Season 2/ Episode 12; "L-Chaim" Written by : Ilene Chaiken Directed by : John Curran Guest Stars : Click Here Music : Click Here Duration : 44 m

Watch: Clip 1 Watch: Clip 2

 "L-Chaim" Summary

by Stacy Turner

The opening scene shows Jenny walking into a club called the “Howling Coyote.” We see a woman sitting at a table and she announces to the club owner that Jenny has arrived. The club owner doesn’t look that impressed but the girl tells him that Jenny is a really sick girl, and Jenny smiles.

Jenny is looking at a bunch of pictures and singing a song. Most of the pictures show a woman stripping with a bunch of guys watching and yelling. While she is at the table Shane walks in and gives her food and coffee. Shane tells her that it is from Mark and Jenny refuses to accept it. Shane walks away and then mentions to Jenny that rent is due. Shane tells her that if she had the money she would pay for Jenny and then she tells her that Mark also offered to pay her part of the rent. Jenny gets upset and tells Shane that she will pay for herself.

Bette decides that she wants her father to move into her house. Bette tells the delivery men to leave all the stuff in the middle of the living room. Kit tells Bette that it’s a bad idea for him to stay there because Bette is just going to be watching her father die in her own home. Kit then asks Bette what she is going to do about work and Bette tells Kit not to worry about it because she will figure something out. Bette and Kit then start to discuss the fact that Bette didn’t include Kit in the decision to move their father into her home.

The nurse shows up at Bette’s house and puts her stuff in the babies room. She walks out and asks Bette if she has a baby. Bette explains that her ex girlfriend is having their baby in ten days. The nurse tells Bette that she has a lot on her plate right now, to which Bette says that she always does. Bette calls James and when she gets off the phone she asks the nurse a question about one of her fathers medications. The nurse tells her that it is to help him, and then explains that toward the end he will start to get really confused and may start to forget things.

Tina, Alice, and Dana all walk into the Planet. They walk past a table where Helena and Leigh Osten are having a date. Leigh starts asking Tina how she is feeling and then asks if it’s Bette Porter’s baby. Tina says yes, and then Helena mentions that Bette had asked Leigh out when she went to her gallery. Tina says that Alice, Dana and herself are going to go sit down. Helena asks Tina if they are going to meet later on that night and Tina tells her that she just feels like taking a hot bath and being alone, and they walk away.

Alice, Dana, and Tina are all sitting around a table, As they are talking Lara shows up and her and Dana start talking. Dana finds out that Lara now works at the Planet and Alice finds out that Lara and Gabby have broken up. Lara tells Dana that she has to go meet with Kit and asks Dana if they can have dinner later. Dana says yes and then turns to Alice and asks if that’s ok. Lara looks shocked that Alice and Dana are dating and apologizes. Alice says that it is fine with her but there is an obvious look of jealousy on her face.

The nurse tells Bette that she has set up a schedule for Melvin’s medication so that Bette can give it to him while she is not there. As they are talking Melvin shows up on a stretcher and the paramedics put him onto his bed. Melvin gets upset when everyone is looking at him and asks them to leave. The nurse says that she can order Bette some hospital curtains but Bette thinks that Japanese screens would look better.

Jenny is in the kitchen while Mark is doing something at the sink. Mark tells her that if she is short on rent then he really doesn’t mind spotting her some cash. Jenny tells him that giving her money isn't going to make everything better, and if anything doing that would make her seem like some kind of a whore. Mark tells Jenny that wasn’t what he meant but Jenny still walks away.

Bette’s boss comes over to her house to talk with her. Bette apologizes for not going into work and tells him that as soon as her father trusts the nurse then she will be back in the office. Her boss tells her that maybe she can take a leave of absence, and Bette tells him that she was not planning on taking off that much time. As they are talking the nurse comes in and asks Bette for help. While Bette is helping the nurse her boss tells her that he needs to get back to the office and asks her to think about his offer of taking a leave of absence.

Helena, Tina, Dana, Alice, and another woman are all sitting around at the Planet. Helena asks the waitress to have Lara pick something delicious for them to have. Helena refers to Lara as “Dana’s chef” which visibly irritates Alice. Helena goes on to flirt with the woman next to her and Tina looks uncomfortable. Tina tells Helena that she is going to leave because she is tired.

Bette is reading a story to her father and then tells him that she is going to have to turn him. As she is lifting him Tina walks in and tells Bette that she will help her. Melvin looks up and Tina and she tells him who she is. He tells her that he knows who she is in a mean tone and then Tina tells him that Kit will be there soon. Melvin asks how Tina knows Kit and both Bette and Tina ignore the question. Tina tells Bette that she will make her dinner and they both go into the kitchen.

