Tag Archives: Netflix

7 Romantic Lesbian Movies For Your Next Date Night

Is it just me, or do most romantic movies ignore the fact that lesbians are a real thing?

Lesbian movies definitely exist, but they tend to be particularly low-budget (come on Hollywood, why?!) and therefore not well marketed.

They do exist, though – and some of them are quite good.

Here are some of my personal favorites. Look for them the next time you go looking for a new film for you and your love.


1. Better than Chocolate (1999) – Available on Netflix

Better than Chocolate tells the story of Maggie and Kim, a pair of lesbians in Canada. Kim is an artistic stud who is very out, while Maggie is an adorable femme who still hasn’t come out to her family yet.

Mayhem ensues when Maggie’s mom finds herself in the middle of a divorce and must come live with Maggie in her “spacious apartment” (that actually doesn’t exist).

Better than Chocolate

This movie explores a variety of different LGBT+ groups, including pansexuals and transgendered individuals, without sugar-coating the hardships they face. Definitely a must-watch.


2. But I’m a Cheerleader! (1999) – Available on Netflix

But I’m a Cheerleader! explores what goes on at a “gay recovery camp” called True Directions. Featuring stereotypical pink and blue colors and such highly-recognizable actors as Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, and even (arguably the biggest) gay icon, RuPaul, this movie is sure to make it into your favorites.
But I'm a Cheerleader

What’s even better is that there’s actually a beautiful coming-out story hidden amongst the campy (pun intended) agenda and the cheesy humor. You’ll find yourself falling in love with the characters and caring deeply about how their individual stories turn out. (Plus, Natasha Lyonne… How can you not love it?)

But I'm a Cheerleader 01


3. Imagine Me & You (2005) – Available on Netflix

Ok, this one might not exactly fall in the lesbian category, as it deals with a woman (played by Piper Perabo) who begins to question her sexuality at her wedding – to a man.

While this may be considered damaging as it hinges on the stereotype of bisexual women being unable to remain faithful in their relationships, it does explore the segment of the gay community who didn’t imagine that they even could be gay until that one person came along and changed their mind.

Imagine Me & You 02

Piper Perabo and Lena Headey give a stellar performance, and their on-screen chemistry is phenomenal. (As a side note, the first time I watched this movie, I was on an 8-hour plane ride with my father… Before I came out. Pretty awkward.)

Imagine Me & You


4. The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1995) – Available on Netflix

Those who watch(ed) The L Word may recognize one of the main characters in this movie as a much-younger Tina Canard – it’s our very own Laurel Holloman, who seems such a good fit to play this young woman.

The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love 03

After falling in love with someone who comes from an entirely different background, Randy (Holloman) finds herself rising above her circumstances in order to chase her true love.

It’s definitely a stereotypical lesbian love story, but that’s not a bad thing when you’re trying to cuddle with your lady, right?

The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love 02


5. Loving Annabelle (2006) – Available on Netflix

Loving Annabelle takes a different approach; this movie tells the scandalous story of a teacher who falls in love with a troublemaker student. Set in a Catholic girls school, there is definitely a huge possibility of things going wrong here – and they definitely do! This isn’t your typical love story, for sure.

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This deals with not only the chaos that is present in most homosexual relationships, but also the particular mayhem that occurs when a teacher falls in love with one of their students. Give it a watch if you’re looking for a different type of drama in your life.


6. 5ive Girls (aka “Five Girls”; 2006) – Available on Netflix

Let me start by saying that this movie is nothing like what I expected it to be. (When you hear about five girls stuck together in a Catholic reform school, as a teenage lesbian, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you imagine there’s going to be a lot of sex. There’s not.) However, if you are a fan of horror movies, this one’s sure to catch your interest.

5ive Girls

Basically, these five troublemakers discover – after being locked into the school – that they have the powers necessary to beat an evil demon that seeks to take their souls. Oh, and one of the girls is actually gay, so that’s a slight perk. Even though it’s not what it sounds like, if you’re a fan of survival/supernatural horror, this movie is definitely going to send you into the arms of your lady for some much-needed “baby-I’m-scared” cuddling.


7. Chasing Amy (1997) – Available on Netflix

“Chasing Amy” tells a different side of the story – what happens when a straight man falls in love with a lesbian, despite constantly being informed that she had no interest in men?

Well, a lot, apparently. Those who don’t feel that sexuality is fluid might be somewhat offended by this movie, as it operates in the principle that our sexuality is ultimately a conscious decision.

Chasing Amy

However, director Kevin Smith touches on these subjects gracefully, and actually explains quite well that there are certain criteria in place for these sexually-fluid points in our lives. If you approach it with an open mind, this movie is actually a bit romantic, although that’s definitely not its main intention.


Overall, these movies represent just a small portion of the movies out there that are made for lesbians (and technically the last two don’t even count as lesbian movies). However, they all warrant checking out, and all are available on Netflix (my search only turned up DVD rentals, but you may be able to find them online through other sources as well).

Is there a lesbian movie you think I’ve left out? Let me know in the comments and I will try to check it out!

‘Orange Is The New Black’ season 6: release date, trailer, cast, and everything we know so far

What’s next after THAT cliffhanger?

Summertime is meant for beaches, pool parties, tanning, vacations, flings, friends, and most importantly, taking a mental break.

However, for us, it means the return of Netflix’s hit show Orange is the New Black .

If you need your memory jogged, the final episode of season five – which played out over three days during a riot – saw 10 of Litchfield’s finest, including Alex, Piper and Nicky, in Frieda’s bunker that had just been broken into by the CERT officers, while the rest of Litchfield’s inmates were loaded into buses and heading to new prisons.

Unlike season five, details of the sixth season have been kept closely guarded by Netflix, until this teaser trailer dropped. Dramatic stuff.

In the sixth season of Orange is the New Black, the ladies of Litchfield are say goodbye to their home for the last five seasons after a riot left the detention centre in shambles.

Now Netflix’s leading ladies are headed to a maximum security jail, where the stakes will undoubtedly be much higher.

Orange Is the New Black season 6 spoilers: What can we expect?

Season five may not have had a major inmate death like Poussey in season four, but there were still the notable deaths of Piscatella (Brad William Henke) in the season finale, while fellow officer Humphrey (Michael Torpey) was also killed off, not from Daya (Dascha Polanco) shooting him in the leg, but from Kukudio (Emily Althaus) blowing oxygen bubbles into his IV.

We certainly know of 10 inmates that have to be back and they are the ones left in the converted bunker in Litchfield at the end of season five.

They are: Frieda (Dale Soules), Suzanne (Uzo Aduba), Cindy (Adrienne C Moore), Taystee (Danielle Brooks), Red (Kate Mulgrew), Piper (Taylor Schilling), Alex (Laura Prepon), Nicky, Gloria (Selenis Leyva) and Blanca (Laura Gomez).

The last we saw of Daya, she had turned herself in for shooting Humphreys, and Polanco is being coy about if she’s in season six. “Daya’s on her own; she just committed a crime [and] obviously that will be punished. You might not see her ever again,” she told USA Today.

