Bliss

I don't usually bother to contribute comments like this, but I have to say that I disagree with most of the user comments about this show. Like many others, I tuned in to "Bliss" because I was intrigued by the prospect of erotica by, for, and about women. And, much to my delight, it totally delivers. I've now seen all of the second season and most of the first, including "Guys and Dolls," which is a beautiful episode, both cinematically and plot-wise. For those who enjoy the vibe of "Guys and Dolls," keep an eye out for "Three," which is part of the second season. It's my favourite episode so far and it's directed by the same woman who did "Guys and Dolls." In all, this is smart, beautifully done series. There should be more like it.

I stumbled upon this series by accident while channel surfing. As the Oxygen Network plays it on late Sunday nights, I don't always get the opportunity to watch. The series is entertaining, even though there are times it strains credibility. Most of the stories are shallow, in spite of the occasional attempts at character development, and they're not that hard to predict. Though the series is supposed to be for a female audience, men will certainly enjoy it. The episode regarding a lesbian historical boutique owner and her butch younger girlfriend entertained me, but I don't know if straight women would enjoy such a thing. On the whole, "Bliss" is a fun time-filler for hard-up insomniacs.

Probably the best episode is "Six Days", in which the beautiful yet authentic Anna (Michelle Duquet), an unhappily married farmer's wife is left alone on the farm after her annoying bore of a husband Jake (Paul Stewart) suffers an accident that temporarily incapacitates him. So she finds someone to help her keep up the farm while he recovers. Of course, Mike (Callum Keith Rennie), the man who volunteers to work for her, is nice-looking and virile. And it's obvious what they'll do once they've been alone for a few days. Yet the story works just the same. We see the alienated wife and the loner farm hand connect as people, not just genders or bodies. It's clear that both are not trusting people. He has moved from place to place since leaving home, while she's never been out of her hometown even though she's never liked living there, yet they're both drawn to each other for the same reasons. So when they smile and laugh together, there's a real sense of release and fulfillment. It's almost as much about the effects of loneliness as it as about sex. The actors get much of the credit, yet they work with the story. The only weakness of the story is, why did Anna marry Jake in the first place, not only because he's so much older than her, but because he's such an exasperating personality? But in the end, it doesn't matter.

You would never think, from watching "Bliss", that sex could ever be fun, or make people laugh. The characters in "Bliss" may sleep with each other out of revenge or some other primal need, to scratch an itch or to beat back profound loneliness, but never just for the fun of it. While people do have sex for the above reasons, this hardly makes "Bliss" the ground-breaking erotica series that its creators wanted. For a start, it is far too limited in scope. While three of the six stories deal with lesbian themes, several involve cheating and one involves a woman who likes rough sex, there are none with s&m or bondage (which seems a bit odd if this series is supposed to be riding the edge), or any number of even more liminal practices. There is precisely one major non-white character, who gets maybe five minutes of screen time. Also, the women get their kit off a lot more than the men, considering that this is supposed to be women's erotica. Conversely, the men are treated like meat--or worse yet, like living sex toys. Most of the characters are urban, and most of the female characters are, to be frank, unlikeable. The cinematography, as well, is washed out. I'd rather become a nun than live in the depressing, blue-gray world of this series.

The two best entries in the series--"In Praise of Drunkenness and Fornication" and "Guys and Dolls"--also contain the only sympathetic major characters over the age of thirty. The first story, about couple-swapping, works because the four main characters are awkward but engaging. Unlike their younger counterparts in the other stories, they worry about the consequences of their actions. They care about something besides their own physical needs--namely, will they still all be friends in the morning. "Guys and Dolls" works simply because its male lead, Peter Wingfield, surmounts the cliche of his character, George, and converts what appears to be considerable directorial humiliation into fuel for George's ironic malaise. That's what happens, I suppose, when you get one of the best character actors in Canada on board and then mess with his head.

While I found this an interesting experiment, I sincerely hope that "Bliss" does not reflect the totality of women's fantasies out there. Because if it does, then ladies, we are in trouble.

My 2 favorite episodes would have to be "Aural Sex" featuring Raven Dauda as a sexually experimenting girlfriend from the 1st season and Petit Mots,the episode featuring Patricia McKenzie as a nightclub DJ who falls for a bookstore owner who is very content working and living in his bookstore(shown on Oxygen in US on 3-22-04 at 12am).Those 2 women are very lovely,I must say,but more women of color(esp. Afro-Canadian women)need to be featured characters on this show,as to show more Americans that Canada is quite diverse and has beautiful Afro-Canadian women.Having 2 lesbian women of color featured in an episode would be good,too.Also,in those 2 episodes,for example,the only thing close to a private part shown is the buttocks of the male lead.How about at least showing a female lead's buttocks and/or breasts(esp. during aforementioned 2 episodes)more.The 1st sex scene in "Petit Mots" was ok,but needed more of a glimpse of the woman's panties,at least,while 2nd sex scene should've ended w/both parties nude.Also,in "Aural Sex",a full body frontal(and/or back shot)should've been shown of the female lead,at least while she was only wearing red panties.This show has potential to do better,but has overall let me down so far.

I thought the story was okay. It didn't really thrill me. This woman goes into a hotel to get help because the taxi drove away with her bag and briefcase. She slowly realizes the hotel is a pick up place for men and women. The good looking British man makes a move on her, and for some reason, she follows him into a hotel room. They have hot sex. The stranger pays the woman some money and they have a weekly "date" in the same hotel. To the woman's surprise, she meets this man in her office, he is actually a client of her firm! They meet again and the man tells her that he's actually in love with his wife, but just that he needs something more, such as a sexual forbidden thrill on the side. He wants to leave the relationship with this woman, but the woman stops him. She said she will "pay" for his services from now on. As the story ends, the audience knows that this man and this woman are going to continue meeting at the hotel.

Can a woman and a man just have casual sex without feeling anything else for the relationship? According to the show, yes, they can. Do we really believe that? I don't know. It's a nice fantasy. It's even nicer when the handsome British man is played by Peter Wingfield! Never thought he'd look so damn good in the nude! Mr. Wingfield, if you ever read this, you have nothing to be ashamed of, your body is terrific and your sex scenes add alot to a rather threadbare story.

Anyone who is a Peter Wingfield hardcore fan will really like this episode. This is the most sensual Peter Wingfield I've ever seen!

I give the story a "C" and all the actors an "A".