FRIENDS aired it's final season, marking the end of the classic sitcom era just as television was introduced to a new form of lesbian representation with The L Word.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, a popular telenovela called Senhora do Destino (Her Own Destiny), the campy masterpiece that gave the world The Confused Math Lady meme,
quietly delivered the best lesbian ship you probably never heard of: Eleonora and Jenifer.
Although their story wasn't part of the main plot, it was cunty as hell and way ahead of it's time.
The slow burn plot introduced them separately, leading the audience into caring about the characters separately before hinting at a possible romance only around episode 20, when they finally meet.
Now, let me tell you about...
The Ship:
Eleonora "Leo" (Mylla Christie). Orthopedic surgeon, likely in her early 30s. Closeted Golden Star lesbian and sassy queen. An aloof but centered woman who became a doctor despite the family's shortcomings. She had a whole transmasc nickname subplot and would have been a chapstick lesbian if the author had been more ballsy. Alas, it was 2004.
Jenifer (Barbara Borges). Physiotherapy student, implied to be in her early 20s. Baby gay and cinnamon roll. Her father is literally an Italian mafia boss. A sheltered university student who struggles to find her own identity outside the scope of her family name.
By the time viewers realized where the story was going they were clutching their pearls but couldn't look away. 12 year old me watched two girls kiss on television for the first time while even my most homophobic family members reluctantly cheered on.
That shit altered my brain chemistry.
I have now made it my duty to obliterate the barriers of language and time and introduce them to the English speaking audiences because the world deserves to know.
So, onto...
The Story:
Trigger warning for period typical homophobia.
*spoilers ahead and buckle up for story time*
Act 1: Meet Cute & Mutual Pinning
Eleonora's younger sister, Regina, starts dating a local playboy, who happens to be the son of Giovanni, a notorious former mob boss.
One night, when Regina sneaks out, Sebastião, their old-fashioned father, goes looking for her, prompting Eleonora to rush to Giovanni's house to warn her sister.
There, she meets Giovanni's daughter, Jenifer, and is instantly smitten.
Together, the two plot to find their siblings and avoid a disaster.
The next day Jenifer goes looking for Eleonora to ask if their coverup worked out. They go out for coffee and the two bond over their mutual interest in the medical area.
They start hanging out, much to the delight of Jenifer's family, who had all been encouraging her to be more outgoing and who see Eleonora as a potential role model for Jenifer. Eleonora also introduces Jenifer to her parents, who instantly like her.
Sebastião: That girl is the daughter in law of my dreams.
Eleonora: Say less.
Jenifer just wants to spent every second with her new bestie.
Eleonora is already deciding the names of their future cats.
One night, after going out for dinner, the two are saying goodbye and accidentally kiss on the lips instead. Jenifer laughs it off, it's totally not going to become a thing.
It absolutely becomes a thing.
They start greeting each other with a peck on the lips every time they meet up. Heteronormativity keeps Jenifer oblivious but everyone else starts getting sus of how close they are.
Eleonora can't help but hope their relationship can develop into a romance, but doesn't want to push it and risk their friendship.
Act 2: Angst & In Vino Veritas
People around the neighborhood start gossiping about them until word hits Giovanni, who asks Jenifer if there's any truth to the rumors. Mob dad is trying to be supportive, baby gay is confused and in denial.
She rushes to the hospital where Eleonora works and they finally discuss their feelings.
Jenifer: Are you gay?
Eleonora: Am I gay? I'm ecstatic!
Jenifer: I can forgive holding hands, looking into each other's eyes longingly and kissing, but I draw a line at homosexuality.
Jenifer freaks out, cutting Eleonora off completely when she tries to talk things over, and overcompensating by dating literally the first man she comes across. And I do mean literally. She picks him up in the middle of the street, it's kinda hilarious tbh.
Weeks go by, and Jenifer, still trying to forget about Eleonora, starts partying, skipping classes and drinking, while Eleonora dives into work. Both their families worry.
Jenifer eventually drops the act with the guy she was dating when he tries to take things further. She then gets completely wasted and drives to Eleonora's house but chickens out before knocking and leaves, while a heartbroken Eleonora watches from behind the curtains.
