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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Joni & Susanna: Episode 1 "Party"

This funny new web series written and starring real-life friends Joni Lefkowitz (whom you might remember as the very first guest on Brunch With Bridget) and Susanna Fogel chronicles a passive-aggressive friendship between two women: Joni is gay, Susanna is straight, and they alternate between supporting each other and tearing each other down.

In the first episode, "Party," the two women are supposedly each other's wingman at a house party when Joni sees a cute woman she likes, and Susanna wants this guy to ask her out again, but they spend more time sabotaging than helping each other.

Susanna (left) and Joni

It's very Office-y type humor (i.e. awkward and understated), which isn't everyone's cup of Earl Grey, but I really enjoyed it. The writing and acting is good, and it's fun to see a friendship between a gay and straight woman portrayed, even if it is a bitchy friendship (actually, that's kind of refreshing, too).

You may also recognize one or two familiar faces: Bridget McManus and Julia Miranda guest-star.

Watch the first episode here (or on TheWB.com):

Joni & Susanna: Episode 1 "Party"

For some reason, The WB has decided to post all 6 episodes now, but we're going to run one each day between now and next Monday, so you can enjoy them at a leisurely pace.

If you like the show, watch the episodes more than once — the more video streams these episodes get, the more likely it is that Warner Bros. will continue to fund the series (and others with lesbian content).

Check back every day this week for new episodes of Joni & Susanna, and look for Dara's quickie interview with Joni about the series tonight.

  • Sarah Warn's blog
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  • Chops's picture

    slightly awkward...

    slightly awkward humour true but it made me laugh out loud,not hard to do though. Loved Bridget and Julia. Will continue watching this series. :P
    ding's picture

    i can't watch it either :(

    i can't watch it either :( it seems like its loading but nothing ever happens. is it in a different format anywhere online?
    ysubassoon's picture

    I had the same problem at first.

    This happens to me a lot since I now use the second beta release of Internet Explorer 8.0.  Because it is still in beta, many sites aren't compatible with it yet, so I have to run some of them in compatibility mode.  If this is similar to your situation, see if your browser has a compatibility mode you can use.  I was able to watch the episode without any issue after I switched. 

    "Brains grow love."--H. H. the Dalai Lama

    bittybuffy's picture

    Funny as!

    I am so glad I don't have friends like that... or maybe I'm a little envious. So funny. I love the comfortable awkwardness in every line. I'm just giggling to myself now.
    MyMomCallsMeHerMaleDaughter's picture

    pair reminds me

    These two DO remind me of me and my best friend who is straight and just got married.  We are bitchy, but at the end of the day we always have each others friendship (since highschool) and there has been those random occassional sexual tensions between us that are awkward and i say "no, I'm not attracted to you in that way" and my friend says "ewww gross i'm straight... you bitch j.k. lol."  Not even lying. 

    hblush's picture

    Very Funny!

    I loved it, and its true it does have this awkward office humor but thats a good thing in my book. i will definitely continue watching those webisodes, great job joni & susanna!
    Punk_Rock_Princess's picture

    Would like to watch, but I

    Would like to watch, but I live in the UK.
    Any ideas? :)
    lawgirl24's picture

    Hey that's weird, I live in

    Hey that's weird, I live in the UK and I could watch it- maybe you need Firefox? :S
    Suzanne's picture

    I'm living in the Uk and I

    I'm living in the Uk and I can watch this one. Just not the WB.com ones
    Cat's picture

    Me three

    I'm in Ireland, can watch it on AE, but not on the WB... Guess I have to learn patience?!?
    nicole eggett's picture

    :(

    want to watch it now but im at school :(
    luckyloser611's picture

    I love it!

     It's different! i cant wait to see the next episode.

    "All you need is love"- Beatles

     

     

    playthemusic814's picture

    Tee hee.

    Quote:
    Dara's quickie with Joni

    Out-of-context FTW!

    There were only a couple LOL moments for me. But, that's probably because I don't watch The Office. However, the ending was my favorite part. And, anything with Bridget deserves more than one shot. I'm looking forward to the next episodes.

    And, on an unrelated note, I do plan on watching The Office some day...

    -------------------

    ~It means pride.~

    Sarah Warn's picture

    D'oh!

    I didn't even think about how "look for Dara's quickie with Joni tonight" would look out of context. :) I just changed the word to "interview" so as not to mislead anyone into thinking we were going to be showing porn on the site tonight. :)

    lawgirl24's picture

    I loved it!

