Now that the alleged train wreck aka Season 3 of TLW Gen. Q is over, it’s time to reflect on the magic of “TiBette”, how art imitates life and vice versa.
While the majority of the “TiBette” fandom is still torn between elation regarding #TiBetteIsEndgame and utter disgust for MLR’s creative choices, I want to thank her and all the writers for seeing and honoring the bigger picture. Sure, Season 3 was a wild, often chaotic ride but that’s how you are supposed to find order, right?
And isn’t the world at large currently in a similar crazy state of “disaster” like episode 310? Aren’t we all just actors in the amazing movie called life?
This brings me to my take on the “TiBette phenomenon” that hasn’t lost any of its magic appeal within a time span of almost two decades, first and foremost because of Jennifer Beals.
According to Jewish beliefs, every generation has 36 just human beings who save the world. They are unrecognized by their fellow men and unknown even to each other…
Jennifer asked the universe to let her be part of an epic love story and Ilene Chaiken answered her prayers. It’s widely known that Jennifer gravitated more towards Bette due to the complexity of said character. One of Jennifer’s first moves on what I like to call the “5D chessboard” was to make Bette biracial to honor herself and those who hadn’t seen themselves represented on screen. A huge cultural shift was set in motion by a seemingly “small” change request.
Now the “Yin” needed to find the “Yang” or what Bette would call it in her vows: “The sun at the center of my universe”. Once again it was Jennifer - strongly supported by her lovely dog “Shiva” (God of destruction and restoration; the nothingness that holds everything) - who called the shots, by informing Ilene that Laurel Holloman was going to be “Tina” as they instantly connected. She would later say: “Maybe it’s something karmic; maybe we were meant to play these characters.” It’s also where their unmatched chemistry kicks in.
And this is how the twin flames (TF) soon to be known as “TiBette” have come about (11:11 was their number in the OG dancing competition, which is the TF number). A TF involves two people who share the same soul. Once these TF meet, it results in an intense, magnetic attraction and connection. It’s a pretty accurate depiction of Bette Porter and Tina Kennard, who have been together for seven (number of perfection representing the fullness of life in numerology) years when we first meet and immediately fall in love with them back in 2004.
So much for that, but reality also implies some congruence like e.g., being straight, married, family-oriented, dog-lovers as well as some of Jennifer‘s friends being friends with Laurel‘s friends, but also opposition in hair color (black versus blonde) and character. According to Laurel, there is quite a bit of Bette in her, while Jennifer is in some ways similar to Tina.
In a PANTS Podcast, Jennifer told Kate & Leisha that she had always known that Tina was the love of Bette‘s life. To me, it verified what I had depicted right from the start, and I got confirmation times and again throughout the seasons.
Jennifer is such a gifted actress. I have hardly ever seen anyone acting as nuanced as she does, making the audience literally feel the joy and the pain. There is so much attention to detail, which to me it’s rooted in who Jennifer is. As an explanation, let me quote Annie Lennox: “Us artists, we can hide behind masks, but eventually our true colors always show.”
This is so spot on, especially for Jennifer. Her intellect, sensitivity, integrity and righteousness are always palpable whether it’s Alex Owens, Christina Hart, Dr. Carolyn Tyler, Sarah Winston or Bette Porter. It’s this mixture of strength and vulnerability that bestowed her with an outspoken and loyal fan base.
By playing Bette and Tina with no inhibitions (which requires blind trust), Jennifer and Laurel “teach” the audience what unconditional love is all about. They unlock what so many try to hide for fear of getting hurt and confront us with our own heaven and hell. They show us that indeed, love is the loudest sound.
And by healing us, they simultaneously heal their own “wounds”. Again let me explain in more detail what I mean by that.
Fiction first: Bette loves Tina beyond measure but due to her abandonment issues caused by her mother leaving her when she was still a child, she hides certain aspects of herself from Tina for fear of losing her. Whereas Tina holds all the cards but due to her own insecurities, she doesn’t believe in her own strength and therefore turns to codependency.
However, the elemental force of their love erupts in the last episode of Season 1, a scene that was for many - including me - almost unbearable to watch. I always compare this scene to a similar moment in the movie “Monster’s Ball” where Halle Berry’s character Leticia begs Billy Bob Thornton’s character Hank “to just make her feel good” after a lot of despair. Watching these scenes rips your heart apart because the protagonists drop all their guards for a brief moment of truth.
