Quality 5.0 / 5.0 (highly recommended)
Gay Inclusive? Slightly – One mention of a minor gay character
Gay positive? Very – I love how the gay content is handled

Unusually, in this case I think the sequel outdoes the first book, though it’s close. The sheer creativity, wit and cleverness in this book combined with the engaging writing style make this a pleasure to read.

The novel is a mystery or crime drama, set in an alternate reality where Dodos have been re-created and people travel internationally by means of Gravitubes that go through the center of the earth. A branch of the government deals specifically in time-travel-related crimes.

And, most importantly, books have their own reality, and it’s possible for characters from, say, “Great Expectations” to enter the “real” world of the novel, and for the protagonist Thursday Next to travel into works like “Jane Eyre” or Poe’s “The Raven.” Hence Miss Havisham from “Great Expectations” is actually a major character in Fforde’s novel.

Someone is trying to kill protagonist Thursday Next by using coincidences. Yes, you read right. Death by coincidence. Fforde injects a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor into his work, and there are several laugh-out-loud moments along the way.

The main weakness to the novel is the pacing and plotting – what is ostensibly the main plot seems to take a backseat to the many subplots, so it sometimes feels like the story is just drifting. I enjoyed reading this novel, but I didn’t find myself reading it breakfast, lunch, and dinner as I do when a book is totally gripping. Still, this is a minor complaint on my part, given that the characters are likable, the humor agreeable, and the ideas engaging, and I award the novel high scores in the “Quality” category.

As to the gay stuff…. the author mentions once that the Thursday’s brother (named Joffy, a minister in the Global Standard Deity Church) is gay, including a reference to Joffy’s boyfriend. The scene is a delightful riff, as Joffy and his boyfriend must keep their relationship secret because the boyfriend’s employer looks down on its employees associating with… clergymen. This is the only gay content in the whole book (hence the very low rating in that category), but I love the way it’s handled, so I give it full marks on the positivity scale.

Overall Quality 4.0 / 5.0 (entertaining, if light, read)
Gay Inclusive? Moderately – two secondary gay characters
Gay Positive? Very – both characters are well-rounded and important to the story

Okay, yeah, I have to admit – the plot is nothing new. Mysterious Monster Makes Mayhem; Sassy Star Saves the Day.

Specifically, the vampires are up to no good – a newly made vampire possessed by a demon begins wrecking havoc on the Mercy Thompson’s small community. It’s up to her, along with her werewolf allies and lone vampire friend, to figure out what’s going on and put a stop to it.

Once again, with textured characters and a involving alternate world, the author brings the story to life. It says a lot about the characters when they each have their own minor concerns that almost rival the main story for interest.

For example, Mercy’s gay werewolf cowboy friend (whew!) Warren returns. At one point, he’s wounded by the Big Bad of the story; and certain members of his pack – sensing weakness in a guy they never really cared for because he’s gay – try to take advantage to knock Warren from his position in the pack. It’s a relatively minor thread, but the relationships (good and bad) that exist between these characters possess a vitality that keeps me turning pages as fast as I can.

On the other hand, the fact that subplots nearly eclipse the main story doesn’t speak well of the main story. Considering Briggs’ inventiveness in her world-building, it’s a bit of a let-down to find the central plot to be relatively formulaic.

Nevertheless, Blood Bound was an immensely entertaining and enjoyable read with an exciting climax and meaty denouement (an improvement over the first book’s conclusion). A great read for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

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See also my review of the first Mercy Thompson book, Moon Called.

Overall Quality 4.5 / 5.0 (fun, engaging story)
Gay Inclusive? Moderately – two secondary (but important) gay characters
Gay Positive? Very – both characters are well-rounded and fully fleshed-out

A supernatural (or urban fantasy) mystery adventure. Mercy Thompson is a sassy, free-spirited, and no-nonsense walker – that is, a shapeshifter who can transform easily from human to coyote, thanks to her Native American heritage. She lives in a world shared by werewolves, vampires, witches, and the fae (fairy spirits, ranging from gremlins to ogres to mythological monsters).

