The BEST episodes written by Ilene Chaiken
#1 - The Fear
Black Box - Season 1 - Episode 12
Catherine is experiencing hallucinations and refuses Dr. Hartramph’s urging to be admitted into a hospital. Her behavior is becoming increasingly manic and it isn’t long before Mahmoud begins to piece together what she’s seeing. Meanwhile, Bickman is reluctant to go back into the operating room after Joey’s botched surgery. Catherine encourages Bickman to see Lina so that she can re-wire his brain. A woman confronts a knife-wielding man on the street and the team wonders if it’s really a display of bravery or if she has an absence of fear.
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#2 - Toil and Trouble (2)
Empire (2015) - Season 3 - Episode 18
As Lucious gets ready to launch EMPIRE Las Vegas with Giuliana at his side, Cookie pulls together her own team of allies to wreak havoc on the opening. The final five minutes will leave viewers speechless.
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#3 - Limb from Limb
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 14
As the "Provocations" opening approaches, Bette struggles with a temptation. After some sad news, Dana turns to Tonya, leaving Alice unhappy. Shane tries to let Clea down gently but it backfires in her face.
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#4 - Past is Prologue
Empire (2015) - Season 2 - Episode 18
After a life-changing experience, Jamal refuses to make music until his family ends its seemingly endless cycle of violence and fighting. Meanwhile, the Feds are tailing Anika because they want to force her to testify against Lucious. In order to protect her family, Cookie organizes a meeting at Hakeem and Laura’s wedding with various people from her and Lucious’ past.
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#5 - A Rose by Any Other Name
Empire (2015) - Season 2 - Episode 12
With Hakeem acting as Empire’s CEO, Camilla sinks her claws further and further into him. The rest of the Lyon family tries to get him to rejoin their side, but Hakeem has his own plan. Meanwhile, Jamal receives backlash from his fans and Andre and Rhonda’s marriage is tested.
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#6 - The Devils Are Here
Empire (2015) - Season 2 - Episode 1
Three months after the shocking arrest and incarceration of Empire Entertainment head Lucious Lyon. Still in federal lockup, Lucious is trying to run Empire from inside, while a headline-grabbing state prosecutor hangs her political ambitions on bringing him down – no matter what it takes. Meanwhile, Cookie stages a star-studded #FreeLucious concert in his support, while scheming with Andre, Hakeem, Anika and the business savvy Mimi Whiteman to finalize the hostile takeover of Empire.
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#7 - Die But Once
Empire (2015) - Season 1 - Episode 11
Jamal and Lucious are on their way to forming a music-centered relationship, but once again, Lucious has a secret that’s about to change everything. Hakeem decides to flirt with the enemy, while trying to figure out what the best move is for his career. Meanwhile, Cookie is cooking up a plan of her own.
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#8 - Civil Hands Unclean
Empire (2015) - Season 3 - Episode 15
Angelo’s relationship with Cookie turns toxic and leaves her questioning her decisions. Hakeem makes a public plea for Lucious to give him paternity of Bella during his return to Empire Xstream. Meanwhile, Cookie becomes increasingly more suspicious of Lucious’ intentions with Giuliana and Empire’s future in Vegas, and Lucious and Jamal work overtime to finish their albums.
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#9 - The Devil Quotes Scripture
Empire (2015) - Season 1 - Episode 3
The Lyons head to Philadelphia and get a taste of what their life could have been if Lucious hadn’t made it big. Lucious promotes Hakeem’s new relationship with hip-hop star Tianna, but tensions rise when another woman tries to catch Hakeem’s eye.
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#10 - A Furnace For Your Foe
Empire (2015) - Season 3 - Episode 9
Cookie attempts to help Angelo appeal to the masses and win the mayoral bid, by hosting a free park concert. Meanwhile, the FBI continues to investigate Lucious and freezes all of Empire’s assets, which has major repercussions.
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#11 - Locked Up
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 13
After a riot at the gallery, the entire gang ends up in jail. Shane rejects Clea's affections, Jenny goes on a date, and Marina makes a move on Robin as she prepares for Drag King night at The Planet.