In Season 2, it dawns on us that Tina must have been pregnant when she learned that Bette cheated on her. Yet, despite the hurt and humiliation, she tells the gynecologist that she didn’t think Bette could handle another miscarriage. As a steady and nurturing character, Tina has always known instinctively what makes Bette tick, just like Angie which doesn’t come as a surprise though.
Those who weren’t fully hooked on the “TiBette” ship yet would be eternally doomed by episode 209’s “No other love” moment though. It’s another beautiful portrayal of two people knowing and loving one another on a soul level.
This brings me back to reality, to the parallels of Jennifer and Laurel.
Laurel gave birth to her daughter Lola in November 2004, almost instantaneously followed by Jennifer who gave birth to her daughter Ella in October 2005. In 2008, Laurel adopted a biracial child called Nala, while in fiction Tina was the birth mother of a biracial daughter.
Bette’s “passing” as white or being “mistaken as Italian” was a recurring topic throughout OG and Gen. Q. I can only speculate on the extent of influence Jennifer had on the depiction of the topic or the scripts but eventually it doesn’t matter.
What matters is the impact on the audience watching and on Jennifer herself. Within the fiction, we learn that nothing is ever just black and white but rather a mixture of various shades of grey and that every story eventually is unique. We have no idea what another person has gone through, yet we are so quick to judge.
Telling these stories through the eyes of a character we love dearly and therefore connect with, set another cultural shift in motion. Once again, it’s Jennifer who is at the helm; voluntarily or involuntarily. But as always, Laurel plays a crucial part on the “5D chessboard” by convincing the self-proclaimed hermit Jennifer to attend L5.
Whoever was among the audience left as a different person. Again, it was a once in a lifetime experience and even though we had to vow back then that “what was said in Blackpool stays in Blackpool”, the footage is now all over social media… which kind of saddens me, even though (or rather lucky us) the footage doesn’t do justice to the spiritual energy in the room. I think we all kind of expected L5 to be very emotional, just because of Jennifer’s presence but none of us were prepared for what was about to erupt.
Most people - including cast members - tend to feel intimidated by Jennifer at first. I guess this happens because of what Leisha once called “built-in stuff”, her bright intellect or her introversion which is often mistaken for aloofness. It’s a mere projection, because Jennifer is just her authentic self at any given moment without being bothered what other people make of it. She is attentive, gracious and sweet; no fuss, nothing.
Her uncontrollable sobbing while telling the audience that she never got to say “thank you” to Laurel was a catharsis for both of them. It unlocked a new potential for them individually but also for their on- and offscreen relationship; in fiction as lovers, and in reality as friends.
When I watched Jennifer in Flashdance for the first time back in 1983, I immediately recognized her “mission” and sensed how special she was. Many years later, she said that she only just realized how sexual the movie is. Well, I’d rather call it sensual, and she obviously set the tone by being in charge, putting the guy in the position of a willingly flabbergasted bystander.
She is a teacher by nature; e.g., removing her bra (I have done that too since I started wearing bras without being taught) or when she tells Nick what it is like to dance in front of an audience. The tears, the tender touches, i.e., the sensuality of the moment gives you butterflies. What this fictional character experiences in the movie, you want to have for real.
Needless to say, that it was also no surprise, that she became an instant fashion icon.
As I said earlier, I sensed her potential but also her “wound”, which she would describe as “defining other my whole life” despite being unapologetic for who she was at L5.
What sounds like a contradiction at first is in fact very real and relatable. In Season 1, Kit suggests that maybe Tina sees what Bette lets her see. This also matched Tina’s initial reaction to the black donor which Dan Foxworthy pointed out to be a rejection of Bette’s identity.
In Season 2 of Gen. Q, it is Angie who tells Bette that due to the tone of their biracial skin they go through the world differently, which causes Bette to sob silently.
This is where Jennifer’s statement, that playing Bette uncovered a strength, she didn’t know she had, comes into play, which is intertwined with what I wrote above.
Among family and friends, it’s easy/normal to be authentic, outspoken and unapologetic but as “other” being part of the entertainment industry - which is very judgmental and superficial - is a whole different story. It doesn’t matter what the “otherness” is all about, it’s just a question of survival in a pool of sharks as you can never know who would use it against you when it serves their purpose. Jodie Foster basically behaved in the same way.
