The most remarkable thing about the relationship between
Chloe and Miranda on the hit Australian drama The Secret Life Of
Us is not that they are two young women of different racial
backgrounds who fall in love. But rather that this new lesbian
relationship has been assimilated so inconspicuously into this highly
contemporary TV show.
The Secret Life Of Us (TSLOU) is an hour-long drama series
which is currently aired weekly in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
some other European countries. The show is currently in it's 3rd
season in it's homeland, and follows the lives of a group of
flat-sharing 20-somethings living in the Melbourne suburb of St. Kilda.
Last year's second season saw the show cement a reputation
for compulsory weekly viewing, with it's gritty and honest storylines
dealing equally with both the interpersonal and social
responsibilities of it's characters, and their personal quests for
love and happiness. Adding to it's appeal, each episode of the show is
book-ended by some contemplative narration from two of the show's
leading stars (Samuel Johnson and Deborah Mailman)--a nice touch that
gives each episode a "Dear Diary" feel that reminds us that this is
not just a drama filled with characters, but a show that aims to
reflect everyone's personal journey.
But for all the "learning life's lessons"-style introspection, TSLOU
still manages to avoid preaching to it's audience. And whether it's a
frank discussion about sex, or a liberal scene of drug use in a night
club, the program aims to deliver a relatively raw snapshot of modern
life, leaving the moral choices to it's viewers.
The pay-off for gay and lesbian viewers of course, is that the
show is not afraid to depict cultural diversity.
One of the show's writers, Judi McCrossin, is an out lesbian, and
same-sex relationships have been an integral part of TSLOU's
storylines almost from the very beginning. During season one, Alex
(Claudia Karvan) kissed guest character Pandora (Susie Porter), in a
one-off episode that left Alex resolved to the fact that, while
Pandora was not the right person for her, she did not object to the
notion of being in love with another girl. Her best friend, and
another full-time character Gabrielle (Sybilla Budd) agreed, revealing
that her back-history had also included a girlfriend.
But until now, the lion's share of same-sex stories on the show have
dealt with regular male characters, Simon (David Redinnick) and Richie
(Spencer McLaren), who's long process of coming out during Season 2
ultimately led him to break up with his girlfriend Miranda (Abi
Tucker).
When Season 3 commenced, advertisements for the show
promised a brand new, and somewhat unexpected same-sex storyline--this
time dealing with a lesbian relationship. Enter Chloe, a new character
played by actress Nina Liu, a Chinese-Australian. After initially
being introduced as a guest, Chloe has now become a regular cast
member, as well the first Asian lesbian character to ever appear in an
Australian TV series.
Meanwhile,
regular character Miranda (Abi Tucker) had only ever identified as
straight by the time Season 3 commenced. But her long-suffering
relationship with her now gay-identifying ex-boyfriend Richie, may
have opened her eyes somewhat to her own relationship choices.
Having said that, would it be fair to say Miranda's new
direction is a case of "My boyfriend turned gay, so I'll turn gay
too"? Fortunately, no. Despite the fact that Miranda had never
previously indicated she could be attracted to a woman, Miranda's
budding relationship with Chloe has been dealt with as a completely
independent storyline to the one involving her ex-boyfriend.
And so it
is that we have watched Miranda meet, become friends with, and finally
fall in love with a really wonderful new person, who has arrived in
her life just when she needed it. It just so happens that that person
is a girl named Chloe--a confident, smart, and charming young lesbian,
who herself is longing to finally find someone who won't get cold feet
and back out of a relationship.
Predictably, since Miranda has never dated a girl
before, we follow her inner turmoil over Chloe. But this plays very
well against Chloe's own sense of caution about Miranda. Chloe reveals
early in the season that she has never been able to remain friends
with any of her past girlfriends. And while she likes Miranda, she is
naturally wary of falling for another girl who may only end up hurting
her by being unable to remain in a same-sex relationship for the long
term. This caution actually forces Miranda to take the initiative in
order to prove that her feelings are real.
Miranda is
the one in new territory here. But rather than wooing or influencing
the less experienced girl over to the "gay-side", Chloe's own
pragmatism means Miranda must rise up and take responsibility for her
own feelings, if she really wants something to happen.
This theme flies in the face of your typical "lesbian
seductress" cliche, or the notion that the lesbian is always the
relationship-instigator if the other woman is new to lesbianism, and
is really what gives Miranda and Chloe's relationship a sense of
gravitas. Neither girl is dominant.
Both the
"straight" girl and the lesbian have their own separate, but
reciprocal, sets of entrenched fears and longings. But if they can
face their feelings for one another and meet each other half-way,
perhaps they can give each other the stability they each need in their
lives.
Another important point is that the other characters
on the show have remained almost completely oblivious to Miranda's
concerns about dating another girl. In fact, other than Miranda's best
friend Kelly (Deborah Mailman), who, like a typically giggly friend,
is curious to hear about Miranda's new love life, no one raises as
much as an eyebrow about the fact that Miranda's new lover is a girl.
Is this
realistic? Well, unfortunately, not everyone has such exceptional
friends in the real world. But in portraying things this way, The
Secret Life Of Us once again bypasses any need to preach about
what's right and wrong, or to make antagonists out of the surrounding
characters.