She has an uneasy but generally congenial relationship with the werewolf pack next door. In fact, she finds herself torn between the pack’s Alpha (Adam), and a former werewolf flame (Samuel). The romantic triangle is not resolved in this book – in fact, it’s not resolved until the end of Book 3.

The romance takes second place to the main story – a mysterious attack on Adam’s pack that leaves Adam on the verge of death and his (human) daughter Jesse kidnapped. Who would perpetrate such an attack? And why?

Briggs brings a lot of strengths to the book, including great characterizaton and a well-conceived alternate universe in which magic and supernatural creatures are real. The world-building (seeing how the supernatural elements fit into the “real” world) was just as interesting to me as the main plot. Briggs even manages to work a little social commentary into her world-building. The fae, for example, have recently been outed to the public, and most of them have been moved onto reservations.

Gay-wise, Adam’s pack includes a gay werewolf named Warren (who was a cowboy before he was turned), and his boyfriend Kyle. They are close friends of mercy’s, and both of them are sensible and helpful fellows with meaty parts in all three books.

A brief explanation why I included the negative stereotypes of heterosexism and gay without agency. The werewolf world is apparently even less accepting of gays than the normal world, and apparently Warren had a hard time of it until he was finally welcomed by Adam. Well, a harder time of it, because some of Adam’s other werewolves still do not deal well with him. It’s great that Adam is not prejudiced, and it paints his characters nicely, but it’s frustrating to see a gay man requiring a popular straight man’s “approval” to be accepted by the rest of the group.

I don’t weight these factors heavily, however. Yeah, I would have preferred if gayness were no big deal in the werewolf world. But even so, Warren and Kyle are two great characters, and Briggs (through protagonist Mercy) clearly cares about them. Major kudos to Briggs for writing them into the story, making them such great characters, and giving them some substantive scenes.

Story-wise, a minor complaint: the story weakens near the end. In part to increase tension, and in part to conclude the novel’s central mystery, the plot becomes convoluted and twisted as it winds to a conclusion. It’s a little hard to follow, and it throws the novel’s pacing off. Still, the author manages to end the book with a bang, and how’s this for a recommendation: I finished the book and immediately went out and bought the next two.

Overall Quality 3.5 / 5.0
Gay Content 5.0 / 5.0
Gay Positivity 5.0 / 5.0

The makers of Dante’s Cove apparently took my advice from my comments on Season 1. First, they decided to take the show less seriously and just have fun with it. Second, they managed to introduce some quality changes that improve the overall texture of the show. The result is a welcome transition from sub-par entertainment to full-fledged supernatural gay soap opera.

The central relationships and conflicts still take center-stage: Ambrosius (William Gregory Lee) undergoes a welcome modernization and now goes by “Bro.” He’s desperately seeking to overpower Grace and win (perhaps “conquer” would be a better word) Kevin, whose relationship with Toby (Charlie David) has hit rocky times.

Van (Nadine Heimann), meanwhile, finds she has an affinity for magic, and her desire to learn more both alienates loved ones and leads her to the company of an erstwhile villain.

Season Two also introduces some new elements.

• The acting from virtually everyone has improved. We’re not talking Oscar material here, of course, but it’s like most of the actors used the break from the show to take a few classes.
• Adam has been recast with an actor with more on-screen charisma (Jon Fleming), and he consequently has a meatier subplot this season, including a rather bizarre love-hate thing with Bro.
• A bit more lesbian action, which makes the show more accessible to a wider audience. Plus, I like all the lesbian characters. They’re fun. Especially the newest cast addition:
• Thea Gill as Diana. I love every moment she’s on screen. She brings a wonderfully quiet, understated quality to the role which provides a nice counter-balance to the histrionics of the other characters. She’s also deliciously mysterious: she has a secret connection to both Grace and Bro. I look forward to seeing more of Diana.

