The L Word

Light My Fire

Season 3, Episode 4, Aired 1/29/06

Episode Summary

While Tina and Helena attend a documentary screening, Bette leaves for Washington D.C. to speak at a Senate hearing and meets with Senator Barbara Grisham. Attempting to provide for both herself and Moira, Jenny puts her dreams of becoming a writer on hold and starts waitressing at The Planet. Jenny and Moira are also invited to a party hosted by Billie Blaikie where Moira meets like-minded people. Meanwhile, Carmen has to decide whether to give up Shane's opening party in exchange for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to DJ at an exclusive VIP party, and Dana plays at a tennis tournament and declares her love for Lara in front of TV cameras.moreless

9.0

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Cast & Crew

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Daniela Sea

Moira/Max Sweeney (Season 3-)
Erin Daniels

Dana Fairbanks
Jennifer Beals

Bette Porter

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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The best episode from the start of the season!

9.4

"Superb"

By marina032, Feb 07, 2006 Report Abuse

Wovh i just liked Bette really much in this episode, well actually i've always liked her but this time it was different.
I love her in New York while talking to his fucking senator and telling him what is un-american: "abject poverty is unpatriotical, the failure of our education system is unpatriotical, lies told by presidents as a justification of wars are unpatriotical.." and how the senator Grisham was amzingly looking at her..yeah senator Grisham..call her Barbara, she was just breathtaking, thank you Dana Delaney, you and Jennifer Beals, like you said "that would have been great" yes really great, I'm sad Bette didn't go for it even if I'm the bigger BT fan, Bette is suffering too much from Tina's behaviour! Give her some good time while Tina is rrr with Josh! So Bette and the senator hot hot hot :) :pmoreless

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Yes, nothing really happened, but it was still good. Not so well put together as the previous episode, but beautiful to watch. Go on to read some random thoughts on the episode ;)moreless

8.2

"Great"

By olvidadero, Feb 05, 2006 Report Abuse

I'm not writing a review of this episode of "The L Word", I just wanted to post some random thoughts on it:

This episode was techincally brilliant, however it was the most boring episode of the season so far.
Some exquisitly beautiful close-up shots (Alice on the radio / Dana and Lara in the mirror) made this episode so amazing to look at. The cinematography and lighting were astounding.
In Tina and Bette's relationship Bette's tipping the balance in her favour. Tina's acting like a selfish biotch, whereas Bette keeps integrity and acts like a lady.
Laurel Holloman is a really bad actress. She can't make any of her lines speak truth. She's just plain bad. Also, I find it annoying how she seems to be close to laughter when she's doing a very dramatic/angry speech.
The congress scene was good, however, I love the political commitment of the show, but just when it's properly fit into the story. This was not exactly the case....and what comes next...Do straight women exist at all? Come on!
Alice is definitely getting better. I like how they're progressively returning her to normal. However, psycho Alice is fun to watch.
Rachel Shelley is the most beautiful woman to hit the tv screen.
I think we all like Lara, she's nice and supportive, I just wish she stopped being a one-dimensional character. Please, since you're keeping her as a recurring character (she's even beginning to be regular) why don't you give her some personality?
That waiter from The Planet was indeed hot. Please let him come back soon so that we can check him out properly.
Billie's party was interesting. I like seeing Jenny in that kind of enviroments, she fits perfectly. It's nice to see writers being brave with Moira's background and storylines in general. I like that.
Kit had one great scene in this episode ("and I'm going through menopause!", hilarious). Still I wouldn't mind skipping to the next one when she appears.
Carmen and Shane's storyline was so filler. Uninteresting.
Helena is becoming a hell of an adorable character. When did she stopped being this bitchy high executive and start being this shy highschool girl? A bit incoherent, but still nice.
Dana's match scene was very well executed, very realistic, extremely well done. However, that kiss was so fake...
Another hint of Dana's cancer. They're making this so hard and slow.
Nothing pivotal really happened in "Light My Fire", in fact, almost nothing at all happened, however, it was another fine example of smart writing, natural dialogues and very good acting.

Best: Jennifer Beals delivering incredible acting. Please give this woman an Emmy now!
Worst: Again, the teaser, pointless, boring.moreless

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I really don't know what to think of this episode. I mean it sure wasn't bad, but it wasn't great also. Lost somewhere in the average. I liked some parts very much, others I didn't like and everything together didn't blow me away.moreless

7.4

"Good"

By dju010, Jan 30, 2006 Report Abuse

I really don't know what to think of this episode. I mean it sure wasn't bad, but it wasn't great also. Lost somewhere in the average. I liked some parts very much, others I didn't like and everything together didn't blow me away.

