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The Real Tibette Watch Gen Q – Episode 4
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Tina took the remote and paused the scene. ‘You don’t think she’s beautiful?’
‘Of course she is.’
‘Well, th—’
‘But Fake Bette has seen you.’
‘Oh, come on!’ Tina laughed. Solly rolled onto his back, thinking playtime had arrived. ‘You think my ego is so fragile?’ She rubbed the dog’s tummy. ‘I don’t need that kind of flattery, to be told I’m the most beautiful woman in the world, that’s crazy.’
‘It’s not the most beautiful woman in the world, Tee, it’s the most beautiful woman Fake Bette has ever seen. And we know that dataset. And it contains you. And I do not endorse this message.’
Bette jabbed her finger at the screen, but her eyes were amused. Tina played with the dog and smiled. ‘Okay,’ she said softly, handing Bette the remote and leaning in for a kiss.
‘Okay,’ said Bette. Then she pressed play and the scene played out with Pippa refusing to sign with Fake Bette because, as she put it, You’re one of them now. Meaning that by working for Isaac Zakarian, even merely as a conduit, redirecting wealth and power towards good ends, Fake Bette was no longer on the side of the angels.
‘She can’t argue with that,’ Bette said, taking a sip of iced tea.
‘Nope,’ agreed Tina.
And a minute later they were proved right. Because there was Fake Bette having excruciating angry sex with Gigi.
‘You think she’s thinking about Pippa?’ Tina asked, watching as Fake Bette stripped a large ring off the middle finger of her right hand immediately prior to fucking Gigi savagely from behind.
‘She’s not thinking about anything,’ Bette said.
Her voice was quiet, but her authority to say the words thundered.
***
‘Oh no,’ Tina said a few minutes later, when Tess revealed to Fake Shane that her mom had dementia.
‘Horrific disease,’ Bette said.
Both women’s thoughts went to Peggy.
***
The show ended with Micah letting slip to Finley that Sophie was in Ojai with Dani, which seemed to send Finley directly to the liquor store. Dani meanwhile seemed to suggest to Sophie that they might resume their relationship. Sophie, however, said no.
‘Good decision,’ Tina said, switching the TV off.
‘I still hate her,’ Bette said.
They gathered up their stuff and went into the kitchen. Bette always kept the house tidy, so Tina’s eye was instantly drawn to several shards of yellow plastic laid out on one of the black granite counter tops.
‘He broke it again?’ she asked.
Bette glanced over her shoulder as she rinsed their glasses. ‘Lost a piece this time. I’m gonna try and make something to fit, glue it in.’
Tina looked at the fragments. It used to be a Minions iPhone case, crammed full of little yellow bug-eyed faces. Angie had had it for years, and Ben coveted it, so she passed it on when he got his first phone in the sixth grade. The family could, of course, afford new things but Bette and Tina tried to teach the value of repairing and re-using.
Bette glanced at the readout on the stove. ‘You better watch your time,’ she said.
Tina checked the big kitchen wall clock. Clocks were everywhere in their house. ‘Okay,’ she said, ‘I won’t be long.’
‘I’ll be waiting,’ Bette smiled, drying her hands.
Tina looked at her. One of those moments when she saw her in all her realness. This tall, striking beauty whose exterior was all angles and whose interior was all softness. Bette felt her wife’s energy and almost blushed.
‘You know you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?’ Tina asked.
Bette chuckled. That chuckle. Tina’s hand tightened on the counter as her knees weakened. Still. After all these years.
‘I mean it,’ she said, steadying herself and going towards her.
Bette put the tea towel aside and opened her arms. Tina wrapped her arms around Bette’s waist and laid her head on her chest.
‘Maybe I’ll just cancel that call,’ Tina said after a moment.
‘You can do that?’
‘I’m the CEO, baby, I can do anything.’ Tina felt Bette’s chest vibrate a little with amusement. She drew back and looked at her, and then they kissed.
A full minute later, when they parted, Bette stared at Tina and said, in a super-serious voice: ‘I will not be manipulated by you.’
Tina burst out laughing. Solly gave a full-throated bark. Bette broke into a smile. And kissed her beloved again.