Most Improved Role: Tracy Scoggins as Grace. Yeah, she’s still sporting that ridiculous British accent, but she’s toned it back a little. She’s also toned the character back a lot, thank goodness. She’s no longer the Melodrama Queen, but is slowly growing into a fully fleshed-out character. She displays greater vulnerability and breadth of character than in the first season. I wonder if I’ll start rooting for her.

Most Awesomely Villainous Villain: No winner. I can’t actually tell who the bad guys are supposed to be. Grace seems to be drifting toward the “good side,” with Bro heading into the dark side of the Force. But Bro is an inconsistent character, sometimes wicked, sometimes comical, sometimes wooden, sometimes natural. I guess he’s the main villain, and maybe his villainy just hasn’t matured yet. The show also gives the impression he’s just a really good guy at heart, such as one comical scene where the ghosts of two children tell him there’s still good left in him. In truth, this show is begging for an awesomely villainous villain.

Most Enjoyable Gay Wish Fulfillment: Watching Kevin cry over Toby. Kevin is the hot young thang who comes to Dante’s Cove in pursuit of Toby. But, he’s not quite ready to fully commit, until his own actions threaten the relationship and he faces the prospect of losing Toby. What a fun way to vicariously experience a hot boy so into his boyfriend that he gets all emo and goes to length to keep his man. Runner-Up: Bro seducing “straight” boy Adam. But because, to my mind, the relationship is non-consensual (Adam is under the influence of both narcotics and Bro’s magic), which lends an ugly edge to their “romance.”

Quality 1.5 / 3.0
Gay content 5.0 / 5.0
Gay positivity 4.75 / 5.0

I want to love this show. I really do. I’m a big fan of fantasy and the supernatural, the cast members are smokin’ hot, and it’s gay gay gay! They don’t hold back either; there were moments I wasn’t sure if I was watching a TV show or softcore porn.

I tell myself, this show doesn’t need a coherent plot – it’s got a dueling witch and warlock. It doesn’t need acting – it has man-flesh in spades! It doesn’t need quality writing – it has melodrama!

I can’t help but compare this to Third Man Out, the mystery starring Chad Allen. These shows are both productions from Here! TV. I loved Third Man Out – it was such a high quality production with unabashed gay characters. It’s exactly the kind of gay-themed television I want to watch. Dante’s Cove has the second part of the equation (up-front gay characters and relationships) but not so much the first.

The way the scenery gets chewed, I wonder if they have to replace the sets each episode. Tracy Scoggins (as Grace) can’t decide which accent to use, William Gregory Lee (the warlock Ambrosius) tries so hard to be menacing, Gregory Michael (the protagonist Kevin) spends most of his time in a trance or walking around like a zombie, and Charlie David (Toby, Kevin’s boyfriend) looks perpetually befuddled.

If you were to tell me that the people involved in the show (on camera and behind the scenes) formerly made porn, I’d believe you. Really. Just look at their names. Gregory Michael. William Gregory Lee. Charlie David. All their names are first names! And that spells p-o-r-n!

I’m actually not sure at whom to aim my most serious criticism. Is it the writer, the director or the editor? The show falters most when trying to build up the suspense. Better acting would help, but the more immediate culprit is poor pacing.

This show sits at an uncomfortable fork in the road. Right now, it’s like a bunch of porn stars decided they wanted to do legitimate TV. I’d be a lot more receptive if the show didn’t take itself so seriously and went the route of a supernatural dramedy. Or the show could take the truly suspenseful path and allow the relationships and dramatic threats to develop organically. The latter option would require higher quality acting, writing, and direction, however. Perhaps the show will mature into it.

Yeah, I’ll continue to watch to see how the show evolves. Despite my criticisms, the show is kind of fun in a fluffy way, there’s some great eye-candy, the special effects are surprisingly good, I like the music, the show is totally gay positive, and many of the actors do show promise of growing into their roles. Besides, I love seeing gay cinema busting down the door into yet another genre, and you don’t see any other gay supernatural thrillers out there on TV, do you?

Here’s hoping Dante’s Cove gets either more serious about its premise, or less so.