Eventually Eleonora catches Jennifer in front of her house again and confronts her.
Act 3: Friends to Lovers & U-Haul
Jenifer confesses she's scared but can't stay away from Eleonora, who reassures her that they can face anything together.
They spend the night together and the next morning Jenifer says she wants to be with Eleonora but needs a bit more time to tell her family. Eleonora doesn't mind but is lowkey looking up engagement ring prices by now.
They eventually come out to Jenifer's father, Giovanni, who shows support after Jenifer ensures him that she is certain that this is what she wants. Before they can come out to Eleonora's family though, Eleonora's father, Sebastião, catches them kissing and threatens to kick Eleonora out.
Giovanni intervenes and convinces him to talk to Eleonora with an open mind. They talk, he says he loves her even if he doesn't understand her.
Eleonora starts looking for an apartment anyway and talks to Jenifer about moving in together some day.
A few months into their relationship Eleonora finds a baby abandoned in front of the hospital. She takes him in and calls social services agents who tell her he will stay in the hospital for a while until they make sure he's okay.
Later on, when Jenifer comes by to meet him, Eleonora reveals that since the birth parents couldn't be found she'd like to adopt him and that motherhood is something that she'd been dreaming of for a while. Even though only Eleonora could be the legal guardian, since same sex adoption wasn't legal back then, she asks Jenifer if she'd be willing to be the baby's other parent.
Jenifer is anxious at first but once she bonds with the kid she agrees with the plan right away and goes to Giovanni, who gladly gets them a lawyer to help them get custody of the baby while they start getting their apartment ready.
Fast forward a few months, towards the final few episodes, they finish setting up their apartment and Jenifer moves in just as Eleonora gets custody of their son.
In the final episode they announce they are going to sign a civil union contract, the only legal form of gay marriage at the time.
In their final scene, they're together in their home, putting their son to sleep.
The End
This ship became a reference for gay rights in the early 2000s and a huge stepping stone when it came to queer in representation in Brazilian television, but it also pretty much ended the careers of both actresses on mainstream TV.
Sadly, when the telenovela was aired again in 2017, the country was under a far right government that was explicitly anti-LGBT and most of the content involving their relationship was censored.
To this day, when I hear about another attempt to take down gay or trans rights, I remember being 12 years old in a room filled with homophobic relatives and watching this silly telenovela that taught me that being gay was okay.
i miss when subscriptions didnt really exist and you could just pay one time to buy an app or some software, and then just.. have it. without ads. without recurring costs. without more paywalls. it was just yours forever.
I’m going to level with you. I have listened to The Devil Went Down to Georgia for most of my life. We were a country music household, this was a staple of my childhood along with Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, and that one Chipmunks country album.
I have no idea what “Fire on the mountain run boys run/The Devil's in the house of the rising sun/Chicken in the bread pan picking out dough/Granny does your dog bite no child no” means and at this point I’m too scared to ask.
this is the key part of the song, that a lot of people miss. people have this misconception that the contest between Johnny and The Devil is about who is the better fiddle player. but it isn't. its about who is the better fiddler.
in a time before things like radios and record players, every time you heard music was because there was somebody in the room with you playing an instrument. and many, many, many social events involved dancing, which requires music. so, if you're planning any kind of gathering in the american south or appalachia, you need to find a fiddler. and the fiddler's job is to play music that everybody knows and likes and can dance to.
the mistake The Devil makes in his bet with Johnny is that he misinterprets the contest as being about technical ability, so he has this big flashy song. he plays fast and impressively with a band of demons playing unfamiliar instruments in unfamiliar rhythms. he's definitely more skilled at playing than Johnny, and thinks he has it in the bag.
but Johnny wins because the contest is about being the best fiddler. the song uses these lines mentioned above as a shorthand for saying that Johnny is playing these songs. Johnny launches into a set of the most popular songs, played well, and that's what gives him his big win. A good fiddler knows all the hits, and can read the room to know what to play next. The Devil loses because he completely fails to read the room, and doesn't know the right songs.