So to the details:
Dana wins her tennis tournament. Nice, but have you ever seen, the car driving in like that or a player ever kiss his partner on the field? Me: No. So I didn't like the implementation of the environment of Dana's big victory. But I thought that it's interesting, that her mother sat next to her girlfriend. Did I miss something?
By the way it looks a bit cheap to bring her up and let her fall deeper with her cancer. And I think it would be much better, when we wouldn't her about it in every episode. I mean till now it should be clear even to those who haven't read any spoilers.
Bette and Tina are heading in a complete new direction after all. But I don't think it can stand much longer. Sure this time Bette could resist, but next time
Kit struggling with her feelings is nice, but I think we had covered that the last time already. And I still don't know what to think about Billie. Really, I mean he obviously does a good job for the planet, but otherwise he's just digging around.
The congress hearing was amazing, but still it doesn't changes anything in the real world
And by the way what is it with this bisexual senator? Somehow I just thought that it wasn't necessary after all.
Shane opens her new project, it looked like fun, but somehow the feeling didn't swap over to me.
Moira/Max is confusing, but I think that is the way it has to be. I don't think there's more to that.

But after all I hope the show moves upwards again; otherwise I have a bad feeling for the mid season filler episodes.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Deleted Scene: Kit interrupts Billie and the waiter taking care of business! Kit is photocopying papers and talking about Angus making passes at her. She steps into the office -- and walks in on Billie having sex with Felix, the young, incompetent waiter he was eyeing previously. Felix quickly dresses up, ready to leave. Billie asks if he is a vegan and Felix says yes. Kit scolds Billie for having sex with a co-worker and drinking on the job. Billie, on the other hand, encourages Kit to hook up with Angus. Edit
- Opening Teaser: Billings, Montana -- 1984: Pastor Frank leads a group session held by the church to "cure" homosexual men and women. He tells the group that he himself was a homosexual until he found Jesus. The Connection: Pastor Frank has a three-way with two girls. One of them is Sister Agatha from the opening scene of the previous episode. Agatha and Frank form the fourth link in The Chart. Edit
Notes
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- Music Featured in This Episode: - ? by Madrid - Tierra del Fuego by Madrid - Saturn by Othello 9 - Wondres by Madrid - Transcend by Carole Pope - Let It Ride by Othello 9 - Junkyard Dog by Tribe 8 - All Fired Up by Tralala - Elle est là by Ember Swift - Nanny Nanny Boo Boo by Le Tigre - Faites de Beaux Rêves Julie Doiron - Standing in the Way of Control (Le Tigre Remix) by The Gossip - The Weekend by Catlow - Message of Love (ezgirl Remix) by The Pretenders Edit
- This episode was written by Cherien Dabis who is also the writer of The D Word, a parody of The L Word set in New York City. Edit
Quotes
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- Kit: (after Angus kisses her) I'm old enough to be your mother. Angus: Actually my grandmother, but I don't care. Edit
- Tina: Can you pick up my dry cleaning, please? Bette: (to Angelica) And now she thinks because just now she's the one to bring home the bacon that we have to jump through burning hoops. (Angelica whines.) Bette: Yeah, I know. I feel the same way. Edit
- Bette: (to Senator Grisham) I'm sorry. I really don't need any encouragement. You... you are an exquisite woman. And the only thing I want more than you right now is for my girlfriend to want me like you do. Edit
Allusions
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- Dana: (to Billie Jean King, about being a publicly out lesbian tennis player) It was easier, thanks to you. You really paved the way. Billie Jean King was herself a tennis superstar in the 1960's and 70's. She is probably best remembered of the 1973 match against Bobby Riggs, a former tennis pro who quite chauvinistically claimed that female tennis players were inferior to men. The match was dubbed "The Battle of the Sexes" in the media -- and Billie Jean King won it. But what Dana is referring to in the interview is the fact that Billie Jean King became the first openly bisexual athlete in America after admitting in 1981 that she had had a relationship with her secretary. Edit
- Title: Light My Fire Light My Fire is a song performed by The Doors and written by The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. The song hit the top of the charts for the first three weeks in July 1967. It also sold over a million copies and was the first #1 hit song for Elektra, The Doors' record label. Edit