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.
