Warning: spoilers ahead.
No Good Deed, one of Netflix’s most recent limited series created by Liz Feldman, had me hooked after seeing one clip of Kate Moennig (The L Word) and Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks, Scooby Doo) in bed together. Um, yes please.
I immediately re-purchased a Netflix subscription to investigate: How Gay Is It?
Although there is less of Kate Moennig’s character (who is really just Shane if Shane was a real estate developer) in the series than I would have hoped, the series does feature two prominent WLW couples.
Gwen (Kate) is a sultry real estate mogul, who is tangled up with Margo (Linda). Here’s where it gets juicy. Margo is married to JD (Luke Wilson), but that doesn’t stop her from having a few affairs on the side. The marriage is tense and mainly motivated by Margo’s need for a high-end lifestyle. Gwen makes it clear she’s not looking for drama, as many lesbians say but few lesbians actually mean.
The show includes another lesbian couple, which represents the slightly more stable members of our community. Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) portrays Leslie, a nosy attorney who is dying to crack a murder mystery case. Her wife, Sarah (Poppy Lui), is a doctor who is dying to get pregnant, even if that means she does it behind Leslie’s back.
These couples (plus Margo’s actual husband, lest we forget) are connected by their desire to purchase a villa that just went up on the market. Dennis (O-T Fagbenle) and Carla (Teyonah Parris), a newly married pregnant couple, are also throwing their hat in the ring while they deal with money troubles, a health scare, and a very attached mother-in-law.
The contenders are led by real estate agent Greg (Matt Rogers), a coke-loving gay man who is just trying to secure his hefty commission.
The home, owned by Paul (Ray Romano) and Lydia (Lisa Kudrow), has a few of its own dark secrets. Paul and Lydia’s son, who was ALSO having an affair with Margo, was murdered in the house. The murder, which was covered up by his parents and uncle, has remained unsolved for the past three years. As Paul and Lydia’s relationship crumbles, they attempt to sell the house and keep the juicy murder details under wraps.
What the family doesn’t account for however, is the determination of a lesbian couple who loves to be in on the drama. Leslie and Sarah work tirelessly (breaking into the house, getting details from a nosy neighbor, and even stealing the son’s autopsy) to uncover the truth behind the murder. Not only do they solve the case, they also win the house! In a flash-forward moment, we see the couple prepare to welcome their new son into the home.
The star-studded cast of characters gives you a little bit of everything. Margo, the big-sunglass wearing and credit card swiping girl with evil overtones, gives you someone to hate or someone to love- depending on your preference. Her tacky, bordering-on-campy style would almost count as evil genius if she got away with it.
Leslie and Sarah show you can have a stable queer relationship in LA, even if you secretly inject yourself with IVF. The career power couple worked through their issues and came out better on the other side. If that’s not inspirational, I don’t know what is.
And, of course, No Good Deed gets major brownie points for sneaking in Gwen (does Kate Moennig ever age?) and Greg, who provides hilarious comic relief during some tense moments.
If you do sit down to watch this series, be ready to binge the whole thing in one sitting. It is that addicting.
So, How Gay Is It? We give No Good Deed 4 carabiners out of 5. If the show is renewed for a season two, we politely request three lesbian couples.