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Hey Largo,
I was writing replies to my own latest chapter update & saw your post pop up.
This was super good!! Excellent post against a very disturbing episode.
Love the way you are portraying the ‘real’ Tibette – they are so loving & honest with each other.
There were many moments in the episode that I found harsh & disconcerting – Bette’s questionable behavior in several scenes, Angie’s out of control behavior & her trying to manipulate both her parents, Shane’s over the top behavior too – she just can’t keep from F ing up her life with her rash behavior. Her honesty though in talking about Carmen was touching.
Alice – even I gotta feel for her right now.
I was surprised that you didn’t have the real Tina respond to Bette’s question as to where she was in the show -“Ask the stupid showrunner’!!!
The analogy with TIbette & Jodie – super smart & you nailed it!!!
Thanks for your wit & talent my friend. I think I was anticipating your take on the episode more than actually watching the episode itself!!!
You get the gold star for the week!!!
See you next week !
Take care & stay safe.
Fully agree with you!
Hello my friend! Sorry for the delay in replying – had to launch right into work as soon as I posted, lol
I love your reply for Tina, re the show runner. Why didn’t I think of that??
I must say, I think I’m letting Fake Bette off with a lot in this one. It’s difficult, because I don’t want the real Tibette to take the stupidness too seriously. They have a beautiful relationship and a great life, so I want to let them enjoy it. :-)
Very interesting that you see Angie as manipulative. There is definitely an element of learned behaviour there, if so. And again, the blame falls on her parents!
Thank you again for reading and commenting. I think I owe you an email too!
Take care and I’ll try and catch up
Largo x
Largo,
Collins hit the nail on the head with looking 4ward to reading YOUR version of each epi more than actually watching the show.
I’m staying hopeful that E5 will be well-written and the long-awaited turning point for the Kennard-Porters. Tina steps up or she doesn’t.
haha, Dumplin, that’s so kind of both you and Collins to say that – it means a lot to me to make anyone happy (besides myself) with my writing :-)
I too have fingers crossed for Ep5……
Very enjoyable chapter….. I wonder why in Gen Q Bette tells Pippa she was the influence who got her into the art world when in TLW it was Allyn Barnes who was the most influential to get Bette into the art world?
Strange script… Sophie and Dani having their good bye sex… lying to Finley about her whereabouts… .and how about Angie setting up a family therapy session to include Carrie…. trapping Bette. And does Bette know why they are going to therapy? Would Bette go into any meeting without knowing the subject? Would Tina?
Anyway…. there is a lot pack into Episode 4 that leave more questions than answers…..
Thanks for the chapter….
Hi Martha! Thanks so much for commenting and reading this one. :-)
Agree about the whole PP/Allyn Barnes thing – drives me crazy, the sheer laziness of these writers and MLR, not to mention JB, who you’d think would raise the inconsistency???
Again, I’m intrigued to see that you also think Angie is manipulating her parents. I think I might be missing this side to her behaviour, probably bc I like her, but I can see it when it’s pointed out. One moment that really jumped out at me was when Bette asked Angie ‘Are you okay?’ and Angie hesitated but then Bette spoke again and the moment was lost. Because *that* is when Bette could have found out what the therapy is addressing, which would relate to your question about going into it blind. I figure they did this For Reasons Of Television, though.
More questions than answers is right! Thanks, Martha. I appreciate your insight and support on these wee stories
Largo
Hi Largo,
Fantastic chapter again!
Collins sais it all, there is one thing that made me wonder too and a part that made me laugh loud!
“The artist and Fake Bette were at dinner.
‘Wait,’ Bette said, pausing the show, ‘she kept the dinner date? After her daughter just saw a therapist, she doesn’t even stay home in case she wants to talk?’ Tina made a ‘yikes’ face. Bette’s eyes blazed. ‘And where the hell are you?’
’Me?’
’Don’t you live in LA now?’
’Maybe I had to go get Carrie’s reflux medicine,’ Tina chuckled.”
Tina maybe had to get Carrie’s reflux medicine, priceless!!!!