Other returns likely include Flaca (Jackie Cruz) and Maritza (Diane Guerrero) who were split up on different buses, Maria (Jessica Pimentel) who helped to release the guards captured during the riot (after betraying Gloria) and Lorna (Yael Stone) who surrendered herself to the guards as she is pregnant.

Away from the inmates, we’ll see the likes of Caputo (Nick Sandow) and Linda (Beth Dover) return, the latter who is still a prisoner after failing to convince the guards of her true identity, while Hunter Emery has also confirmed his return as CO Rick Hopper.

In terms of new faces, Bull star Rebecca Knox has joined as new inmate Tina Swope described as a “tough little thing” by the star. “She knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to get it,” Knox told Seat42F.

If you weren’t impressed with season five, don’t worry, the show’s creator Jenji Kohan agrees as she described some of the season’s plots as “fan fiction”.

“We had lost a bunch of the original writers,” added co-producer Tara Herrmann. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just a new dynamic – people were attached to the characters as viewers, not as creators.”

Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee, has also been hyping up that season six is “different” following the events of season five’s finale. “There’s no up from there. There’s nowhere you can go that’s a positive,” she told Variety.

“So you’re definitely going to see all of the girls trying to figure out how to get out of this rabbit hole they’ve created. Who is loyal to whom? Who is standing alone? Who is motivated by their own personal will to get out of prison? Who lies and who tells the truth? All of that stuff will come out this season.”

But don’t expect a dramatic shake-up in season six as Kohan also confirmed it’ll still be an ensemble show. “It’s gluttony – I like a little piece of this, a little piece of that,” she explained.

New episodes will officially land on Netflix on July 27, 2018.

Netflix’s lesbian comedy ‘Everything Sucks!’ has been cancelled

Netflix has announced that it will not be commissioning coming-of-age lesbian drama Everything Sucks! for a second series.

The series was set in the real-life town of Boring, Oregon during the 90s. It starred Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Luke O’Neil and Peyton Kennedy as Kate Messner.

Luke develops feelings for Kate, but Kate ends developing a crush on Emaline Addario, played by Sydney Sweeney. However, Kate struggles to come to terms with her sexuality, as her father is the principal of the school that they all attend.

During its run, the show earned praise for its lesbian representation. However, some critics said that the show relied too much on tropes, and didn’t develop its supporting characters enough.

The series holds a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its critical consensus read: “A flawed series that ticks off all the nostalgia boxes, Everything Sucks! still manages to tug at the heartstrings.” The site reported that audience approval of the series was 89%.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, one of the executive producers of the show, Jeff Pinkner said: “We’re super proud of the show we made — and very proud that it found an audience of very passionate fans, for many of whom it became an important personal touchstone: either reflecting their current life, or an echo of their own teenage years. We are grateful to Netflix for the opportunity, but are very disheartened we won’t be continuing to tell these stories.”

Many fans were disappointed with the announcement, and took to Twitter to voice their annoyances.

In a promotional interview for the series, Petyon Kennedy said that there’s “barely any representation” of queer teens in high school.

“There’s barely any representation for girlfriends in high school,” said Peyton Kennedy, who plays Kate in the series, to Buzzfeed.

“There’s a bit of representation in older generations, but I think for the teens who are watching it who identify with these characters, they will be able to feel comfort and hopefully acceptance at the end of the show.”

Kate’s love interest Emeline (played by Sydney Sweeney), also voiced how the programme “embraces” love in its many forms.

“Kate knows what she wants and Emaline doesn’t,” Sweeney said. “For Emaline, love is just love. It doesn’t matter if it’s between a girl and a girl or a guy and a girl, so she just embraces that.”

However, it’s not all doom and gloom in the world of renewals, as Netflix recently announced that Queer Eye has been renewed for a second season.

On its renewal, vice president of content at Netflix, Bela Bajaria said: “These series are indicative of what we’re trying to accomplish for Netflix unscripted: working with world-class producers to create the best unscripted shows on television.”

Netflix Casts Ellen Page In New Comic Adaptation Of ‘The Umbrella Academy’

Ellen Page is set to star in Netflix’s upcoming superhero series The Umbrella Academy.

Page is the first to be cast for the adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics novel written by Gerard Way.

The Umbrella Academy follows the story of a dysfunctional family of superheroes. Its estranged members — Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror and The White Violin — will be forced to team up to solve the mystery of their adoptive father’s (Monocle) mysterious death. However, with their clashing personalities and divergent abilities, a teamwork would be a miracle.

The original comic series was critically acclaimed for it’s unique take on superheroes, one that does not showcase them as selfless saints.

According to Variety, Page will play the role of Vanya, the only one of Reginald Hargreeves’ adopted children who has no supernatural abilities. Meek and insecure, the family’s black sheep struggles to find her place in the world.

The 10-episode drama will premiere in 2018, with the pilot script adapted by Jeremy Slater.

Be Sure To Catch Lola Kirke As A Small-Town Lesbian In ‘AWOL’ On Netflix

You wouldn’t think off the top of your head that Lola Kirke would be the intuitive choice to play a small-town lesbian — scooping ice cream at the carnival, fixing cars, signing up for the Army — whose relationship with a married woman gets her swept up into making some big decisions.

However after watching AWOL – the new film from writer/director Deb Shoval which is now streaming on Netflix – you really buy it.

Kirke plays Joey, a young women from a nowheresville Pennsylvania town, who falls in love with Rayna (Breeda Wool).

The two meet at a local carnival and quickly fall for each other but circumstances threaten to crush their romance before it can even begin.

AWOL understands first and foremost that while love is easy, relationships (and arguably everything else in the world is hard). Sometimes what you want and what your environment is able to allow you to have are two very different things.

It’s the mark of a good film that it’s got you as worried about a character’s emotional well-being as much as AWOL has you worried about Joey.

Lena Waithe Captures How Family Dynamics Change When You Come Out In Master of None’s’Thanksgiving’

Master of None  is a Netflix original, which was created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang.

The show explores topics of love, heartbreak, race, sexuality and humour throughout the season but episode eight stands out by far.

Episode eight, Thanksgiving, fleshes out the story of Dev’s friend Denise, played by Lena Waithe, and shows how her family came to accept her sexuality over a series of dinners.

The episode is quietly epic. It starts with a young Dev and Denise in the 1990’s.

The pair begins to learn about minorities at the age of nine when Denise mistakes Dev for being black in front of her mother, Catherine, played by Angela Bassett.

The episode jumps forward to 1995 when Denise decides that she doesn’t like to wear dresses, then to 1999 when she comes out to Dev.

In 2006, Denise finally comes out to her family, which is made up of her mother, aunt and grandmother.

In 2015, the character brings a “friend” home for the celebrations but her family is less than friendly with Denise’s partner.

The following year a different partner joins Denise, Dev and her family for the holidays and it goes even worse.

Finally in the present day 2017, Denise returns with her first date and her family have reached a level of acceptance to her and her sexuality.

The episode is a rarity as it focuses on Denise’s coming out story as a black, queer woman.