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#12 - The Outspoken King
Empire (2015) - Season 1 - Episode 2
Lucious must defend Empire’s IPO launch after controversies arise around one of his artists being involved in a shooting, and Cookie proves to be invaluable by helping Lucious turn a crisis into a triumph. Competition between Lucious and Cookie heats up when Cookie hears of Lucious’s plan to stage a huge performance for Hakeem – but not Jamal. Meanwhile, the police begin to investigate Bunkie’s murder.
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#13 - The Man With No Identity
Law & Order: Organized Crime - Season 2 - Episode 1
After taking down Wheatley's drug empire and discovering his wife's killer, Det. Stabler must infiltrate a notorious crime family aiming to take over New York City’s cocaine trade. Sgt. Bell is forced to work with a rival colleague when their investigations collide.
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#14 - Looking Back
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 12
Tina, Jenny, Shane, Alice and Dana all share an eventful trip to Palm Springs. While on the road, they all share their "first love" stories. Back in Los Angeles, Bette hires Candace, an attractive carpenter, to handle the set-up of the "Provocations" exhibit opening at the gallery.
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#15 - ...Wheatley is to Stabler
Law & Order: Organized Crime - Season 2 - Episode 14
As a rolling blackout cripples the city, Stabler and Bell work to stay a step ahead of Wheatley. Jet and Malachi receive unlikely help. Bernadette gets caught up in Stabler's mess.
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#16 - Not Your Father's Organized Crime
Law & Order: Organized Crime - Season 1 - Episode 2
Bell and Stabler welcome two new faces to the task force, and they investigate two seemingly unrelated crimes in hopes they'll be connected back to their case.
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#17 - Who Are You?
Black Box - Season 1 - Episode 3
Will reveals to Catherine he's slept with the hostess at his restaurant in retaliation for her betrayal. Bickman's ego gets the best of him when he performs emergency surgery on a celebrity. Regan reluctantly agrees to allow Esme an opportunity to work with Catherine on a student film. A patient arrives at the Cube and displays signs of being unbalanced.
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#18 - What Happens in Puglia (2)
Law & Order: Organized Crime - Season 1 - Episode 1
Elliot Stabler returns to the NYPD to take on the city's most powerful organized crime syndicates and rebuild his life in the wake of a devastating personal loss. The crossover starts on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit S22E09 Return of the Prodigal Son (1).
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#19 - Luck, Next Time
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 10
Shane gets the opportunity to style a high-profile client's hair, Bette and Tina receive some devastating news, Jenny goes to dinner with Marina and Francesca, and Alice decides that her relationship with Lisa is too complex.
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#20 - Kodachrome
Black Box - Season 1 - Episode 7
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist arrives at The Cube after being hit by a stray bullet in Syria. The pressure is on when Dr. Bickman and Dr. Black embark on a procedure to remove the live ammo without the help modern technology. A high-profile make-up artist suffers a minor stroke leaving him color blind. Catherine is determined to find a cure when she discovers that this could end his career. Catherine meets Will’s parents and begins to panic at the thought of turning into a boring housewife.
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#21 - Lap Dance
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 2
Acting on Alice's advice, Tina decides to hire a famous lawyer. Dana and Alice struggle to stay away from each other, Ivan gives Kit the cold shoulder, and Jenny decides to have a serious discussion with Robin regarding their relationship.
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#22 - Life, Loss, Leaving
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 1
As Bette desperately begs for Tina's forgiveness, Tina herself is hiding a shocking secret from Bette and all her friends. Alice and Dana continue to hide their romantic trysts from the others, and Jenny finds herself saying goodbye to Tim as he prepares to leave.
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#23 - Luminous
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 7
Shane tries to dull her pain in the hopes that she can forget about Carmen and Jenny's blossoming relationship. Tina comes between Helena and her ex over the custody of their kids and offers a glimmer of hope to Bette. Dana and Alice call everyone to The Planet to announce their new relationship.
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#24 - Lacuna
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 13
A surprise guest shows up at a sad event as Bette gets stunning news about her job. Tina goes into a surprisingly difficult labor, Jenny finally reaches breaking point over her painful childhood memory, Alice struggles with her jealousy, and Peggy Peabody lays down the laws with her daughter, Helena.
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#25 - Lynch Pin
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 4
Bette travels to New York on a business trip. Tina is shocked and angry about her lawyer's true intentions. Jenny and Shane search for a new roommate, and Kit bonds with an inspirational speaker.
