Charlie's Angels - 1x15 'Angels on a String'

I'm jumping around, there's a lot more subtext in-between but I just had to do this one first.
***

Oh, the jealousy, oh how deliciously sweet the jealousy is.

It’s official, there’s no doubt about it, Sabrina and Kelly are most definitely girlfriends.

The Angels go off on a retreat to which one of Sabrina’s idols just so happens to be visiting at the same time. This is not just any idol, it’s a intellectual-crush on a Polish Professor in Politics. Kelly playfully, but with a note of frustration exclaims that “she’s got a crush on a sixty year old man!”. Her voice clearly indicates how absurd she finds both his age and gender, and as Sabrina’s ramblings just won’t stop, Kelly simply hits her over the head with a magazine to get her to shut up. It’s all very cute.

Through a coincidence Sabrina does end up sharing a glass of plum brandy with her big idol and gets downright giddy asking him questions about his work. That giddiness then spreads and afterwards she rushes to find her girlfriend. She finds Kelly showing off her rainbow coloured bikini to Jill and quickly grabs Kelly’s hand to get her closer, and possibly to stop her from flashing their friend (just cause Sabrina has a man-crush doesn‘t mean she can‘t get possessive). With a twinkle in her eyes she tells the relaxing Jill and the very annoyed Kelly about her meeting with the professor. Sabrina hands Kelly a single white flower, a gesture that momentarily takes the frown off of Kelly’s face. A frown that reappears and intensifies as Kelly realises the older man have been in “our room”, the our especially emphasised as she looks into Sabrina’s eyes. Kelly clearly does not approve.



[Gay Pride anno 1977]


[A flower for a lady]



Despite Kelly’s dislike of Sabrina’s gushing, she is not about to let Sabrina suffer from the Professors brush-off later on. The two are sitting alone at a table in the bar and drinking (whiskey and that ring!), when Kelly does her best to make Sabrina forget about it without losing the admiration she has for the man. Now that in itself is a very good indicator of the intimacy of their relationship, as well as the care. At that point one of the bad-guys interrupts by paying for their drinks.

Sleaze: This kinda scenery is rare around here.
Sabrina sigh/snorts.
Sleaze: May I?
Sabrina looks to Kelly who gives her approval with a shrug.
Sabrina: Sure go ahead.

The discussion continues and Sabrina realises the sleaze might be one of the bad-guys and ends up playing him.

Sabrina asking the man: What room are you in?
Kelly looking shocked.
Sleaze: Eight.
Sabrina: Eight? Eight is my lucky number.
Kelly’s look of shock turns into pissed off.

After some more conversation Sabrina goes off with the man to his room, Kelly looking appalled after them. Sabrina sneaks back to Kelly under the ruse of retrieving the bracelet she had intentionally left behind. When she on her own gets back to the table a clearly upset Kelly tells Sabrina, in what can best be described as a warning, “Eight is not your lucky number!”. Sabrina quickly explains the plan, and Kelly goes from fuming mad to simply frustrated over her girlfriends inability to let it go. It’s fucking brilliant. (If you want to see it for yourself, follow this link).

Then for the remainder of the episode there's some looking with intent and general random touching.



[General touching (and Kelly's shirt!)]


[Looking with intent (the shirt again!]


To summaries, these two are girlfriends. There’s really no other way of describing their relationship and their reactions. Kelly most definitely does not approve of playing second fiddle to Sabrina’s obsession with the Professor, but she will always stand by girlfriend, no matter how frustrating her behaviour. That said, I’m thinking the obsession, and the crack about the Professor’s son (end of episode) most definitely landed Sabrina some time in the doghouse.


Coming Up;
The one with all the sex.

Charlie's Angels - 1x04 'Angels In Chains'

Dear God, I’ve died and gone to exploitation -heaven and it’s full of homo-eroticism, and butch poses. Please let me stay.

Yours,
the jolliest of Apes.
***
This week the Angels are thrown into prison, and yes you are allowed to moan, but don’t roll your eyes or you might miss all the sapphism. This really is an episode better watched than described, because so much of it is visual. Therefore, I’ve done my best to screen-cap for your viewing pleasure.

As the Angels are stripping down for their cavity-search and delousing (well they didn’t call it that, but I know one when I see it), not only are Sabrina and Kelly turned towards and watching each other throughout the stripping, it also looks very suspicious. The scene is strangely similar to exhibitionism and despite my stalker-tendencies I’d done the same thing as Jill and turned my head.