The narrative is based on Waithe’s own experience with coming out – something that the star rarely talks about in the public domain because she never “intended to make it TV fodder”.

Yalking to BuzzFeed News, Waithe explained

I never felt the need to tell it. I’m a big fan of telling a story about queer people post-coming-out because the truth is we’re more than our coming-out story.”

However, she decided she would use the opportunity to tell her story after Ansari and Yang were inspired by it.

This will be the one and only time I do this. Let me do it right, let me knock it out the park, because I’m not going to tell that story again.”

“I think it’s revolutionary, honestly, because oftentimes queer women of colour are told to sit down and be quiet and not have a voice. So the fact that everyone has embraced mine, I think, is definitely a wonderful step in the right direction.”

The idea to tell the story of Denise over 30 years of Thanksgivings stemmed from Ansari’s brother and was directed by Melina Matsoukas who previously worked on videos for Beyoncé and Rhianna.

Matsoukas was chosen despite being considered a “rookie” in the television world so that she could portray the black female narrative with more authenticity.

She said of the script,

“I saw a terrific opportunity. I’d never seen a black woman come out on television before.”

The director added that she worked closely with Waithe throughout so it would stay true to her and her character, Denise.

Waithe added that she was overjoyed with the outcome of the show.

“It’s just sort of like very validating when a queer woman of colour speaks up and the audiences respond with a rousing round of applause. I think it’s a beautiful thing, I think it’s a celebration.”

Naomi Watts Is Conflicted In Netflix Psych Thriller Drama Series

Netflix have just released the first look at their upcoming ten-part psychological thriller, Gypsy.

The show stars Naomi Watts as Jean Holloway, a Manhattan therapist with a seemingly picturesque life who begins to develop intimate and illicit relationships with the people in her patients’ lives.

Jean’s insatiable curiosity ultimately sees her skirting ethical lines and blurring the borders of professional reality and personal fantasy, piecing together the fragments of her patients’ admissions while stealthily forging forbidden relationships — some more physical than others – with the people in their lives.

Gypsy is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the first Fifty Shades Of Grey film. It will premiere June 30 on Netflix.

The Official Trailer For ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 5 Dropped And It’s Literal A No-Holds-Barred Riot

The first full-length trailer for Orange Is the New Black‘s fifth season has been released, and if you thought Litchfield had gone completely out of control before, well, you were wrong.

Season five will pick up exactly where the previous season left off, with Daya pointing a gun at corrections officer Thomas Humphrey, surrounded by inmates baying for his blood.

Changes in management in season four led to increased hostility between the correctional officers and the inmates, which led to the death of a much beloved character in its devastating penultimate episode.

Now the latest trailer gives us a glimpse into the aftermath. The spotlight falls on the inmates during their revolt, and they band together to put their platform to use.

Season five of Orange is the New Black premieres June 9 on Netflix. Watch the trailer, below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76uwdsgbUxc&t=5s

Ruby Rose Set To Return For Season Five Of ‘Orange Is The New Black’

After taking some time off the Netflix series to focus on her Hollywood career, Ruby Rose is set to make a comeback for the prison drama’s fifth season.

According to the The Daily Telegraph, Rose will appear sometime in the second half of the season.

We last saw Rose on the show in a tiny cameo role in last year’s season four after a major role in 2015’s season three.

A character arc saw her disappear for season four, but it’s understood that Rose will reprise her role on the show in the upcoming season five, which is set to hit screens later this year.

Ruby does not appear in the trailer for the new season, but it’s understood that her character will appear later in the season and is set to cause a major shake-up for the inmates of Litchfield.

13 Things ’13 Reasons Why’ Gets Right About Being Queer

(Spoilers below.)

13 Reasons Why is impossible to watch. And it’s impossible not to watch.

After high school junior Hannah Baker commits suicide, the whole school is baffled as to why she did it. Well, she left behind 13 tapes to explain why. Each tape is dedicated to a different person – people who were once her friends, people who were once her lovers, people who hardly ever said a word to her – and the part they played in her death.

The result is Netflix’s gritty and painful new show. Viewers are forced to watch her parents go broke fighting an unwinnable lawsuit. Viewers are forced to watch teenage boys grope, insult and even rape female students without any consequences. And viewers are forced to watch, in the show’s most painful scene, Hannah Baker kill herself.

But, as Hannah would say, that’s a story for another time.

Right now, I want to look at the show’s queer characters, and what this painful teen drama got right about what it’s like to be LGBT today.

1. No matter how “liberal” society is, it’s still hard to come out.

Everyone always claims that they “don’t care if you’re gay” and pretend to be super tolerant. I mean, gay marriage is legal now, so the battle’s basically won, or whatever. Right?

But Courtney Crimsen, who is popular, intelligent and destined to be the future President of the United States, despises herself for her sexuality. She got a girl killed because she was too scared to admit to her classmates or herself that she was queer. She knows that she’s likely to be rejected. After all, that’s why 2.8 million LGBT teens in the US are homeless; their families and communities threw them out.

2. Gay parents don’t necessarily make it easy for gay kids to come out.

Did I mention that Courtney has two gay dads? So she has nothing to worry about, right? Of course they’ll accept her. But she faces so much guilt because if she comes out as gay, homophobic people will be able to say that her fathers made her that way, lending credence to the believe that gay parents “corrupt” their children.

3. Reclaiming words is powerful.

Ryan, your stereotypical gay man with a perfect manicure and scrotum-hugging skinny jeans, calls himself a faggot. Hannah, aghast, says that people aren’t supposed to say that word. “Well, I can say it,” says Ryan. By claiming that word, he takes power away from the people who’d use it to hurt him.

4. Yes, gay kids still get bullied.

When Ryan tells Hannah he was bullied, she was aghast (again), believing that in the 21st century, people no longer bully gay people. Tragically, the 21st century is not as advanced as we’d like to believe; for starters, look at the “alt-right.”

The sad fact is that gay kids get bullied way too much. In fact, gay kids probably got bullied right in front of Hannah’s eyes. But sometimes people find it easier to tell themselves that something’s not happening than to actually confront that thing.

5. No, that’s my girlfriend, not my sister.

Gay people could be making out while wearing wedding rings and pushing a stroller. A passerby will still say, “Look at those good friends!”

When machoman Tony comes out to clay as gay to the straight protagonist Clay, Clay is confused – wasn’t the guy Tony was spending all of his time with just, y’know, a pal?

6. Sometimes we need alcohol in order to be our true selves.

Courtney Crimsen has known that she’s queer for a while. But the only time she can express it is after a few too many drinks, when she dares Hannah to kiss her as part of a game. Like many of us, she feels the need to hide her true feelings so that she can use the excuse, “I was drunk. I was just kidding.”

7. Gay people can be racist, sexist and heteronormative.

Courtney is Asian. One of Courtney’s gay dads tells her that she should marry the black character, Marcus, because they’d have “beautiful babies.” This assumes Courtney is straight. This also exoticizes biracial characters. And this assumes that Courtney wants to be a mother. Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you’re not problematic.