Overall Quality 4.0 / 5.0
Gay Content 1.5 / 5.0 (minor bits)
Gay Positivity 4.0 / 5.0

An incisive and biting look at the Hollywood industry. As with most of Stiller’s films, the humor is hit or miss, but fortunately hits the spot more often than not.

The film begins with several fake trailers which introduce the film’s characters.

• Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), a fading action star who’s hoping to reinvigorate his career with a new war movie
• Jeff Portnow (Jack Black), a drug-addicted comedian hoping for critical success
• Alpa China (Brandon T. Jackson), a musician and actor who has parlayed artistic into commercial success through merchandising
• Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey, Jr), a method actor so serious about his craft that he literally loses himself into his roles

The film benefits from inspired casting: each real-life actor is pitch-perfect in their portrayal of a troubled on-screen actor, each haunted by his own demons. (Downey deserves special mention: he’s just amazing in the role.) In Tropic Thunder, they come together to make a Vietnam-era war movie. In order to achieve greater verisimilitude, the overwhelmed director Damien (Steve Coogan) deposits his actors (Tugg, Jeff, Alpa, and Kirk) in the middle of a real war zone. Hilarity ensues.

Satire too. I’m baffled by the disability advocacy groups who have decided to protest Tropic Thunder because of its use of the term “retard” and its portrayal of Tugg Speedman playing a mentally-challenged man (Simple Jack) in an effort to win an Oscar. That subplot is the single most cutting indictment of the Hollywood machine in the movie; the whole point is how Hollywood exploits everything from minority groups to tragedy in order to make money and win awards. If anything, Tropic Thunder is staging its own protest of the misuse of such groups of people.

As Stiller says, “It’s sort of edgy territory, but we felt that as long as the focus was on the actors who were trying to do something to be taken seriously that’s going too far or wrong, that was where the humor would come from. [The joke is on] actors reaching for roles in terms of hopefully winning awards” (1)

Much has also been made of Tom Cruise’s over-the-top portrayal of amoral executive and financier Les Grossman. It’s definitely a departure for Cruise. I found the role to be a little one-note, but no one can deny that Cruise really throws himself into it.

The movie contains a couple of items of gay interest. First, one of the actors turns out to be gay, which then leads to a chuckle-worthy cameo at the film’s conclusion. I’m delighted to report there are no negative gay stereotypes and no negative reaction to his inadvertent revelation. In fact, one character just says, “Hey, everybody’s gay sometimes, this is Hollywood.” Another character (who’s in an, um, amusingly difficult situation, then offers all kinds of sexual favors in exchange for assistance). It’s unfortunate that the gay actor is closeted, but it’s arguable that’s just the satire making another comment on the Hollywood machine. On the whole, I’m impressed with this bit of gay inclusion.

Second, one of the fake trailers advertises a fake movie called Satan’s Alley, a Brokeback Mountain-style movie set in a monastery. Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus and Tobey Maguire play two monks falling into a forbidden relationship. I’m slightly less amused at this portrayal. Seriously, did they have to call it Satan’s Alley? What’s up with that? But the trailer is also obviously another satirical snap at Hollywood, and Downey and Maguire are pretty amusing in the spot.

Overall, recommended as a smart, funny, and entertaining satire.

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(1) Access Hollywood, “Disability Advocates Call For ‘Tropic Thunder’ Protest, Stiller Responds,” 11 August 2008, http://omg.yahoo.com/news/updated-disability-advocates-call-for-tropic-thunder-protest-stiller-responds/11875 (retrieved 1 September 2008).

Overall Quality 3.5 / 5.0 (recommended)
Gay Content 4.0 / 5.0
Gay Positivity 3.5 / 5.0

The Curiosity of Chance is an 80’s flashback movie. The titular character Chance, played by Tad Hilgenbrink, has transferred to a new international school in Europe (his father, Chris Mulkey, is apparently stationed overseas). Chance must defend himself against the bully jock (Brad, played by Maxim Maes).

Yeah, the film suffers from several weaknesses that prevent it from truly shining. Most of the characters are completely one-note, and the plot is both contrived and meandering. “Edge of Seventeen” (1998) did this genre with a deeper, more moving script. (As a side note, Hilgenbrink bears a striking resemblance to Chris Stafford in “Edge of Seventeen“).