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#26 - Losing It
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 7
After arriving home, Tim starts to worry when he learns that Jenny has vanished. Bette travels to New York for an art opening and her relationship with Tina is put to the test. Back in Los Angeles, the sperm donor's girlfriend discovers a lonely Tina and starts to harass her.
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#27 - Last Dance
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 11
After Dana's family treats the girls coldly, Alice is determined to arrange a special event to commemorate their friend. While Helena's lawsuit is resolved with a surprising outcome, Bette is willing to fight for Angelica's custody. Max lands a job, giving Jenny something to write about. Dealing with her grief, Shane is willing to make the ultimate commitment to Carmen. Finally, Lara arrives from Paris and is comforted by Alice.
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#28 - Pilot (1)
The L Word - Season 1 - Episode 1
Bette Porter and Tina Kennard have been a couple for seven years, and they want to start a family. Their next-door neighbor, Tim Haspel, is excited that his girlfriend, a talented young writer named Jenny Schecter, is moving in with him. But soon mixing with Bette and Tina's circle of lesbian friends, Jenny learns that her midwest university education may not have prepared her for what she will learn about life, lust, and love in Los Angeles.
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#29 - Left Hand of the Goddess
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 12
Wedding plans occupy the girls, and Shane is reunited with her family. Helena pitches in to have Carmen's family flown to Canada, Jenny and Max drift apart, and Kit has stunning news. Peggy Peabody reconnects with her daughter -- but does it last? Finally, Tina has second thoughts about Angelica's custody arrangements, leading Bette to take desperate measures to be with her daughter.
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#30 - Legend in the Making
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 1
After the events in Canada, Bette is on the run from authorities with her daughter. Shane reverts back to her old habits but gets a surprise from her father's wife. Meanwhile, Helena tries to get used to living without her mother's money, Max attends a support group, and Kit has trouble with her pregnancy.
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#31 - Lead, Follow, Or Get Out of the Way
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 9
As Bette has hard time adjusting to the ascetic lifestyle at the Buddhist retreat, Tina goes on a date with a divorced man. Dana, friends again with Alice, is looking forward to a new career. Jenny throws a benefit party for Max but is appalled by his increasingly aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, Carmen tells the truth to her family, and Helena is served with a lawsuit.
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#32 - Lady of the Lake
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 3
Jodi brings Bette to meet and hang out with her friends but Bette has a hard time letting go of control. Shane decides to give up on sex and instead pours her energy in exercising. Tasha faces new allegations. Meanwhile, Helena finally gets comfortable in prison but things are about to change when her mother turns up.
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#33 - Lights! Camera! Action!
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 6
The production of Lez Girls starts and Jenny runs into unexpected difficulties. When Adele impresses her on location scouting, Jenny treats her to a makeover. Dawn and Cindi try their best to sabotage Kit's business. Phyllis' daughter Molly catches Shane's eye. Meanwhile, Tina and Bette rekindle their passion.
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#34 - Lunar Cycle
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 11
After the revelation at the Pink Ride, Jodi vows to fight for Bette. Tasha and Alice look for a house together, and at work, Alice meets a New Zealander fashion designer. Adele finally reveals her master plan: to take over the movie. Finally, Dawn Denbo and lover Cindi deliver a blow that pushes Kit over the edge.
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#35 - Long Time Coming
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 12
Bette seeks Tina's advice on how to get Jodi back, but is surprised to learn that Tina no longer wants to be straight. Alice is devastated when Tasha is called in for another tour in Iraq. Meanwhile, Phyllis seeks divorce, Jenny is excluded in any decisions regarding the movie, and Helena frees herself from her entanglement with Catherine.
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#36 - L'Chaim
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 12
Bette reaches out to Tina as she decides to take her father home for his final days. Jenny struggles after recalling a difficult memory from her childhood, and Alice becomes jealous when Dana agrees to have dinner with her ex-girlfriend, Lara.
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#37 - Land Ahoy
The L Word - Season 2 - Episode 10
A lesbian cruise in the Caribbean proves eventful for Dana, Alice, Shane, Jenny and Carmen. Bette and Kit struggle to reconcile with their estranged father, Melvin, during his visit.
