Why I'm Ashamed to ask for L Word Season 4

I dusted off the old routine this year. We've been together for six years, and I'm a true child at Christmas, making lists dropping hints better than Ralphie's best attempts. Trying to seem natural I said, "Did you watch any After School Specials?"
"Huh?" My partner's response. They did have television on the farm, it's just that there is a fourteen year age difference, "The After School Specials. They ran from 1974 until like 1989. Totally crossing both our generations!"
"I've never heard of them," The response was not shocking, as my partner was cool as a young teen all blonde and cute, while I came home from school to watch after school specials in the kitchen with peanut butter on celery sticks alongside my mom. Well, as my mom made dinner and yelled at us kids.
"Come on," I pleaded, "They were the epitome of cheesy goodness, troubled youths!" I proceed to sell the old series, then casually drop the fact that the shows have been released on DVD in a special bus shaped container, all of them, for hir to catch up on.
S/he began to talk about cooking a turkey at our friend's house, so I don't know if my red rider bb- I mean After School Special DVD set will be arriving under the tree.
I always ask for these pop-culture things s/he's not interested in, really. Like the After School Special. But there is one thing I am very ashamed to ask for, and I shouldn't be, if you think about it. Well, it's kind of embarrassing.
I would like to get the fourth season of the LWord.
Now, to quote Hillary Frey on salon.com, "No longer a brave exploration of smart, successful, driven women who have sex with other women, "The L Word" is just another Sunday-night drama full of desperate women who happen to be lesbians instead of housewives."
My partner has begun to seriously dislike the show. I myself had almost given up. The lame way they treated the character of Max, the ridiculous death of Dana. We own the first three seasons, and had come to an ambiguous decision not to buy any more. But then I saw the previews for season five. Now, I know it doesn't air until January, and we don't have cable so we won't be seeing it unless I buy it in fall of '08, but it looked hot. It revitalized my women in prison fetish, and I like the idea of Daniela Sea's character hooking up with a guy. But season five and season four are not the same, and I've read the recaps. Season four is the season when Landon brought on Johnny Cash- Oh, I mean Ilene Chaiken tows out Cybill Shepherd. I'm nervous. But now, with wanting to see hot prison action- I mean poor sexy brit sadly going to jail, I HAVE to see season four. And I don't want my collection to be incomplete.
So I coyly asked for season four about a week ago. I thought, this won't be a problem, the partner needs some gift ideas (although s/he's a notorious lone ranger when it comes to gifts). I was surprised by how I received such an apprehensive reaction.
"no shit?"
"Yes!" Played previews for season 5. Twice.
"Well, maybe."
"Did you see what's going on with Brit?" S/he has a thing for Brit, it's cute. We call the one who was cool and rich, then poor and lame, Brit. The one who's mom turned out to be gay.
"Yea. We'll see."
ARGH! The Classic Partner LWord BLOCK!


image courtesy of amazon.com