    Hey I thought this was awesome, very Office-like, I agree, and full of all the subtle ways we don't-help our friends in situations like Joni and Susanna are in- true to life! I liked that the ep was short and sweet, well done!
    WrongBananas's picture

    LOVED the last line...so

    LOVED the last line...so funny :P

     

    i think this could turn out to be really good...but i'm gonna stilt the episodes so I don't get all greedy and do it all at once!

     

    Pri_Rage's picture

    Loved it

    It's very funny!! It's cool to watch something different from the stuff I watch.

    Bridget was amazing on it!!!

    Alyssa's picture

    this is

    this is DEFINITELY my type of humor.

    i love this!

    Di's picture

    love this

    Thanks for putting this up. Joni and Susanna are a great duo. I love the deadpan humor. And it doesn't hurt that Bridget's in it as well. I will certainly watch it a couple times over.

    Joan's picture

    oohhhh i'm definitely gona

    oohhhh i'm definitely gona watch the next episodes!

    i'm also lookin forward to Dara's quickie with Joni later lol!

    YES BRIDGET WAS AMAZING!!!

    something_more77's picture

    sheesh!

    Bridget is just completely embedded into every facet of After Ellen!! It's a wonder she doesnt feel totally over exposed.

     fun episode... :-)

    volk's picture

    about Bridget...

    she's just very involved and I love that! so  I say: more over exposure!! the more of Bridge the merrier!! =)

    I love Bridget's work and whatever she's in I'll watch.

    I liked this episode even thou I don't like that kind of comedy.

    Julia and Bridget were really fun!

    and I'm guessing there's something going on between the two main characters, what else would they behave like that? o.O

     

     

    ashley's picture

    oh...

    i love this already
    A Muse's picture

    that was hilarious. more

    that was hilarious. more more more!

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    My Photography

    Spill Jill's picture

    LOOOOOOOOOVED IT.

    LOOOOOOOOOVED IT. Relationships like this are the best kind.
    Sparkfire's picture

    LOL!

    This was hysterical!  Perfect kind of dry, awkward humour that I respond to.  I will definitley be keeping up with it.

    And Bridget playing the hot girl at a party?  I have a feeling that might've been taken from real life! ;-)

    Thanks for posting it... It was fun!

    Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-groomed, and unaggressive. - Leslie M. McIntyre

    AnnaRG's picture

    cute

    i like that they use their real life names. it's funny that they used Bridget's real name, even though we all know she's taken. haha cracks me up. i'll definitely keep watching this one.
    Gemini's picture

    already addicted

    I ended up watching all of them...now I wish I hadn't've...

    but I couldn't stop myself! It's really good.  

    crayolarabbit's picture

    Awesome!

    That was basically perfect. I just sat here on the WBs awful buggy website and forced it to play me all six episodes, and as soon as they work out the "commercials randomly appearing" thing, I will show it to all of my friends.

    But, seriously, that was my absolute favorite thing I've seen in quite a while. They're just such GIRLS, and such bitches, but they're also such good friends, and that's exactly what hanging out with chicks is like. I feel like this is the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" of ridiculous female friend behavior. Also, chicks making out. And Bridget as a total tool of a love interest is hilarious, both on principle and on acting. Oh, and the Julia character. And, just... yeah, I liked this a lot. Obviously. 

    iamnachos's picture

    Gold

    "Have you read this? I've read this"

    "No"

    "I read this in Japan"

    Awkward gold, loved it.

    Miss Banggg's picture

    Bridget! OMG! Wow, she's


    Bridget! OMG! Wow, she's got quite a mouth on her in the second episode, haha!

    Lunakiss's picture

    New Webseries on AE.com

    www.myspace.com/lunakiss7

    Off Humor is good. I like the fact people in it are normal looking and not some glamorous dolled up actors.  It really makes the series interesting.

     

    lottie-m's picture

    Hilarious

    That was awesome! I think I may have just woken up the family with my laughing!
    AllegraEcho's picture

    Hilarious! Loved it, I'm

    Hilarious! Loved it, I'm going to go watch the rest of the episodes now.

