This popular Oxygen Network show was written and directed by women, based
mostly on women's erotic literature. This gives it an entirely different slant
than the usual couples erotica, because it focuses on eroticism and what the
characters are thinking and feeling rather than on body parts and the many
ways they can fit together. We have at least breasts and sometimes buns in all
but one of the eight episodes.
Valentines Day in Jail (Episode 1)
Torri Higgenson is on her way to visit a prisoner, not in
her usual capacity as a prison teacher, but this time because she wants to see
him. He is doing ten years for drug charges, but she is in love. He has
arranged a way to duck under a table with her and get intimate during the
visit. When they are caught, he is in real trouble, and she has to evaluate if
she is willing to wait for him.
Six Days (Episode 2)
This one was outstanding in my opinion. A farm wife is in a
comfortable but stale marriage with a husband who thinks cribbage is the
height of marital bliss. When he falls from the hay lof and must spend time in
the hospital, she hires a drifter to help with the work. They hit it off, and
it doesn't take long for him to prove just how handy he really is.
Guys and Dolls (Episode 3)
Jenny Levine is owner of a prestigious law firm, and her
career is her life. She steps out of a cab to get better cell reception on the
way to a meeting, and the cabby takes off with her purse, brief case, etc. She
ducks into a club to call her office for help, and quickly discovers that
people are there to couple up, and that money changes hands as part of the
bargain. When she is propositioned by a well-spoken man, she ends up in her
room, and they have a fabulous time. They end up making it a twice a week
date. When she discovers that he is married, and hence only has anonymous sex,
it doesn't bother her at all. Things almost change when she finally meets the
client she skipped the meeting with and finds out that he is also a high power
attorney.
The Value of X (Episode 4)
This is the one without nudity, but it's an interesting
tale of gender confusion in High School. A girl is being encouraged by her
best friend to date a jock. She is not interested, but forms a friendship with
an outcast boy, and together they discover that she want the best friend, and
he wants the jock. As a drama, this had merit, but I did not find much erotic
about it.
Voice (Episode 5)
A wannabe artist is having an affair with a more successful
artist, but discovers that he is married, and starts hearing the voice of his
wife. Finally, she meets the wife, and it changes her life forever, and for
the best.
Leaper (Episode 6)
A young female author with writer's block stops to help a
street person who would rather have a kiss from her than her money. She is
somewhat disturbed by this Sapphic advance, and stops in a cafe, where she
meets another woman. The other, older woman takes her home and seduces her,
but on the way, they learn the homeless girl has jumped in front of a subway
train. After sex, the author realizes that the street girl was the previous
lover of this woman, and that she was intended to be next.
In Praise of Drunkenness and Fornication (Episode 7)
This would also have been my choice for the first on the DVD. It is
intelligently written and even sent me to the dictionary once. A mature couple
is dressing for a dinner party they are hosting, and talk about how they lust
after the youngest of the three couples. Much wine is consumed during dinner,
and about the time the refreshment gets hard and the conversation gets more
intimate, the young couple leaves. One of the wives gets wobbly and is put to
bed. Then the other husband nearly passes out. After his wife puts him to bed,
she seduces the other husband. Her husband catches her, but motions her to
continue, then the other wife walks in, and ends up in bed with husband one.
The next morning, all are hung over, but happy.
The Footpath of the Pink Rose (Episode 8)
Sarah has a perfect boyfriend. He has a good job, doesn't suffer from
premature ejaculation, doesn't cheat, and is a tender lover. Given all that,
why is she unhappy. It takes an encounter with an aggressive man in her karate
class to show her the no holds barred loving she has been craving.
This show was popular enough that it lasted at least two more seasons. I
found both this and the season two DVD to be worth the effort. I
honestly find it refreshing after seeing so much male-oriented erotica. Even
though there is less emphasis on body parts. I suspect it would be difficult
to keep the show fresh within the framework they established for source
material. This will resonate with your female partner, and probably in places
that you want resonating.
The genre is couples erotica, and this is a head-of-the-class act. C+.
