But…
But the show was definitely still finding itself then. It’s fantastic, but it’s just a hair’s breadth away from brilliant. If I had to retroactively grade season one, I’d give it a [B+].
Wow, that’s still really high. All right, sell me on season two.
With Tig back in Mississippi for good (kind of), the series becomes more comfortable with itself. We no longer have to question whether or not Tig is going to stay, and it seems the worst of her tragedies are behind her — at least chronologically. Episode one, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” was penned by Notaro and Allynne, and it sets the tone for the season as Notaro’s Tig embarks on an unrequited(?!) romance with Allynne’s Kate. Last season, Tig lost everything. Now, she’s finding out what’s left. Namely, love.
Oh, brother.
But the thing is, this finding-love-after-rock-bottom story manages to not be cliche at all! Even when season two delves into cheesy territory, you’re right there with the show. These characters have been through a lot, and they deserve happiness — even if they’re not quite prepared for it.
What do you mean?
Well, season two essentially focuses on three romantic subplots: Tig’s, her brother Remy’s, and her stepfather Bill’s. Though Tig, with characteristic candor, expresses her feelings for Kate, things are a bit more muddled for the men in her life. Bill is befuddled by a local friend’s crush, and unsure how to process his feelings for the equally stoic Felicia (Sheryl Lee Ralph). Remy is knee-deep in an ambivalent relationship with brash Southern belle Desiree (Carly Jibson), who moves into his and Bill’s house after just a few dates. Even though Tig isn’t confused, it’s not all smooth sailing for her and “Straight Kate,” either, since, well. Kate is straight. Probably.
So what really sets this season apart? What pushes it over the edge, from “fantastic” into “brilliant”?
Season two of “One Mississippi” takes the good aspects of season one and dials them up to 11. Notaro and Cody’s sardonic takes on the world meet genuine tenderness to produce some awe-inspiring honesty. A Mississippi native herself, Notaro’s ambivalent feelings about the state, post-Trump administration and anti-gay legislation, make themselves plain. The show is overflowing with love for the warmth and community of the South — “Son of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou!” its theme song proclaims — but that doesn’t magically untangle the region’s fraught relationship with our butch lesbian protagonist. And it’s refreshing to see a show confront the social conservatism of the South without resorting to short-sighted, blue-state redneck mockery. We’re not asked to sympathize with outright bigots, just to acknowledge their existence as whole and complicated people. The close-knit, familial culture of the South forces Tig to confront homophobia in her own backyard, and it’s satisfyingly real. TV Tig backsasses a homophobic hospital employee who bluntly won’t let her see her stepfather, and flirts with the female member of an “ex-gay” conversionist ministry. As a Florida native and a lesbian frequently mistaken for a teenage boy, I wish I didn’t give a fuck as hard as Tig Bavaro. Tig Notaro probably wishes she didn’t give a fuck as hard as Tig Bavaro.
But both Tigs’ brash natures goes even further as the season’s key subplot unfolds. The show has always deftly dealt with sexual abuse, but season two takes that to another level. Episode one finds Tig and Kate frankly discussing molestation on their radio show, and Kate realizes that several events from her childhood were shrouded in outright abuse. Episode five, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” specifically alludes to the allegations against Louis C.K. when Kate is unknowingly led into a room with her masturbating producer. TV Tig bursts into his office just scenes later, verbal fists flying, and it’s more than just TV’s most heart-pounding act of lesbian chivalry — it feels like an explicit (if fictionalized) confrontation between Notaro and C.K. The events of season two also lead Tig, who’s busy projecting onto the recently-traumatized Kate, to really acknowledge her childhood molestation. Like everything else in the show, the resulting culmination is arresting and mesmerizing and honest.
Wow, okay, I’m officially interested. But didn’t you say something about this being the best lesbian love story this year?
Yeah — I actually said this decade. Because the romance that develops between Tig and Kate in season two is so authentic and touching, it will make you feel like you’re falling in love for the first time right along with them. As it should, since the show’s love story parallels Notaro and Allynne’s real-life romance. The two met on the set of “In a World…” and became inseparable, leading to a confusing courtship that forced Allynne to reevaluate her sexuality. Kate is in the same boat after she and Tig share a kiss, and it’s enchanting to watch her character’s evolution from then on. A story typically reserved for teenagers, we get to see Kate question her sexuality with adorable genuineness (yeah, it includes watching “The L Word”). Due equally to Allynne’s fantastic performance and the show’s brilliant scripts, Kate makes her way into your heart as quickly as she made her way into Tig’s.
Though underlined with both ambiguity and gut-wrenching honesty, Tig and Kate’s romance is overall enveloped in unbridled joy. So buoyant it could burst, this season spills over with love. Tig and Kate share a musical number from “Fun Home,” for God’s sake. And it works! You don’t just feel relieved for Tig when she’s able to fall head-over-heels despite everything that’s happened to her, you feel relieved with her. Starting with a beautiful coming-out-story monologue from Tig in episode two, the sophomore season of “One Mississippi” expertly plants the seeds of its main romance. Watching those narrative threads grow and blossom is such a uniquely wonderful experience, I feel giddy writing about it retroactively.
But you mentioned that you’re like…a lesbian…right? Is the show really good, or are you just projecting?
Let me be the first to say that there’s nothing wrong with media that’s predominantly culturally accessible to people who aren’t straight white guys. Yes, it’s frankly unprecedented to see a butch lesbian protagonist anywhere, much less one that’s as complicated and compelling and desirable as Tig. Sure, maybe I react more deeply to aspects of “One Mississippi,” because I can empathize with them in ways that others can’t. However, that doesn’t automatically mean the show is restrictive or badly written. I resent needing to say this, but I think you can get something out of “One Mississippi,” regardless of who you are.
You can chalk it up to representation or whatever hollow buzzword you please, but this show is one of the most bluntly compassionate, fantastically realistic things you’ll watch all year. I’m sure all kinds of critics can agree: season two of “One Mississippi” is a winner.