A couple of minor twists help: Chance is already out, and his father’s reaction is repeatedly unexpected. I kept expecting his military dad to fall into stereotypical “No son of mine is going to be a fairy,” but he never does. Refreshing.

On the whole, I like this movie, though. It’s entertaining and pleasantly positive. Tad Hilgenbrink is fantastic: he carries this film. He breathes life into a cardboard character, and he has the absolute best sense of comic timing of anyone in this film.

I also like Brett Chukerman as good-guy jock Levi … or maybe I mean I like looking at Brett Chukerman … He ably imbues his character with crucial likability, but he did stronger work as Marc in “Eating Out 2″ (2006).

Having said that, Chukerman’s character represents a great and innovative twist in the movie. The viewer spends most of the movie wondering if he’s gay, and if he’s going to get together with Chance. For myself, I was torn.

On the one hand, I like the idea of a really cool straight jock who’s totally gay-friendly. On the other hand, I wanted Chance to get together with the hot jock. I don’t want to give anything away, but the movie tries to have it both ways – and largely succeeds! Some viewers might feel the ending was a cop-out, but I found the ambiguity well-handled.

The Curiosity of Chance is an entertaining and amusing diversion with some really great, and gay-positive, twists. Don’t expect great cinema, but it’s good fun.

Original airdate: 3 February 1999

Overall 4.0 / 5.0 (entertaining; I always get a kick out of the alternate universe episodes)
Gay Content 2.0 / 5.0
Gay Positivity 1.5 / 5.0

Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn), leader of the Ferengi people, is trapped in Star Trek’s alternate universe, where the Federation does not exist. To free him, Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodénchik) must steal and deliver a cloaking device to the Regent of the evil Alliance (the alternate Worf, Michael Dorn).

In the alternate universe, Kira (Nana Visitor) is both evil and bisexual (well, more precisely, she’s a sexual opportunist). She is, in fact, the classic vision of the stereotypical evil lesbian.

Norman Mailer has written that he believed at one time

“‘that there was an intrinsic relation between homosexuality and ‘evil.” It was a time when homosexuality could be used as a plot device to reduce exposition and simplify motivation. To contemporary screenwriters and movie makers, who have much less time for exposition than most novelists, the device still works” (1).

Alternate-Kira is involved in a lesbian relationship with Alt-Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer). Alt-Ezri starts out as a greedy, amoral, and self-serving pirate; but she manages to develop a conscience by the end of the episode. In fact, at the tail end of the episode, she and Alt-Leeta (Chase Masterson) flirt with each other. Alt-Leeta appears to belong to the Rebels, who are the good guys in the alternate universe.

If it weren’t for Alt-Ezri’s change of heart and Alt-Leeta’s presence, I’d really be excoriating this episode! It’s still fairly gay-negative, though.

I have two major complaints.

First, the villainy of the gay characters: Alt-Kira is unrelentingly evil, and even though Alt-Ezri seems to turn a corner, she’s otherwise duplicitous and amoral during the episode. Even when her close friend Alt-Brunt (Jeffrey Combs) is killed, she hardly bats an eye. The story portrays her as a cold, unfeeling bitch.

If there were positive gay characters to counter-balance this kind of portrayal, I admit I’d still probably complain about it … “Oh, that old gay villain stereotype popped up again on Deep Space Nine, I wonder what they were thinking” … but I wouldn’t be accusing them of homophobia.

Imagine that Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) were a gay character but all his story-lines remained largely the same. Since he’s an important, helpful, and occasionally heroic figure on the show, I would have to weigh a single episode utilizing a negative stereotype against seven seasons of positive portrayal. But that positive portrayal isn’t there. The handful of other occurrences of gay themes are either minor or negative themselves.

So we’re left with a show that seems to posit that homosexuality is bad; that homosexual characters do bad things. “Their existence in the evil mirror universe, and the simultaneous absence of positive gay characters in our universe makes an unmistakable statement that same-sex attraction has no place in a positive vision of the future” (2).

