when Dani says, “okay but you don’t know for sure,” it almost feels like she’s talking to herself. after having lied to herself when something felt wrong, Dani doesn’t know if she can trust herself to know when something feels right. when Gigi responds that she likes Dani’s energy, Dani admits that she doesn’t know what that means, as she's out of practice when it comes to gauging this. but Gigi reaffirms that what Dani’s feeling between them is the energy and that she does feel it. if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have asked.

throughout their friendship, there’s been moments where Dani picks up on their energy. they’re very subtle moments but you can see Dani catch herself (so quick you almost miss it) as she allows herself to feel the emotions she used to suppress, gradually lowering her walls and letting Gigi in.

Dani’s problem is emotional control and letting go of that control. Dani filtered herself to keep from hurting Sophie but she doesn’t do this with Gigi because Gigi has created an atmosphere where honesty and sharing is not only welcomed, it’s encouraged. so where Dani used to bottle up her emotions, she now expresses them. and where she used to lie to herself about her feelings…what does she do now?

now when she's feeling doubtful, instead of ignoring it, Dani faces it. instead of running (literally) away, she goes to Gigi, and they have almost the same interaction from the kitchen scene. Dani feels something between Gigi and herself but doesn’t yet trust herself to know for sure. in asking Gigi about Bette and Alice and Nat, Dani is repeating what she did before. she's collecting information, gauging the situation, and trying to figure out what is real.

"why have you been with everybody i know?"

"i mean, who are you?"

"can i trust you?"

at first, Gigi answers these questions, but then she cuts to the chase (as she’s known to do) and asks Dani what she wants.

Gigi told Dani how she feels so now...it's Dani's turn.

and finally, Dani breaks down her walls, confronts her self-doubt, and lets Gigi in by asking her, straight up, if their connection is real.

this is a question that Dani would have never asked Sophie or even herself in the past. as Dani said, she ignored it. she lied to herself. this time, however, things are different, and Dani is facing her doubts head on because Gigi has earned her trust.

furthermore, when Gigi asks Dani to come in, Gigi learns to slow down as Dani says, “not yet.”

for Dani, this open communication with Gigi of asking and affirming created a safe space for her to reconnect with her emotions. for Gigi, this soft friendship with Dani of baby steps and accountability helped Gigi find balance in a romantic relationship.

this is a relationship with a solid foundation of trust, understanding, friendship, and support. so when Dani asks Gigi if this is real, Dani believes Gigi when she affirms that it's very real:

“it’s what you’re feeling right now.”

thanks for coming to my tedtalk.

writers, please don't fuck this up :)