[Sabrina's raised eyebrows and the following smirk. Priceless visuals]

Not only do we get homoeroticism, but we get a look into the world of butch and femme. Sabrina’s got quite the attitude in this episode and pushes the buttons of one of the guards and gets smacked around a little. Immediately Kelly is at her side and refuses to let go of Sabrina’s leg. As Kelly then asks Sabrina if she’s okay she receives one of those deliciously gruff grunts of “I’m okay” (you know the kind Xena was an expert at). Kelly doesn’t reply but simply rolls her eyes at the gruff brunette and gives Jill one of those looks that obviously says “stoically stubborn butches --can’t live with them, can’t live without them”.

[Strike a pose and keep it butch]

[Holding on and not letting go]


[Strike a pose and keep it butch - take 2]




[How to do the femme/butch while looking beyond adorable]


One more scene to mention before I leave this haven behind. As the Angels are taken out into the country to get killed, the sleazy inbred deputy is talking nasty to Kelly about all the things he’d like to do to her before wasting her. The single-minded focus on Sabrina’s face as he threatens Kelly with rape speaks volumes in itself, she’s basically grinding her teeth. You can just imagine the discipline it takes for her to not lunge forward and try to rip his throat out. It’s sweet.

***
And I just have to mention it, completely unrelated, but they killed the Sheriff with potatoes! Potatoes caused a giant explosion! There are not enough exclamation points in the world for this show!

Coming Up:
The original hurt/comfort?

Charlie's Angels the Pilot

Sometimes I envy the view-point of those with a completely heteronormative perspective. When they watch a show they can focus on canon, they can so easily ignore f/f and m/m subtext, because they simply cannot see it. Not because they are ignorant or narrow-minded, but because it means nothing to them. It’s a blindness brought on by expectations, assumptions and experience. It doesn’t make their worlds any less colourful, it just makes them more…precise. Therefore I have decided to go about this Charlie’s Angels reviewing in a reversed heteronormative pov. I will disregard any episodes that deal with a possible male attraction and I will turn a blind eye to anything that does not support Sabrina/Kelly. I want to experience a black/white world for myself. Obviously this means I won’t be watching anything beyond season 3. It also means I start watching with the belief of them being lesbians, but due to place/age unable/unwilling to be out. In my mind there is nothing beyond a same-sex attraction and relationship, I will pretend that m/f does not compute in my brain. Men and women cannot be anything other than good friends or family. Or at least when it comes to the characters of Sabrina Duncan and Kelly Garrett.

On to the story -

Charlie's Angels
Subtext review of
episode no.1x00 Pilot
***
This is a story about three young women who left an unfulfilling life in the Police Force to join Charles Townsends’ team of Private Investigators. They are lovingly (or condescendingly) referred to as his Angels.

Whereas Jill Munroe’s (Farah Fawcett) hair stands out, the characters of Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson) and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) are equally or dare I say even more noticeable. I hadn't even watched through an episode before I started falling for the two, and it appears as if they are falling for each other as well.


[The Angels. Kelly, Sabrina and Jill]

The episode starts off with playful flirting between Sabrina and Kelly, simple looks, smiles and light-hearted banter. The tone between them immediately sets them apart from both the actual character of Jill, but also Jill’s behaviour. When Sabrina and Kelly gain pleasure out of flirting with each other, Jill on the other hand turns the same type of attention to the disembodied voice of the patriarchal Charlie.

To further set the characters apart, this time not only in the way they act, but the way the world perceives them, we have a scene in which Kelly in a black leather jacket rides up to a mansion on her motorcycle (!). Not knowing who the impressive figure with the black helmet and jacket is, the people coming out of the house politely asks her, “Can I help you, Mr?”. Two scenes into the episode and series and we’ve already established how S/K interact, but also how they are set apart from the other characters.


[Kelly. Motorcycle. Leather. 'nuff said.]

Furthermore, as Sabrina joins the con they’ve got going, the first question out of her mouth is, “How’s Kelly?”. Simple, but effective to show the importance of Kelly’s welfare on Sabrina. In relation to this scene, when the two meet again for the first time without having to play their parts in the con, they immediately grab hold of each other and briefly, but oh so tellingly, hold hands. It should also be pointed out that Sabrina does appear to naturally fall behind Kelly and rather protectively peek out from behind her shoulder.


[Physical contact, the foundation of any good relationship]

Before I leave the first episode behind it needs to be mentioned that during their role-playing, Sabrina stated that she thought Kelly was “very pretty”. It's such a random throw away comment I'll accept it as the truth and nothing but the truth, despite their act. And one final cap to close on.


[The ring! The dykey-bike ante has been upped.]

Who knew lesbianism thrived on television thirty years ago and under the rule of Aaron Spelling (again with the exclamation point!), but judging by this -- it most certainly did.

***

Coming Up:
Chains, Butches and delousing.