8. Straight people assume you’re into them.

During a mountain-climbing trip, Clay almost falls to his death. Tony saves his life. Sweaty and barely alive, Clay sits next to Tony on top of the mountain, and they talk.  They talk about sex and pain and grief. They talk about a girl who committed suicide. They talk about a girl who was sexually assaulted. And Clay is fine with all of this.

But as soon as Tony mentions he’s gay, Clay freaks out.

Tony says his boyfriend is jealous because he and Clay have been spending a lot of time together. “But not like that?” Clay asks anxiously, even though Tony has already made it clear he has a boyfriend. Sigh…

9. Gay people can be religious.

Tony is a devout Catholic. He’s freaked out by tarot cards or anything that vaguely goes against his religion. Yes, gay people can be Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, or anything, really. Faith doesn’t always conflict with sexuality.

10. Sometimes LGBT people feel hyper self-conscious.

When Tony comes out to Clay, he assumes that everyone already knows. And when Courtney throws Hannah under the bus, it’s because she worries everyone will be disgusted with her for being gay. When you’re queer, it’s easy to feel like there’s a Scarlet letter branded on your forehead. But sometimes your sexuality isn’t as big a deal to people as you fear.

11. People still have a fetish for lesbians.

Clay is supposed to be the “good guy” in this story. He’s sweet, he’s selfless, and he’s not a rapist, unlike most guys at his school. But when a photo circulates of Hannah and Courtney kissing, he masturbates to it. It doesn’t matter that the photo was obviously taken through a bush by a stalker, or that the girls wouldn’t want random men to jerk off to their private moment. He does it anyway.

12. You have to come out. And then come out. And then come out.

Coming out isn’t a single choice. It’s a lifestyle. No matter how many people you come out to, there will always be more people who assume you’re straight. When Tony comes out to Clay, you can just see the weariness on his face. Like: This, again?

13. Gay doesn’t look like you think it does.

13 Reasons Why is great because it shows all different types of being gay. Courtney, who is a lesbian, isn’t butch, she’s a straight-A student who spends more time studying and campaigning than she does lifting weights or dreaming about Samira Wiley. Ryan is a feminine gay man, but Tony drives muscle cars, wears leather jackets, and looks straight out of a 50s greaser movie.

Watch 13 Reasons Why on Netflix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JebwYGn5Z3E

Waverly Earp Is the Queer, Demon-Fighting Cowboy You’ve Been Waiting For

Where can you see an attractive girl save the world from demons, wear leather jackets and get into queer love triangles? The answer isn’t just Buffy the Vampire Slayer anymore.

Wynonna Earp has come to your screens. This supernatural Western thriller defies categorization, but it does have two things for certain: It is very feminist, and it is very, very queer.

So who are Wynonna and Waverly Earp?

If you’re a fan of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Flash, Arrow, Luke Cage or really any of the 7,004 comic book adaptations that are on cable these days, then Wynonna is the perfect addition. It’s based on Beau Smith’s IDW comic books.

The great-granddaughters of Wild West sheriff Wyatt Earp (who’s a real guy), Wynonna and Waverly, fight the Revenants, demons spawned from all of the people Wyatt Earp killed. And boy, has he killed a lot. Wyatt and her anti-demon six-shooter called Peacemaker can barely handle all the trouble that comes her way.

Here’s where it gets gay.

Unlike queerbaiting shows and movies, which either merely hint at characters’ queer sexuality or tout a token queer-ish character in order to drive up ratings, Wynonna puts the queer main character front and center. They even flesh her out!

Waverly is openly queer. She even has a dynamic love interest in Nicole Haught, a confident and charming young officer. GLAAD nominated the show for its portrayal of LGBT characters.

Waverly gets her own coming out storyline, but it’s not what you think. She’s openly gay and relatively proud of it, although she’s still wrestling with some demons of her own. But at the end of Season 1, she comes in contact with an ominous black goo that possesses her with something evil. Inverse says, “Fans suspect that it wasn’t something coming in, but rather something already inside of her coming out.”

Queer female protagonist? Check.

Complicated metaphor for internalized homophobia and self-denial personified as evil goo? Check.

Check out the first season on Netflix!

15 Easy (and Necessary) Ways To Practice Self-Care

Self-care is vital.

But it’s hard to tell yourself that it’s vital. You’ll always have another assignment to finish, another job to apply for, another errand run to make – you probably live by the adage “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

If you don’t practice self-care, you’ll burn out. End of story. Human beings aren’t robots. Burnout leads to mental and physical side effects like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Take care of yourself. Here are some easy ways to do so.

Here are some easy ways to do so.

For the body:

  • Meditate for fifteen minutes a day in order to clear your head.
  • Find an exercise that you enjoy, such as yoga, and treat yourself to it.
  • Get a full night’s sleep every night. It will increase your productivity the next day.
  • Don’t be afraid to eat dessert. Sure, you’ve heard sugar is bad for you, but sugar is also delicious, and you deserve to live a little.
  • Drink in moderation. Don’t be afraid to hit happy hour with friends and decompress.

For the mind:

  • Check out all of the new comedies on Netflix and devour at least one episode a day.
  • Take a nap several times a week (or a day).
  • Learn stress-handling techniques.
  • When was the last time you read a good book? Head to a bookstore or read one on your phone.
  • Learn something that you’ve always wanted to learn. It’s finally time for you to learn sign language and improve your contour game.

For your spirit:

  • Create art. You don’t have to splurge on a class – teach yourself from free resources on the internet.
  • Log off of social media when you’ve had enough. Don’t feel pressured to keep up with everything.
  • You don’t have to read the news. For your own sanity, skip it some days.
  • Find a safe space. This doesn’t have to be a community center; it can be your comfy bed or a friend’s apartment. Anywhere you feel at peace.
  • Make time for religion. If religion is important to you, don’t shove it to the end of your to-do list because life is too hectic. Attending a religious service will help you find community and also decrease your stress levels.

Need more inspiration? Here are 134 more ideas.

Kate McKinnon’s New Role? Driving The Magic Schoolbus

Would you take a ride on Kate McKinnon’s magic schoolbus?

Your favorite ’90s kids’ show is back, courtesy of Netflix’s seemingly endless crusade to resurrect all of our favorite shows and slaughter them.

However, this is one (of few) shows that is actually worth being excited about, if only for its lead star. Kate McKinnon, every lesbian’s imaginary wife (and my future real wife), is reprising the role of Ms. Frizzle. And suddenly twenty-something queer women around the world want to watch this children’s show.

The Magic Schoolbus book series and show taught children about science. In the show, a group of quirky and diverse schoolchildren followed their even quirkier teacher, Ms. Frizzle, on field trips around the world.

But not just any field trips – that wouldn’t be so “magic” now, would it? The eponymous magic schoolbus could turn into a plane, a spaceship, a surfboard or even a blood cell, to take children literally anywhere they needed to go. In one episode, the kids flew inside of a volcano. In another, they time-traveled back to the dinosaur age. If you’re not a Magic Schoolbus fan – or Frizzhead, as I think they should be called – then start with the definitive ranking of all 52 episodes.

