Clip: 1972, Male hero ''rescues'' a woman from a lesbian relationship - THE BOLD ONES, Donna Mills

TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE BOLD ONES - THE NEW DOCTORS: "A Very Strange Triangle" - 10/31/1972, NBC
Back when American TV basically never portrayed healthy lesbian relationships, this episode "rescues" a young nurse, Valerie (guest star Donna Mills), from a same-sex relationship.
Series regular Marty (Robert Walden) tries to extricate her from a longterm "unnatural" relationship with a controlling woman so he can go out with her himself.
The writers, producers, and network could have made this an affirmative story about someone discovering and exploring their bisexuality, but no... Everything here is pathologized, other than her eventual decision to leave her girlfriend (at least temporarily) in order to try to figure herself out.

[@jasonthewatchmansson8873]

Despite all of the "problematic" elements, I would still call this ep a win for gay people in 1972. The doctor does not sweep her off her feet. He does not magically cure" her of her "unnatural" sexual orientation. And, at least from the above clips, the 2 lesbian characters seem attractive and normal. Great channel btw!

[@stevencapsuto873]

Given that 1970s TV tended to portray lesbians and bi women as murderers, this was better than usual. But the "happy ending" here is that she leaves her very controlling longtime girlfriend, at least temporarily, in order to "figure herself out." They could have told the same basic plot in a positive way and made it about someone discovering and exploring her bisexuality, but here, the only plot point that feels like it's not being pathologized is her leaving at the end.

[@NomenmihiLegioest]

@@stevencapsuto873 A classic episode of what you describe about the "Killer Lesbian" trope is the entire premise of a notorious "Policewoman" episode from the middle 70's called "Flowers of Evil" LGBT groups in NYC "Zapped" the station and they promised not to show it in re-runs. Its available on streaming. But I've never seen it before that point on T.V. In fact I don't think they even showed reruns of "Policewoman" with Angie DIckinson syndication at al on s for some reasons of copyright. Good clip!

[@stevencapsuto873]

@@NomenmihiLegioest Yes, the "Police Woman" episode is a classic example. In fact, I have a whole behind-the-scenes chapter about that "Police Woman" episode in my book, "Alternate Channels: Queer Images on 20th-Century TV." The chapter is titled "Killer Dyke Syndrome."

[@travisdavis7591]

LOL...Donna Mill is "Val" 😅😅

[@NomenmihiLegioest]

Donna mills is also the "confused" "femme" girl in "Play Misty For Me" a year before, albeit Jessica Walter wasn't portrayed as lesbian, although she had a bit of a tough chick butch vibe. But that may just me be reading into the subtext. It would be a an interesting film if Walter was portrayed as Jealous of Eastwood and the love interest she had was Donna Mills.

[@softyme63]

What is normal?