But fear is never a good companion and once we let go of it, the whole world changes. It’s an unpopular opinion, but any form of discrimination or “.ism” is also self-inflicted to some extent, as we tend to seek approval on the outside instead of solely the inside. When another human being treats you with disrespect, it’s hardly about you but them. We are just the reflection in their mirror. To quote Bette: “I am your creation and I’m proud of it!”
There is a French saying: “C’est le ton qui fait la musique”. Flawed Bette Effing Porter awakened Jennifer to her full power, and even though some call it quirky, she calmly and politely speaks her truth. Yes, people may have turned their back on her, but those who already adored her, now love her even more.
The tables have turned thanks to Jennifer Angelic Beals!
Same for Laurel, who quit acting shortly after the end of OG to become a successful painter. For quite some time, she allegedly repelled everything TLW related to grow back to an improved version of herself, who is as comfortable in her own skin, just as Jennifer always has been.
Some people say they can spot snippets of “TiBette” moments in her paintings. If it is true, this may have happened consciously or unconsciously, as the experience of acting is never separate from the artist. We are constantly influenced by our personal and professional life or rather the world at large.
Nowadays Laurel, the painter, who just like Jennifer doesn’t question her sexuality (despite the wishful thinking of certain fans) kind of mirrors Bette’s profession as a galerist, while Jennifer is an executive producer on Gen. Q, which is Tina’s job in fiction. No coincidences…
When Gen. Q got the green light, Jennifer persuaded Laurel to give acting another shot by reprising her role as Tina. She knew that “TiBette” was the real deal, the role model but most of all the heart and soul of a groundbreaking series not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for everyone who has always known deep down that love is the loudest sound indeed.
Jennifer once said that this new generation of young people is going to save us. It’s true, but we were the ones who gave birth to them, who taught them to be authentic/outspoken, and they still look to us for guidance and support.
“TiBette’s” wedding was a perfect depiction of fiction and reality. All the new Gen. Q characters except for Angie aka “G” (Bella’s “G” to Bette’s “T”) are aspects of the OG characters (Dani = young Bette, Sophie = young Alice, Maribel & Micah = “TiBette’s” search for a donor, Tess = Kit and Finley = Shane). Dani - high on “Molly” - seemed like a summary of the fan base frenzy, while the guests represented us, the diehard “TiBetters”, who just wanted to endlessly swoon over a fictional couple that is so real for so many and for various reasons.
And then there are Bette & Tina themselves, frozen in time, post proposing at “Foster’s Freeze” (you can’t make this up), ready for a reboot under different circumstances.
As Bette says to Tina in the end: “I hope one day our friends can feel it too.” I so loved it, because like most of the “TiBette” stuff, there are various meanings due to the different dimensions. This brings me back to “Who killed Jenny Schecter?” Jenny was OG’s narrator and since the series was coming to an end, she literally killed herself, period. It was a genius 5D chess move by the one and only Ilene Chaiken!
Those who paid attention, know what’s to come. Ash Silver involuntarily ruined “the cake” of Season 3, but who cares, when the future is bright?
The heart beats on; stronger, more powerful and passionate than ever. Therefore, it’s time to say thank you to Marja Lewis Ryan and the whole crew of writers for upholding the legacy of the OG, but first and foremost for attributing so much sensitivity and profundity to the old and new characters, like e.g., Gigi.
She intuitively sensed Bette’s “wound”, which kind of “hit home” for herself too. A huge, genius character development in a short timeframe. Bette’s reaction to Gigi asking “if it hurts her to see them together”, was one of the stellar examples of Jennifer’s highly nuanced acting skills. Another is the palpable discomfort you can’t help but feel, when Gigi kind of seductively asks Bette in a later episode, “Do you want this?”, leading to some sort of sexual power struggle. Kudos to the writers and the actresses.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank Jennifer & Laurel once again for their unswerving commitment to the “ride of a lifetime”! Congrats also to Kate & Leisha on being first time directors. They did great, and I can’t thank them enough for making their dream come true by giving Bette the opportunity to go “batshit crazy”. It was about time, and to this day, I can’t stop laughing. The comedic timing of the four of them was picture perfect.
And yes, Leisha is right about Shane at the end of Season 3, but that’s for another time…
I hope that my summary can in one way or another be useful for the cast and crew, but also the global “TiBette” fandom to understand the magic of “The L(OVE) Word”. First, last & forever; the alpha & the omega…
Thank you for reading and much love, Susan
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