So why Kate McKinnon? Of all the comedians in the world, why choose one of the most controversial? By casting SNL’s first openly gay cast member, Netflix runs the risk of upsetting the homophobic parents of children all around the world. (After being exposed to Kate McKinnon playing Ms. Frizzle, all of the female children will most certainly grow up to become gay.)

However, casting a queer woman in the role isn’t new. Ms. Frizzle was originally portrayed by Lily Tomlin, an openly gay comedian. Although Tomlin didn’t come out during her reign as Ms. Frizzle, rumors had been swirling about her sexuality since the 1970s.

Even before McKinnon was cast in the role, Magic Schoolbus fans had decided that she was a lesbian. For some reason, they decided to ship her with Mary Poppins. The Internet runs amok with Ms. Frizzle/Mary Poppins crossover fanfiction, for reasons unbeknownst to the natural world.

If you’re in the mood for a lot bit of nostalgia and a little bit of queer subtext, then tune into the show when it airs later this year. A date has not yet been announced.

Premiere Date For ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 5 Has Been Revealed In This Awesome Teaser

Orange is the New Black left us with a giant cliffhanger at the end of the fourth season, but we will soon be able to find out what happened inside the walls of Litchfield.

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Season 5 will be released on Netflix on Friday, June 9.

Breaking away from the past traditions of the series, Orange is the New Black‘s new season will take place across the span of just three days. All 13 episodes will be contained in this timeline, so it should be quite the juxtaposition from the past seasons.

It would stand to reason that these three days will likely follow the events of last season’s cliffhanger ending, with Litchfield in the midst of a full on riot.

Netflix’s New Sitcom ‘One Day at a Time’ Gets It Right With Coming Out Story

This year, Netflix has rebooted the classic Norman Lear sitcom One Day at a Time.

The 13-episode first season focuses on three generations of the Cuban-American Alvarez family: mother Penelope (Justina Machado), grandmother Lydia (Rita Moreno), kids Elena and Alex (Isabella Gomez and Marcel Ruiz), plus hangers-on like Penelope’s boss, Dr. Berkowitz (Stephen Tobolowsky) and their landlord Schneider (Todd Grinnell).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNFFleycS8k

In the same vein as Lear’s classic sitcoms (All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford & Sons, and the original One Day at a Time), the reboot balances laughter with an approachable social commentary.

The first season explores sexism, immigration, veteran’s rights, and has an honest coming out story that takes centre stage.

Penelope’s 15-year-old daughter Elena is a headstrong star student who loves railing against the patriarchy, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and starting composting programs at her high school.

Over the course of the first season, Elena gradually comes out to her family.

In episode seven (Hold, Please) we learn that Elena likes girls, but she isn’t sure how to tell anyone in her life about her sexuality. When she finally does in the 10th episode (Sex Talk) it’s a beautiful moment of self-acceptance and joy that she can share her identity with her mom.

While coming out stories on television or film are often a best or worst case scenario, Elena’s coming out process is more realistic.

Her family doesn’t immediately know all the right things to say or do, but they try. When she does deal with rejection from a family member, she’s confident enough in herself to cope.

Stories about queer women, much less queer teens of colour, are still rare on TV. Even after being introduced, many LGBTQ women characters are shunted to the side or killed off.

Elena’s story is, unfortunately, still the exception on TV. She’s the kind of character of which we need to see more.

Jessica Jones’ Carrie-Anne Moss On What It’s Like Playing The Show’s Lesbian Lawyer

When Jessica Jones debuted on Netflix towards the tail-end of last year, it was (rightfully) praised by just about everyone.

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10:  Krysten Ritter filming "Jessica Jones" on March 10, 2015 in New York City.  (Photo by Steve Sands/GC Images)

While some were eager for more episodes of the show (the Marvel series is just 13 episodes long), its first season featured a heart-warming female friendship, it centred on abuse victims getting justice for the crimes committed against them and it also gave us lesbian lawyer Jeri Hogarth.

Jeri Hogarth’s inclusion in Jessica Jones was monumental and not just because she’s the first lesbian in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Hogarth is also noteworthy because she’s not perfect and in fact, for most of the series, her actions make her largely unlikeable.

But after the show’s villain (Kilgrave) mind-controls Hogarth’s ex-wife Wendy into giving her a thousand cuts, you might just feel sorry for her. Or, she’ll give you something to debate at least.

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During the TCA press tour, AfterEllen asked Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays Jeri Hogarth, whether it was Hogarth’s “morally ambiguous” character that drew her to the role:

Yeah, I was just excited about playing an interesting woman, right? An interesting character. And I loved that there was no cliché. I hate characters that are a clichéd or an idea. And ultimately that’s my job to not play it that way but the writing–it can be written that way. So that was very clearly put to me, it’s a human story and not any cliché.”

Moss also revealed her surprise when she read the script and found out that Wendy would be killed:

That was kind of like “Oh!” Because I kept kind of thinking maybe they’ll get back together, you know? That Jeri was leading with sex and maybe she’s gonna find–”Oh my god, what did  I do? Take me back!” I kept thinking that in my mind.”

While Moss also calls her character “honest”, “fierce” and says that that “she’s not bullshitting anybody”, the actor wouldn’t reveal her wishlist for Jessica Jones season two, explaining that she “wouldn’t want to limit myself by my thinking”.

Unfortunately, we have no idea when the second season of the show will be released or even filmed, as another Marvel/Netflix show, The Defenders, is also in the works. Watch this space.

Mark Your Calendars: ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Season 4 Premiere Date Announced, Teaser Released

YES! Netflix have revealed the first teaser for the upcoming fourth season of their original series Orange Is the New Black, and the release date.

The Emmy-winning drama series’ fourth season will premiere on Friday, June 17, so get ready to book some more time in Litchfield!

They’ve also released a fantastic new trailer, which is filled with shots and sound bites from the first three seasons and a few NEW clips of blushing bride Morello (Yael Stone), people in riot gear, and a distressed Red to set up what lies ahead.

The video also teased Taystee’s future, showing her wearing a suit jacket over her jumpsuit, and rocking a wide grin as she sat on the phone at what looked to be her own desk.

Tape, staplers, and other supplies can be seen clearly labelled as belonging to Taystee, as the inmate happily chats on the phone.

Watch the trailer right here:

Orange, centering on a group of women in a minimum-security federal prison, also stars Taylor Schilling (Piper), Uzo Aduba (Crazy Eyes), Laura Prepon (Alex), Kate Mulgrew (Red) and Laverne Cox(Sophia).

This year alone, Netflix are going to spend over six billion on original programming, including both already running TV shows and brand new content.

Season four of Netflix’s hit Orange Is the New Black returns to the streaming service June 17.


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‘Master of None’ is the Diverse Comedy Show of Your Dreams

Let’s not beat around the bush: Hollywood has a huge diversity problem. From whitewashing existing characters of colour and all-white cast ensembles, to shows that are tragically heterosexual, there are a lot of deep-rooted problems in Tinseltown.

But, helping to challenge that is Netflix.