Second, the lesbianism does not reflect a genuine effort to be gay-inclusive. The show is pandering to the worst instincts of an adolescent fan-boy fantasy.

The lesbianism is hinted at early in the episode, but only fully revealed with a surprise kiss between Kira and Ezri that is clearly intended to be shocking and titillating. “It’s only intention seems to stimulate the straight-male fantasy of woman-on-woman action” (3).

In my analysis of “The Host” from Star Trek: The Next Generation, I try to look on the bright side. Even though the overall exclusion of gay people from the vision of Star Trek is disappointing and offensive, I appreciate even subtle or minor inclusion as a step forward. But “The Host” aired in 1991. “The Emperor’s New Cloak” takes place two Star Trek series and eight years later. If this is the kind of portrayal the Star Trek franchise is evolving toward, it’s heading in the wrong direction.

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For more posts on all things gay in the Star Trek universe, check out my Gay Star Trek Main Page.

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(1) John Weir, “FILM; Gay-Bashing, Villainy and the Oscars,” The New York Times, 29 March 1992, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE4D81E31F93AA15750C0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all (retrieved 30 May 2008)

(2) David Sinclair, “Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Characters on Star Trek – a 12-year saga of deceit, lies, excuses and broken promises,” 19 October 2003, (retrieved 30 May 2008).

(3) Michael Ricci, “Forbidden Gay Frontier: Where Star Trek Hasn’t Boldly Gone,” AfterElton.com, 20 April 2006, http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/TV/2006/4/startrek3.html (retrieved 30 May 2008).

Original air date: 30 October 1995

Overall 4.5 / 5.0 (a great episode)
Gay Content 3.0 / 5.0 (a major same-sex relationship)
Gay Positivity 4.5 / 5.0 (perhaps the most gay positive Star Trek TV episode)

The Trill are apparently the most sexually open-minded species in the Star Trek universe (see my review of “The Host” from The Next Generation). Still, they have their own taboos.

The trill are a race of humanoids who host symbionts, or sentient symbiotic organisms, in their bodies. The symbionts live for hundreds of years; after one host dies, the symbiont is transplanted into a new one. It is strictly verboten for a joined Trill to rekindle a relationship with someone involved with a former host. The penalty is severe: exile, without the symbiont being allowed to join with a new host when the current host dies.

Trill scientist Lenara Kahn (Susanna Thompson) comes to Deep Space Nine to experiment with artificial wormholes. As the Science Officer, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) assists her. Dax and Kahn (the symbionts) were husband-and-wife under different hosts. As they work together, Jadzia and Lenara fight a growing attraction toward one another. Are they willing to risk exile for their love?

“Rejoined” is an engaging episode that encapsulates the best of Star Trek: the exploration of ideas and cultures through deeply realized characters in whom the viewer is invested. Farrell and Thompson enjoy great on-screen chemistry, and a thoughtful and dramatic script explores their relationship in an organic and suspenseful way.

Neither Jadzia nor Lenara blink at the prospect of falling in love with someone of the same sex, even though the original pairing between their symbionts was heterosexual. Additionally, neither Sisko (Avery Brooks) nor Doctor Bashir (Alexander Siddig) indicate any aversion to a same-sex relationship. The conflict arises because of the Trill taboo against “re-association.”

Of course, I’m sad that the relationship doesn’t work out. I suppose it vaguely endorses the negative cliché that gay relationships never work out. And yes, I wish it weren’t just an anomaly, a one-off situation. It’s a cop out to do a “gay episode” and then never show another open, accepted, well-adjusted gay relationship. In some ways, having a great episode like this just highlights the other disappointments.

But “Rejoined” is still a big step forward. I’m thrilled to see a same-sex romance as a central feature of an episode of Star Trek, wherein the gender of the participants is a complete non-issue, and which leads to Star Trek’s first ever on-screen gay kiss!

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For more posts on all things gay in the Star Trek universe, check out my Gay Star Trek Main Page.

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