Inner-city
Melbourne is presented as a post-modern culture, and a place in which
homosexuality is no longer a shock to anyone. (In reality, Melbourne
has been described by some observers as one of the gayest cities in
the world.) And the show sticks to it's matter-of-fact feel, allowing
us to concentrate on the real issue facing Miranda--which is not
whether other people accept her, but whether or not she can quit
worrying so much and accept herself.
As time goes by though, both Miranda and Chloe's
fears begin to evaporate. Episode 7 is something of a turning point,
with Miranda still cagey about public displays of affection, as
revealed by the following exchange:
(Miranda and Chloe are at a local bar, planning to see a movie
together, when Chloe gets out a piece of paper with a list of films
she hasn't seen yet)
Chloe: "These are the films I'd like to see."
Miranda: "I haven't seen any of them, so I don't mind."
Chloe (giggling): "So I have to choose now? OK..."
(Chloe touches Miranda's leg. Miranda looks down, and averts her
glance slightly. Chloe notices.)
Chloe (serious and to herself): "Why am I always falling for straight
girls."
Miranda: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry"
Chloe (smiling): "Maybe we can hold hands in the movies. It'll be dark
in there."
Miranda (giggling): "Ok. Gimme a break."
Their ability to laugh off their fears leads to the
next big development in their relationship, where (in the same
episode) Miranda and Chloe are later shown in bed together, and then
seen again (post-sex), with Miranda giggling with amazement about how
nice the experience was. As she later tells best-friend, Kelly
(Deborah Mailman), who is predictably "all ears"..."I'm really freaked
out by it. But I just want to see her again."
The producers of the show have also, perhaps wisely, avoided labeling
Miranda's sexuality. It's not until Episode 11 that Miranda and Chloe
finally face the issue and even use the word "lesbian," at which point
the two are laying on a bed, and Chloe quizzes Miranda about why she
would be ashamed to call herself a lesbian:
Miranda: "Because I'm not one."
Chloe: "What makes a lesbian?"
Miranda: "Someone who's only ever been with women."
Chloe (intrigued): "Oh? Well then I'm not a lesbian. I've been with
men."
Miranda (thoughtful): "I'm heterosexual." (looks at Chloe) "I just
fell in love with a woman."
Chloe: "And I'm glad it's me."
It's just the sort of conversation that will resonate with anyone who
finds it difficult to define themselves, or who hates labels in
general.
However by the time we have reached this point in the
season, an even bigger issue is already waiting in the wings. Sadly,
actress Abi Tucker had always planned to leave the show sometime
during the Season 3, and her character of Miranda departs in Episode
12. In the context of the show, Miranda is a budding actress, and she
has decided to go to America for an indefinite amount of time, in
order to look for acting work. (In real life, Abi Tucker is leaving
the show for a not too dissimilar reason--to broaden her acting and
her singing career.)
Fortunately, Miranda's departure from The Secret Life Of Us
is handled with the same exceptional care as the rest of her story
this season. Seemingly aware that Miranda's relationship with Chloe is
both a deeply special experience for the characters, and a rare moment
for Australian TV, the producers have kept their love true until the
bitter end, and the departure was anything but sudden.
Miranda
even tries to convince Chloe to either come with her to the USA, or
for them to remain as girlfriends and maintain a long distance
relationship. But Chloe knows this will never work, and when she tells
Miranda the truth, they decide to spend one last night together,
before a truly emotional separation scene the next morning when they
exchange a last kiss, a last hug, Chloe cries, and Miranda leaves for
the airport.
One minor quibble--although they have appeared in
nearly every episode, Miranda and Chloe have never quite been the
dominating thread within an episode. That is to say, their continuing
story has always had less screen time each week than some other
sub-story involving one or more of the other characters in the show.
Perhaps this reflects the limit of The Secret Life of Us's willingness
to feature the lesbians. Or, perhaps more likely it's simply due to
Abi Tucker and Nina Liu taking second billing to some of the other,
higher-profile (in Australia) actors on the show (such as Claudia
Karvan). Whatever the cause, it would have been nice to see even more
of Miranda and Chloe, not to mention a truly Miranda/Chloe-centric
episode. But who's biased? ;)
Nevertheless, we saw quite a lot. And despite another sad ending to a
lesbian relationship, the relationship itself remained completely
true, and was only broken apart by one of life's "hard choices". Chloe
remains gay and very much present on the show, while Miranda has
turned over a new leaf, and may or may not return in the future (a lot
of that will depend on whether The Secret Life Of Us
continues for a fourth season in 2004).
Their story has also broken new ground for Australian
TV--The Secret Life Of Us has now become one of a handful of
Australian shows to depict (even briefly) a lesbian sex scene, and the
first Australian show to feature a gay female character of Asian
decent. What's more, it's certainly the first Australian show to
feature such a long-running same sex relationship between two women,
and certainly one of the most positive depictions of such a
relationship anywhere in the world.
And yet, in the end, the Chloe/Miranda story remains wonderful merely
for it's simplicity--two young women whose paths crossed, and who
found a connection with each other. That's often exactly how love,
regardless of our sexuality, happens in real life. And it makes you
wonder why so many other TV shows still labor under the
misapprehension that people expect lesbian relationships to be weighed
down by angst, or sugar-coated with voyeuristic fantasy, or treated
any differently in general to any other relationships.