And while the streaming service may not be able to ‘diversify’ the problem singlehandedly (nor should it embrace diversity solely for that reason), it’s a blessing for those who want their media content to more closely resembles and resonate with them.

Case in point: Master of None. After falling in love with Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation and with his various stand-up comedy specials, he has now co-written a half and hour comedy show for Netflix that focuses on, pretty much all of the things that may be relevant to you and your interests.

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A good example of that is the episode “Indians on TV” in which Aziz (as New York-based actor Dev) accidentally gets a racist email from a studio head prompting an insightful and very funny conversation about how television studios won’t put more than one minority in anything for fear of making it an ‘Indian show’ or a ‘black show’. It also touches upon the use of make up changing an actor’s ethnicity as we have white actors playing characters of colour (or even light-skinned people of colour playing those with darker skin, e.g Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone in the upcoming movie, Nina)

Another good shout is “Ladies and Gentleman” in which Dev’s girlfriend Rachel, his friend Denise (who is black and a lesbian) clue Dev and Arnold (another member of their friendship group) in on what’s it like to live in the world where men are constantly ignoring women or outright treating them badly.

And there’s the episode “Parents” where Dev and Brian take their parents to dinner to learn about their immigrant stories and how they came to America.

While these would be Very Special Episodes on any other show, with Master of None it feels organic and, well, normal.

As a woman and/or as a person of colour, these are absolutely conversations that have been had at some point and because they’re written with knowledge and empathy it doesn’t feel like you’re being sold a storyline by someone who typed ‘feminism’ or ‘immigration in the 1960s’ into Wikipedia.

Perhaps Master of None can lead to another conversation there, not just about seeing characters like yourself, telling stories you relate to, on TV but for studios to embrace that behind the camera too.

For example, just like in the show, Aziz’ parents (who play his parents in Master of None too) emigrated to the States from India and the fact that Denise is gay (a character whose sexuality, by the way, is an important part of her identity but is never played off for laughs) is because out writer and comic Lena Waithe told the team behind the show what she’s really like, stories of her life, and Aziz and Alan [Yang who co-wrote the show with him] asked “why shouldn’t [Denise] just be gay?’”

Overall, it’s a very funny show that’s highly relatable for about 501 reasons. All 10 episodes of Master of None are currently available on Netflix so go and watch that right now and cross your fingers that it gets another season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bFvb3WKISk

Sense8’s Freema Agyeman Opens Ups About Leaving Her ‘Comfort Zone’ For Lesbian Sex Scene

Former Doctor Who star, and one of our favourite queer characters from Sense8 Freema Agyeman has opened up about leaving her ‘comfort zone’ while filming her first nude lesbian sex scene.

Sibling directors Lana and Andrew Wachowski (Bound fame) created the acclaimed Netflix series Sense8 earlier this year. The story focuses on eight individuals around the globe with a psychic connection

Not only was the show written by a trans* writer, but it also features an openly trans actress Jamie Clayton, who is in relationship with Agyeman.

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Speaking to the Big Issue, Agyeman opened up about the role – which featured a lesbian sex scene complete with a rainbow sex toy – and the show’s progressive trans and sexually fluid storylines.

The Wachowskis have always been massive heroes of mine. It was a significant chapter in my career on so many levels, playing a part that was so far out of my comfort zone.

It scared me in so many ways – it was my first American role, my first nudity, my first real love relationship. The pressure to convey that emotion authentically was a huge challenge.”

However, though the sex scene initially intimidated her, the actress added:

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Once you take your clothes off and dive in it’s strange how quickly it becomes comfortable. Fear is just a word.”

She added:

My inbox is flooded with people expressing gratitude, which blows my mind. I feel so honoured and proud to tell a story that people feel is truly representative of them in an area that’s so lacking in television.

There are a lot of channels that would argue they have LGBT relationships but we’re not talking about touching on it and moving on, it’s about fully exploring it.

Netflix is out there dancing to its own drumbeat. I can feel a momentum shift. TV is becoming so much more complex than it once was.”

Read the full interview via the Big Issue.

Marvel Introduces Its First Queer Leading Character

The first episode of Jessica Jones doesn’t go public until November 20th — and though we avoid major spoilers, you should turn back now if you want to go into the series knowing nothing.

So, a few days ago Marvel and Netflix dropped a bomb on New York Comic Con on Sunday when they offered up a surprise screening of the entire first episode of the highly anticipated Jessica Jones series.

It was also confirmed that the new show gives the Marvel Cinematic Universe its first lesbian character – attorney Jeri Hogarth played by Carrie-Anne Moss.

Moss, who probably remains best known for her work in The Matrix films, is playing a gender-swapped version of the male character Jeryn Hogarth from the Marvel comic books.

Hogarth is a high-powered lawyer who hires the titular Jessica (a super-humanly strong private eye) to serve a subpoena to a heavily guarded club owner.

While the women discuss the job during a late-night phone-call, a young woman slinks up behind the glamorous Jeri and begins nuzzling and nibbling her neck.

Just a few scenes later, we find out that this encounter is an affair, and that Jeri’s cheating on her female partner.

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It has also be reported that eponymous hero Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is bisexual or sexually fluid, with hints of a previous relationship with best friend Trish ‘Patsy’ Walker (Rachael Taylor).

Later in the episode, Jessica is in need of cash and, after dark, drops in to see Trish. Neither character says it outright, but the brief interaction heavily implies that they used to be a romantic item.

There’s talk of how Jessica used to discuss her most closely guarded emotional struggles until she pushed Trish away, there’s a palpable and melancholy attraction in their gazes, and there’s a sweet surrender to financial kindness on Trish’s part that is usually reserved for concerned former lovers.

This is seen as a big deal, considering that every Marvel movie thus far has featured a white straight male lead.

To date, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never shown us openly gay women. Indeed, the only depictions of non-straight characters in Marvel’s shared universe have been a recent episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that reveals a bit player to be gay and a regrettable, Blu-Ray-only short feature that shows Sam Rockwell’s Iron Man 2 villain alluding to having sex in prison.

Unlike those minor beats, Jessica Jones‘s queer relationship scenes are clearly integral to the internal lives of major characters, and are not played for laughs or for shock value. They’re sad, sweet, and subtle.

A Netflix series, of course, is a far leap away from a blockbuster film, but still, progress.

The new show is also raising eyebrows over its frank portrayal of sex in general, especially noting that Marvel TV and movies are generally pretty sexless.

Jessica Jones hits Netflix on Nov. 20.

Netflix’s ‘Sense8’ Gets a Second Season

Sibling directors Lana and Andrew Wachowski (Bound fame) created the acclaimed Netflix series Sense8 earlier this year. The story focuses on eight individuals around the globe with a psychic connection

Not only was the show written by a trans* writer, but it also features an openly trans actress Jamie Clayton, who is in relationship with former Doctor Who actress Freema Agyeman.

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The drama, which also explored the concept of gender and sexuality – featuring not only a trans character, but also a trans* women in a lesbian relationship – has been renewed by Netflix for a second season.

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Netflix confirmed the news, tweeting: “Birthdays are just the beginning. #sense8 is reborn.”