Bette and Tina are sitting together by Melvin’s bedside while he is sleeping. Bette lays her head on Tina and Tina holds her. Tina tells Bette that she has never held her before in front of her father, but at least she is sleeping. Melvin opens his eyes and tells them that is what he likes to see. Then he makes Tina promise that she will take care of Bette when he is gone and she agrees. Then Melvin starts to apologize to Bette for all the things that he had done in the past, like leaving her mother.

Alice and Dana are standing around talking and Shane walks up to them asking if they have seen Carmen. As they are talking “Peaches” starts to perform and the girls run to the stage and start dancing. Peaches tries to get Shane to come on stage, but she says no and looks at Carmen and smiles.

Bette is sitting by her fathers side and tells Tina that she can’t deal with her father dying and begins to cry. Tina gives Bette and hug and then takes her into her room and Bette begins to take of her shirt. Tina kisses Bette and Bette asks if it’s ok if they just sleep. Tina says yes and they both lay down and fall asleep.

The next morning Bette walks in to check on her father and sees Kit sleeping on the couch. Kit wakes up and tells Bette that Melvin was in so much pain when she got there that he couldn’t even talk. Bette asks Kit if she thinks that he is giving up and then mentions that someone will be coming to give him a sponge bath. Melvin tells them that he is capable of giving himself a bath, all he needs is for someone to help him to the bathroom. He then tells Bette and Kit that he doesn’t want either of them to jeopardize their careers because of him, and tells Bette that she shouldn’t take a leave of absence. As they are talking Tina walks in and apologizes for interrupting. Melvin refers to her as Tina and she smiles. Melvin then tells Bette and Kit that he wants to get out of his bed and they help him to the bathroom.

While he is in the bathroom the doorbell rings and Bette goes to get it. She opens the door and Melvin’s nurse has arrived. As they are walking toward the bathroom there is a loud thump. Everyone runs into the bathroom and finds Melvin laying on the floor. The nurse says something about a hospital and Melvin gets upset and tells them that he doesn’t want to go back to one. Bette runs over to Shane and Jenny’s house and asks them for help. Everyone goes over and carries Melvin back to his bed.

Dana is in the bathroom. Alice walks in the bathroom and asks her why she is shaving her legs. Dana responds by telling her that she is doing it because there is hair on them. Alice makes a joke about Lara touching them, but Dana gets annoyed with her.

Shane and Mark are walking down the street. Shane is talking to Alice on the phone and tells her that her and Dana should come by and see Bette. When Shane hangs up with Alice, Mark and her start talking about the cycle of life. Marks cell phone starts to ring in the middle of their conversation but Mark doesn’t answer it. Shane starts picking on Mark about the girl that is calling him.

Dana and Alice show up at Bette’s and they all sit around describing their father’s in one word. When it gets to Bette she describes her father as “dying”. Bette goes inside to give her father something to drink. Shane comes inside and tells her that maybe they should leave, and Bette thanks everyone for stopping by.

Alice drops Dana off at her apartment. Alice tells Dana that Jenny wants everyone to meet her at a club, and Dana says that she will be there. Dana goes to give Alice a kiss and Alice moves her face so that Dana kisses her cheek. When Dana pulls away she asks Alice if she is ok, and Alice says that she is even though it is clear that she is not.

Bette starts to unpack some of her fathers pictures and belongings. As she is showing him things it is clear that he is happy to see them even though he isn’t able to talk that well. Bette finds one of her mothers paintings and puts it up on a wall for him.

Lara and Dana are out having dinner. Dana mentions to Lara that she misses the food adventures that they use to have. Lara tells her that there is a restaurant that she has wanted to go to and invites Dana. Dana tells her that she can’t. Lara asks her if it’s because of training or Alice. Lara reassures her that it would just be dinner, but Dana tells her that what they are doing is having dinner, going out again would be a second dinner. It pans to Dana’s cell phone which is lighting up but Dana doesn’t realize that someone is calling.

The girls go to see the place that Jenny invited them too. As Carmen walks inside Alice pulls out her cell phone and calls Dana. Dana doesn’t answer the phone so Alice leaves a message. She tells her that she might want to get there a little early because the place looks packed. When Alice hangs up the phone you can tell that she is upset.

Shane is at a table inside the club drinking a beer. Carmen walks up to her and they joke about how nice the place is. Shane asks if Jenny invited her too, and Carmen says yes. Carmen tells Shane that she is going to go look for Jenny. When she walks away Shane sees some guy harassing Carmen so she goes over and takes Carmen away. Shane then asks Carmen if she wants to go out with her.