I am so happy you write these chapters, it makes you forget for a little while this horrible show!
Oh Bibi, we all need to forget this horrible show, don’t we? Well, at the moment we do. Maybe – MAYBE – if they get B&T back together, there will be reasons to celebrate. But I’m concerned that the uglier and more selfish and nasty they make Bette, the more they risk our not wanting to root for her, and to conclude that she does not deserve to get Tina back. I will resist that, of course, and it might be that Bette’s mother’s story breaks her apart and lets her show remorse, but…… aargh. It’s a tough watch!
I’m glad you laughed at this wee story. I enjoy writing them but all of us writers are howling into the void without you readers and commenters. Thank you so much. Hope you have a good week!
Largo
Thank you for the chapter!
Yeah, i agree – for me 204 was worst episode in all GQ show. I don’t know what was worse – Bette, who leave her daughter in distress only to have dinner with Pippa, Bette who behave like fan schoolgirl around her and not women we know from TLW, or Bette words about “most beautiful woman she ever saw”. yaikes.
I don’t care about Giggi so i probably also don’t care that Bette again used her new “girlfriend” as she used Jodie in s5 of TLW while she thinking about another woman.
And although i onle watch Tibette episodes, but i still though Micah was gay – or not?
Hey Zhenya! Thank you for reading and commenting on this one. :-)
I agree that Bette’s fangirling was utterly toe-curling. Not to mention canonically inaccurate. Allyn Barnes? Hello???? And that ‘most beautiful’ thing was just daft. I sort of put it down to flattery of Pippa, but even then it made me dislike Gen Q Bette even more because she can’t even be honest about art now! God, they really do hate Tibette, don’t they? Awful.
On Micah – he’s been wondering whether he’s ‘just’ gay or actually more like bi or pan, or something that encompasses women as well anyway, bc he fancies Maribel. So he’s on a journey with his sexuality. Hope that helps!
Thanks, as ever, Zhenya. I really appreciate your support. Have a good week!
Largo
Well done, again, Largo. I love the easy flow of the banter, the way Bette wants Tina to set the tone, the way they reassure each other as they watch their Fake Counterparts enact scenes on the screen, the dog in the middle, the cuddling. The comparison of Tina not seeing how in love Bette was during the Jodie time period was spot on, yet another way Marja lacks creativity. Glad you called that out. There is a lot to be said about subtle sexiness and this chapter oozed it. I could feel their connection as I read and for me that is the best part of your writing. Looking forward to your treatment of E5, which is supposed to be pivotal. Be still my Tibette heart.
Hi BK! Thank you so much for the comment and for reading this! :-)
I love Solly too. I don’t have a dog, but if I did it would be a spaniel called Solly (Solomon). I get to have everything I want as a writer, lol
I am so humbled and flattered that you like how I write this Tibette connection. I feel like I learn so much from your writing, because to me you are amazing at writing true intimacy. You get details and verbalisations so precisely, it feels almost like intruding when I read your scenes. Wonderful.
Yes, let’s all gird ourselves for Ep5! I have a crazy work week so I might write a mad, sleep-deprived story next time, lol
Take care and have a good week, my friend
Largo
Largo, thank you for the weekly recaps. I look forward every week to reading the Real Bette and Tina’s commentaries and reactions. Episode 5 promises to focus on the Kennard-Porter family so let’s see what else they can come up to tear the family apart, since the whole co-parenting plot has gone out the window. At least we know Tina is back from getting Carrie’s reflux medication :-).
Hello BAT2012! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you. Hope you’re well. :-)
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on this wee story. I’m beyond delighted if I can bring even a drop of balm to our poor Tibette hearts right now. I agree too that the therapy session will likely wring us out even further, but we hope they’re making an omelette with all these broken eggs, right???
Really appreciate your time and comment! Thank you. Have a good week
Largo
Love these updates. We need Real Bette and Tina now more than ever. Thank you. Will be interesting to see their reaction to Pippa and Carrie. Really looking forward to your version of episode 5. You have struck gold my friend!!! Well done.