Netflix has not officially announced the plans to a press – but given the service’s usual model, the show is expected to return next year for another run of 12 episodes.

The show stars Aml Ameen, Bae Doona, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Ángel Silvestre and Brian J Smith.

 

OITNB’s Laura Prepon Gives Possible Season 4 Spoilers About the Fate of Alex Vause

Orange Is The New Black fans – if you’ve not finished watching series three then LOOK AWAY NOW.

OITNB star Laura Prepon has given a bit of a clue about Alex Vause’s fate following the finale of the prison drama’s latest run – although she’s not revealing too much.

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Alex’s. Alex was fearful throughout Season 3 that Kubra (Eyas Younis) was going to have her killed after she ratted on him. And she had every reason to be scared! Alex previously witnessed first hand just how cutthroat Kubra could be when she watched one of his employees kill another.

Also read: No Way, Laura Prepon Reveals She Was Almost Piper, Not Alex

While Piper (Taylor Schilling) thought her beau was just being paranoid, it turned out that Alex was right to fear for her life. Kubra’s employee/hitman Aydin (Juri Henley-Cohn) had snuck his way into the prison, acting as a correctional officer. The two came face-to-face during the finale in the gardening shed.

However, Prepon has offered some kind of hint she’ll be back in for season four.

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She wrote: “Glasses… Eyeliner… Badge… excited to get out there and make an awesome season for you guys! #season 4 #alexvause #Oitnb #bestfansever (sic)”

But does this mean Alex is alive? Either Piper’s ex could be returning to Season 4 for a flashback or this photo means she survived her encounter with Aydin. But perhaps Aydin wasn’t there to kill Alex at all. Maybe Kubra sent his right hand man there to break Alex out of Litchfield. After all, Kubra always seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for the brunette beauty!

Fingers crossed!

This ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Teaser Will Make Your Day (Video)

Tomorrow is the day that Orange is the New Black hits our Netflix screens. And in the much hyped lead up, Netflix has dropped another teaser for Season 3 – excited?

In the new season, the depressing realities of prison are the subtext—but often only the subtext—of storylines played for laughs.

Piper’s lover Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) is despondent about finding herself back in prison, only to have her agony assuaged by love and hate sex.

Even-tempered Poussey (Samira Wiley) is so bored and lonely that she’s on the verge of alcoholism, which is staved off by some hijinks involving a raccoon and a shenis.

Also read: OITNB Featurette Hints at Ruby Rose’s Love Triangle With Alex and Piper (Must Watch!)

Former evangelical meth head Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) and the butch lesbian Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) are so ostracised from everyone else, they have turned to each other, birthing a charming odd couple friendship in which they riff about whether or not Pennsatucky needs to brush her new, porcelain teeth.

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The new season has its share of bittersweet and even painful moments, but as new prisoner Lolly (Lori Petty) says upon arrival, “This place is amazing!” before adding, “We got off the van five minutes ago and we haven’t heard anybody scream. The walls are so clean!”

Friday can’t come soon enough.

 

No Way, Laura Prepon Reveals She Was Almost Piper, Not Alex

Orange is The New Black star Laura Prepon, who plays sexy Alex Vause in the series, has revealed to Rolling Stone she initial looked to play Piper Chapman.

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They weren’t even casting Alex yet; they were only casting Piper, and I knew that I wasn’t exactly right for that role, but I didn’t care. I was a huge fan of Jenji Kohan, so I went in and auditioned. Then a little bit of time went by and Jenji’s like, ‘I can’t get you out of my head for Alex Vause.’”

So, did Prepon identify with Piper, even though she had already felt connected to Alex?

It’s funny; when you look at both characters, I definitely identify more with Alex. When I talked to Jenji later, she told me, ‘You know, with Piper you’re worried she’s gonna get her a** kicked in prison. When I look at you, I’m not scared about you getting your a** kicked.’ Not to say that Taylor [Schilling] would get her ass kicked, ’cause I think she’d do okay. But Alex is Maleficent-like, sexy, sassy — she can definitely looks like can take care of herself. She’s not getting her a** kicked.”

Prepon added that being a part of a show comprised mostly of women has been a completely different experience for her.

There’s a lot of us. I normally hang out with guys so when I actually got this show, all my guy friends were like, ‘Wait, it’s you and a bunch of women? What are you going to do?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know!’ ”

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Prepon’s character was absent for a lot of Season 2, as she was released from prison. But, going into Season 3, Alex and Piper will both be back at Litchfield, and new cast addition Ruby Rose is rumoured to come between the ladies.

Orange Is the New Black premieres June 12 on Netflix.

Spoiler Alert | Three Key Details Leaked at ‘Orange is the New Black’ Red-Carpet Premiere

Only a few weeks left before Orange is the New Black season 3 premieres on Netflix, cast and creators were out in force over the weekend at the at Netflix red-carpet premiere of the third season.

After the screening, the principal cast and creator Jenji Kohan stuck around for a Q&A at the Dramatist’s Guild of America. They discussed the premiere and the themes at play in the season to come, and dropped more than a few hints about what fans should expect.

Before we delve too hard into the spoilers, here is a quick recap of what we already know:

We found out last October that season three is going to be at least in part about an exploration of faith.

 

Orange is the New Black‘s book author and show consultant Piper Kiernan said in an interview.

One of the things that Jenji Kohan has said about season three already on record is that an exploration of faith is a big part of what she is planning and what they have scripted so far….[the new season] holds some really amazing stories and twists and turns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njy0dFFlpAc

And while the trailer shows a very disappointed Alex, “OITNB” season 3 updates reveal that it will certainly get hot in Litchfield as a steamy Alex and Piper scene is underway. The sex scene will not be anything new to fans of the show, but knowing how Alex and Piper have seesawed in their relationship, it will be something to watch out for, spoilers teased.

Australian actress / model Ruby Rose, will play a sultry inmate named Stella. Stella turns out to be a love interest for both Piper and Alex, so, if you thought that that particular drama wouldn’t return with a vengeance, think again.

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We also already know (and can celebrate the fact) that Jason Biggs is not returning to the show. Larry has long been the most-derided part of OitNB, and his departure brought cheers from all across the internet.

Pornstache, another character fans of the show most love to hate, is not going to be in season three, as actor Pablo Schreiber already signed to work on another show. Pornstache’s mom is going to be a character, though, and she’ll be played by Mary Steenburgen.

As far as new information, here’s what we found out at the DGA unveiling. According to Kohan,

[Season Three is] lighter than season two, it’s a season of faith, it’s a season of motherhood, it’s a progression of everyone’s stories. I think we get deeper into our characters and we meet people….It’s very important to me to play in both [comedy and drama] because I don’t think anything is all serious or all humorous. I remember watching dramas and thinking when there was no humor or no comic relief that they didn’t reflect any sort of reality because there’s no such thing as life without humor. (But) you need a dramatic spine to hold it together.