Bette and Kit are sitting at Melvin’s bedside. Bette is reading and her father starts to mumble something . Kit and Bette start to sing to calm him down.

Dana goes to the club and runs into Shane. Dana asks Shane where Alice is and she tells Dana that Alice went to go look for her. We cut to see Alice walking into Dana’s room calling out her name. When Alice realizes that Dana isn’t there she lays down on the bed and looks really sad and upset.

The club owner announces a new dancer and then Jenny walks out. Shane and Carmen look at her from the audience in total disbelief. Jenny walks out to the middle of the stage and stares at all the men screaming. Then she takes her clothes off and stands on the stage.

Dana finds Alice laying down on her bed and asks her what's wrong. Alice tells Dana that she tried calling her and she wouldn’t answer her phone and wants to know where she was. Dana tells her that she went to the club but Alice had already left. Alice tells Dana that she was just worried that she had lost her, to which Dana tells her that she is there now.

Mark is in the kitchen cooking breakfast and Jenny walks in. She tells him that it smells good and then asks if she can have some too. Mark smiles and tells her yes.

Melvin starts to moan and it is apparent that he is dying. He turns his head and looks at all the pictures of his family that Bette had set out for him. Bette walks into the room and discovers that he is not moving. Bette calls for Kit and they both start to cry as they realize that their father has died.

Guest Stars

Ossie Davis
Lauren Lee Smith
Michael Tomlinson

Music, including Scene by Scene breakdown (coming soon) by Kace of What the L Radio!)

Is it just me or are these episodes gettin' shorter and shorter?
Anyway...on with the show!

Nine "B's"
A number sings about a letter in plural form. Well...raps about it, at
least. Plays at the Planet as Tina, Alice and Dana arrive, meet Helena and
Leigh. Tina looks ready to burst. Leigh's cute, Helena's pissy, and the
song's way too off in the background. In other news, LARA'S in the house
and the ETERNAL DANA STRUGGLE IS ON!!! ...Woot.

Brougham Camp "Last Days"
More rap at the Planet, later that evening. This time, Helena's with Token
Blonde Informant and Tina's annoyed. Well, what comes around and all that,
Tee. The song is what it is and we venture onward.

Peaches "I U She"
Performed on stage. Looks like it was fun. Hey, let's see what's next up.

Quick Note of Oddifty: Mark and Shane walk on the sidewalk and for some
reason I wanna say it's Mark and Pip.

Maria Muldaur "Soul Of A Man"
"Midnight at the Oaaaaaaaaasis......" Sorry, had a flashback there. Terri
Gore did a fun cover of "Midnight At The Oasis" several years back, but
that has nothing to do with this. "Soul Of A Man" makes its way into the
show as Bette looks after Melvin as group of friends say later.

Kholeho Mosola "Siyabobona"
Dana and Lara's date as this plays. Blink and you'll miss it.

MMO "Readie 2 Partie"
Plays outside the club as Alice tries in vein to call Dana. Dana's busy
eating dinner with Lara, so no dice. RRRRRRRROOOOOCKKK!!!!!!!! Notice the
difference between the rabid ladies at one club and the rabid guys at the
other club. At this point, I'm expecting a male character to be executed
on the show before the series ends.

Kit & Bette "Rusty Old Halo"
Pam Grier & Jennifer Beals as Kit & Bette sings to Melvin (portrayed by
Ossie Davis in a case of Life & Art Imitating One Another). Considering
real life and all that, the end of this episodes way friggin' cryptic.

Touched "Happy"
Jenny's introduced, but doesn't take the stage just yet for the whole strip
thing. More RRRRRRRRROCK!!!!!! Jenny has a unique way of combating her
demons. Not that the guys in the audience mind.

We get some closing scenes for the week, including Melvin's passing. Like
I said...cryptic. Next week, All L and Hell and Everything Else breaks
loose. Latch on to yer seatbelts, kiddies...it's gonna be a crazy ride.

Previews: "Lacuna," Episode 2.13--Second Season Finale!

Yahoo TV: Bette moves her father into her home; Alice struggles with jealousy; Jenny confronts a repressed memory.

SHO: Melvin's memorial service is attended by a surprise guest; Bette is fired by Franklin, then coaches Tina through what turns out to be an unexpectedly difficult labor and delivery; Jenny is in trouble and asks for help.

TV Guide: In the second season finale, Bette gets stunning news at her father's service; Tina goes into labor; and Peggy lays down the law with her daughter Helena. Special appearances by Gloria Steinem and musical performances by Betty and Heart.

Watch: Clip 1	Watch: Clip 2