     Also, I used to have the same kind of friendship with a straight girl; they don't want you (because they're straight), but they don't want any other girl to have you either. And God forbid you don't find her attractive, that is the ultimate offense to a straight best friend, for the lesbian friend not to find her attractive. Ack....crazy...

    jitka's picture

    hehe!Absolutely crazy

    Your comment reminded me of when I came out to my best friends from high school-- both straight. And both IMMEDIATELY wanted to know if I'd ever crushed on them! I mean as soon as I'm done saying it "OMG! Did you like me?" wtf?! I didn't know this is a reality for other gay girls, so I'm glad for your comment.
    InXanadu's picture

    Meh.

    Not awkward or sharp enough. Good premise, just needs to be punched up some. 

     

    DO watch Children's Hospital on thewb.com. So so very hilarious and wrong.  

    Nothing's picture

    hmmm...I don't know

    It sounds like the character of Joni is flip flopping around whether or not she's gay.  She lost me at the line "when I'm drunk I don't even notice gender any more - making out is fun!"  As a lesbian I can say that it doesn't matter how much I have to drink, I'm not going to make out with a man.
    Sarah Warn's picture

    My understanding

    My understanding is that Joni's only making these comments to derail the guy she's talking to from paying attention to Susanna — i.e. it's her way of sabotaging her friend's chances of getting a date. She's not actually confused or flip-flopping on whether she's gay. (Notice she only makes those comments to a guy she knows Susanna is interested in, or who might be interested in Susanna.) So it's not that Joni's not gay, she's just competitive and passive aggressive. :)
    FindingBritney's picture

    haha

    it made me smile :) i like it
    Betty's picture

    My new fave web series

    Yay! This show is awesome. I totally love the subtle deadpan humor :D

    I ♥ Susanna's bits of rambling.

    Doesn't Joni look like Sophia Bush when she tilts her head?

    It's refreshing that the show depicts a gay girl just as pretty and bitchy as any straight girl out there.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    "The last time I was inside a woman was when I visited the Statue of Liberty."

    Caitlin's picture

    I love this!

    I think it's awesome that something like this can even get made! Thank you WB!

    Joni is great - as are the celesbian guest stars. I will definitely keep watching. :D

    WonderWomanLesbeau's picture

    Loved it!

    This was hilarious! I loved it! I can't wait to see more. It's great to see a Will & Grace type show with a lesbian in it! This is probably going down as one of my faves...ever! Thank you Sarah!
    ice cream's picture

    this um just makes me

    this um just makes me happy. k.

    haha but seriously i love humor and it definitely kinda reminds how my straight girlfriends are towards me at the end of the day. even though i don't sabatoge their guys. =)

    spotticus's picture

    Too funny!

    Congrats to Joni and Susanna for capturing that awkward limbo between friends of the same gender.  The wingman sabotage is classic!  I cheated and watched all the eps at the WB.  Definitely loving this project.  Hope the WB promotes it to the small screen, or at least keeps it going. 
    melly's picture

    I wasn't expecting anything,

    I wasn't expecting anything, but that was hilarious! :D I might just go and watch the rest of these episodes. And then again, tomorrow
    Kiarra 's picture

    OKAY thats is so me and my

    OKAY thats is so me and my best friend AHAHAHAHA omg not even joking

    Shes straight and im gay and that how we talk wow 

    Gelphie's picture

    LOOL. That was wicked!

    LOOL. That was wicked! :P

     

     

    "If you should see her...tell her I miss her still." -- Galinda. 'Wicked'

    cCatherine's picture

    They're a riot those two.

    They're a riot those two. mann this is really great show. i love how it has that realistic office feel to it. except it's not depressing. lol. it has that awkward humour that is just so freaking charming!

    and i was in awe b/c (like some others here) it's like I'm watching my bestfriend(straight) and I for 7 minutes in retrospect. KER-AZY. lol. Minus all the sabotage. 

     

    marshnood's picture

    This was intresting.

    This was intresting. Although not my kind of hummor I would find myself watching this. I guess it is because I have seen straight girlfriends doing this to each other.

    Thank God me and my bestfriend (straight girlfriend) don't act like this. She likes to tell people we are on a date when we go out ;) I even started a kiss that we still do today. Where we suck in our lips and kiss eachother, as in so we don't catch anything from each other like her straightness ;) All in good fun.

    sonrisaysol's picture

    Sweet Dee

    Susanna kinda reminds me of a dark haired Sweet Dee from It's Always Sunny.

    http://onefootinonefootout.blogspot.com/