Expect to see more of four actors – Adrienne C. Moore (Cindy Hayes), Selenis Leyva (Gloria Mendoza), Nick Sandow (Joe Caputo) and Samira Wiley (Poussey Washington) – who were upper to regular during the past year. Season 3 goes upstream June 12,”

To the frustration of fans everywhere, Kohan did not state whether Vee lived or died at the end of season two. In fact, she only addressed the question with quiet smiles.

Orange is the New Black debuts at 12:01 on Friday, June 12.

‘Orange is the New Black’ Has Changed the Way We Look at Female Prisons, Says ‘Orange’ Actor Lauren Gómez

Prison, as many former or current inmates will tell you, is a horrific place. The idea behind it is that prison will reform or change a person for the better and help them make good choices; avoiding the sorts of bad choices that landed them there in the first place. That’s how prison is meant to work.

However, in the United States, prison is synonymous with big business and by 1994, prisons were able to amass profits of over $1 billion with all of that money generated by hard labour. The US incarcerates more people than any other country in the world (including China, which has three times the population of the United States) as this labour is such a revenue driver for so many companies – prisoners will be paid around $2 an hour, eight hours a day, to send that money to their families.

Other mistreatment is on the cards too, including sweltering or horrid living conditions, abuse (both physical and verbal) from the guards and more. But few people were talking about any of this until a few years ago when a show called Orange is the New Black debuted on Netflix.

Speaking to Bustle, actor Laura Gómez who plays Blanca Flores on the show, explains why the show is so important:

It’s brought all these topics to the table about the treatment of women in prison; about the justice system; about how unfair sometimes the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I know it’s fiction, but it’s kind of reflecting a little bit of reality… We’ve seen how the treatment of the inmates goes and there’s not necessarily the right treatment to make these people fit into society when they come back from their time in prison.

We’re bringing them back to prison, that’s what we’re doing. We’re not helping them come back and be active and helpful to society again. So it’s kind of a circle that’s not really working for our society at all.”

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Additionally she explains why the show has had such huge success:

There’s a hungry audience out for real characters like this show has brought and they connect with not only the characters, but the actresses. [OITNB is a] cast of so many nationalities, so many backgrounds and races and just flavors and colors, playing such wonderful real characters and I think it’s been a great thing for the industry to see that.”

There is little doubt that the show discusses some of the most important issues facing women – of all races and backgrounds and sexualities – and we are very happy to see its success continue.

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Orange is the New Black season three debuts on Netflix on June 12, 2015.

 

OITNB’s Yael Stone Talks Season 3 and Which Cast Member is the Best to Party With

Yael Stone plays Lorna Morello in Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, which returns next month.

In hit show, she has a strong accent – a mix of Brooklyn and Boston – but in real life, Yael Stone is an Aussie.

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Talking recently in an interview she opened up about the up-coming season.

We finished shooting last November so it’s been a while, but it felt good and exciting. The stories are getting richer. For the third series we’re exploring this issue of faith and what people put their faith in.”

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Whilst she stayed quiet on how much of Morello we’ll be seeing in the third series she hinted there would be new inmates joining the already huge cast list.

In a loose way, there’s always joy in finding new faces in and outside the prison and we still delight in the older characters.”

Also read: Prep for ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Season 3 With This New Teaser and These Amazing Pictures

The show was nominated for the International award at this year’s Baftas but lost out to True Detective.

I like our status as rebels. You can’t deny there’s an impact Netflix has made. The original content is world class and it’s a real force. It’s making things people are hungry for and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Anyone who follows the cast on Instagram or Twitter will know they like hanging out socially and for a wild night, Stone says there are a few members you need to tag along with.

I mean Samira Wiley (who plays Poussey Washington) and Dascha Polanco (who plays Dayanara “Daya” Diaz) are the ones who want to dance with. But then you’re going to have fun if you go out with Laverne Cox or Lea DeLaria (who play Sophia and Big Boo) too.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLyUlTu4KbI

New Netflix Docu-series ‘Chef’s Table’ Shines Light on Out Chef Niki Nakayama

The hottest show on Netflix right now is not House of Cards or Marvel’s Daredevil, but a new series called Chef’s Table – a show that gives its audience an up-close look at some of the best chefs around the globe.

The binge-worthy six-part season is by filmmaker David Gelb, which invites viewers inside the kitchens and lives of six world-renowned chefs, debuted on Sunday, April 26.  The 45-minute episodes feature chefs Massimo Bottura, Dan Barber, Francis Mallmann, Ben Shewry, Magnus Nilsson and female chef Niki Nakayama.

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Nakayama is a rare phenomenon in the chauvinistic world of Japanese cuisine. Being female, gay and completely unconventional in her approach to traditional kaiseki is just the start.

Talking on Netflix’s first original reality series, Chef’s Table, she says

We do our own interpretation. The food is also very expressive of who I am.”

Nakayama, of N/Naka in Los Angeles, speaks on the topic of being a woman in a predominately male culinary world.  Viewers learn of the pressures of success, how she found happiness through her work and how creating a thoughtful, personal experience for diners is the strongest vision a restaurant can have.

Watch the official trailer of Chef’s Table below:

Lily Tomlin on the Long Road to Being Public About her Sexuality

Lily Tomlin has often quietly spoken about her sexuality – and married her long-term partner Jane Wagner on New Year’s Eve 2013, but its only now she is starting openly discuss her sexuality in interviews.

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Speaking to HuffPo Live, she opened up her life in the transparent closet – joking that “everyone” already knew she was a lesbian.

I was on Carson one night [in 1971], and he [asked if I wanted kids], and I said no… the audience was deathly still. That was a hot subject to bring up to a straight audience. I wasn’t totally forthcoming. Everybody in the business knew I was gay, and certainly everybody I worked with and everything like that.

I just never had a press conference to announce it. In 1975, [TIME magazine] wanted to put me on the cover just for being gay! I was making my third album at the time.”

Also read: First Look At Netflix’s Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin Comedy ‘Grace And Frankie’

However, Tomlin did not agree to do the cover – and kept her sexuality off-the-record until years later.

I wonder if I had come out on that ’75 cover on TIME, if I would have had as long a career as I’ve had. It would have been an inopportune time to make such a grand statement. I mean, Ellen [DeGeneres] didn’t really come out until 20 years later. It’s been a long life… I’ve been really lucky.”

Tomlin is currently working with Jane Fonda on the comedy series Grace and Frankie, which is a comedy drama called Grace and Frankie, which follows long-time rivals Grace and Frankie, who are brought together after their husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married. The 13-part Netflix series, is set to air from May 8.

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First Look At Netflix’s Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin Comedy ‘Grace And Frankie’

If you hadn’t heard, but the glorious Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have a new sitcom coming out on Netflix. It’s a comedy drama called Grace and Frankie, which follows long-time rivals Grace and Frankie, who are brought together after their husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married.

It’ll be relationship hijinks with a twist, starring some of Hollywood’s most respected elder leading lights. The West Wing’s Martin Sheen and The Newsroom’s Sam Waterson play the husbands, who come out to their wives at dinner and reveal they plan to get married themselves.

Viewers will see Tomlin and Fonda’s characters form a tumultuous but entertaining new bond over the 13-episode series, which will be available to view all at once in May.

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