Hey Billy, my friend! I hope you are keeping well and thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on this story. :-)
Episode 5 will, I hope, begin to turn this whole thing around. As I said in another reply here, I’m concerned at how nasty they’re making Bette in Gen Q. I understand the arc that takes a character to the edge specifically in order to have them pull back from it, but there’s also a need to preserve their right to get what they want. And they more they cast Bette as selfish, the less she deserves Tina. Unless, of course, they have something in mind to ruin Carrie’s character as well, in which case the formula will run something like ‘Bette’s awful but Tina’s got no one now so they might as well get back together’.
Anyhoo….. We will see! Hope yo have a good week and thanks, as ever, for your support.
Largo
My personal theory is that in real life Marja despises fem lesbians. She has pretty much said it. She identifies with Carrie. I think she plans to systematically try to destroy Bette in the eyes of the viewers. Marja also said Sophie is her inspiration. So cheating is a virtue to this warped mind. She could care less about preserving the legacy of the original series. Even discarding canon. What’s next? Who knows. Thank goodness we gave you.,
Saw you posted a new chapter! I will carve an hour or two out of my insane work week to read it :-)
100% agree with you about MLR. Ugh.
A fun accounting of epi4. I liked the candidness of Angie. Telling Bette that she had gone and seen a Therapist bc she was conflicted and not doing so well.
Felt like although Bette’s face showed the shock of hearing that her daughter felt that she was in trouble (emotionally), Bette believed Angie and didnt try to talk her out of her feelings.
I think Angie was NOT being manipulative by calling Tina and asking that she & Carrie attend the upcoming therapy session because none of the adults know about Marcus failing health right??? Unless Shane shared the convo she & Angie had. I think she really needs wise counsel on whether to test for tissue compatibility, AND IF compatible, then what??
Anyway, upcoming epi5 is make or break as far as I’m concerned. If the Writers & Producers have decided to crap on a Tibette resurrection, then there will zero chance of a meaningful ratings increase.
And for me personally, all motivation to watch is evacuated. We’ve been teased and strung along long enough.
Hi Dumplin! Thank you for reading this chapter and your great comments, as usual! :-)
Interesting that you don’t think Angie was being manipulative. I didn’t think so either, but then I could see how it might appear that way. It depends, as ever on this show, on scenes we’re not shown. What happened when Angie asked Tina about going to therapy? Why didn’t Tina talk to Bette? Why was Angie left to be the one who did that? When Angie told Bette, Bette’s first reaction was ‘I need to talk to Tina’. Why wasn’t that Tina’s first reaction??? So in being left to talk to Bette, of course it looks like B is being bounce into a fait accompli.
Anyway, it’s a badly written show and we know that. But I agree we’ve all been strung along too long. This thing they do – teasing the fandom – is tired and unworthy. If JB and LH love and cherish Tibette as much as they say they do, they’d better not be about to let us down!
Fingers and toes and eyeballs and everything else crossed for the second part of S2 to deliver!
Thanks again for all you comments
Have a good week :-)
Largo
Will “see ya” in the Tibette cloud in a few days. Wonder if we all will be
see you there, Dumplin :-)
Thank-you for this story. I turned the show off and cancelled Showtime in protest, so I am getting the gist of what is happening through Facebook and your story. I am enjoying the Tibette commentary regarding the show. Some of these reviews I am reading makes me think Marja or Showtime is paying them. They find the show to be fabulous and well written, yet the ratings are in the shitter.
Hi Cathy! Good to hear from you and thank you for reading and commenting on this. :-)
I agree the ratings don’t look good at all, and to be honest I was slightly surprised it was renewed the last time, so I’m braced for cancellation. It will be sad if it happens, because it didn’t have to be this way. MLR has been misjudged as a talent and her project is blatantly primarily political rather than artistic – resulting in very poor artistic standards. I just hope someone on the exec team sees the need to position Tibette positively at the end of this season, just in case it’s the last time they’re ever seen on TV. That would at least bring a measure of peace to their fans.
But meantime, we have LesFan! And thank you again for commenting. I’m glad you like these wee stories. They are fun to write and they help me to clear my palate, as it were, of the Gen Q sour taste.
have a good week!
Largo