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#38 - Loyal and True
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 12
The two Peabody ladies return to L.A. and Helena makes a tempting offer to lover Cindi. While Tasha has trouble fitting in in her new job, Alice has a fun day out with fashion designer Clea Mason. Bette gives a speech in honor of Jodi at the opening of her latest exhibition, but she is shocked by Jodi's new media installation. Phyllis demands Shane not to ruin her daughter's future. Finally, at the wrap-up party for Lez Girls, Jenny thanks the girls for their loyalty and friendship but is about to get a nasty surprise.
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#39 - Liquid Heat
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 9
Jenny gets jealous on the set when a love scene between Niki and her on-screen boyfriend looks too realistic. Dawn Denbo invites the girls to a mafia-themed night to settle the dispute between The Planet and SheBar. Meanwhile, Bette and Tina decide to go see a couples counselor when they're interrupted by a rolling blackout due to a heat wave.
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#40 - Lexington and Concord
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 8
Tina gets introduced to Jodi, and has second thoughts about leaving the lesbian life behind. Alice and Tasha argue heatedly over politics. Max hires an intern to help him with the workload on OurChart. While Shane and Paige steam up the car windows, and Catherine and Helena make a winning team at the poker tables, the rest of the girls attend the unveiling of Kit's new single at The Planet.
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#41 - Latecomer
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 8
Jenny plans a charity event to support Max when they find out he can't pay for the top surgery. Helena takes the girls to a surprise trip to honor Dana in her recovery, and Carmen is still dealing with the aftermath of Shane's ex. Meanwhile, Bette kicks Tina out of the bedroom and tries to find peace in Buddhism. In a recording studio, Kit gets help from unexpected sources -- but is it too much to handle?
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#42 - Labia Majora
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 1
Bette and Tina deal with parenting Angelica while attempting to rekindle their relationship and handle an obnoxious social worker. Alice has a traffic accident, Helena gets into the movie business, Carmen and Shane's relationship gets more serious as Carmen takes her to meet the parents, and Jenny, recovering at her parents', has had enough with the Midwest and ponders moving back to L.A. with her new girlfriend Moira.
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#43 - LGB Tease
The L Word - Season 5 - Episode 1
Following the events of the season finale, Helena is imprisoned and no one can get a hold of her mother. Jenny finds a rich investor and schemes her way to directing Lez Girls the movie. Shane is about to sign a lease on a house with Paige. The Planet hosts a coming-out party for Phyllis, where Alice and Shane attempt to hook Tina up with someone who isn't Bette. Meanwhile, Bette is waiting for Jodi to come back home from New York.
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#44 - Lez Girls
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 5
Bette's forbidden relationship with her TA, Nadia, could jeopardize her career. Alice, on the other hand, ends her affair with a married woman after meeting her husband. She also gets upset by one of Jenny's short stories which gets published in a magazine. Meanwhile, Angus is caught in a compromising position.
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#45 - Lobsters
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 3
Shane opens her own styling business, and Bette loses her position as the sole provider for the family, forcing Tina to take up a job under Helena. Now back in L.A., Jenny introduces Moira to her surprised friends. Dana and Lara make plans to visit France while Alice still obsesses over Dana. Meanwhile, Kit is surprised by The Planet's new manager who wants to make some drastic changes to the place.
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#46 - Lassoed
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 3
Tina throws a cocktail party to get her gay and straight friends to know each other better. Penniless Helena is looking for a job. Shane takes care of her little brother, Angus' band is on the verge of a breakthrough, and at the art college, Bette's teaching assistant is having feelings for her. Meanwhile, Phyllis attends a ladies-only Texan night at The Planet.
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#47 - Lifeline
The L Word - Season 3 - Episode 5
As Tina finds herself attracted to men, Bette explores Buddhism and also hears good news on the work front. Both Alice and Kit try out speed-dating; Kit with Angelica's male nanny Angus and Alice with a lesbian vampire. Meanwhile, Dana receives devastating news about her illness, Helena pursues documentarist Dylan Moreland, Moira goes out as Max, and Shane's ex drops by to see her.
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#48 - Literary License to Kill
The L Word - Season 4 - Episode 11
Bette finds out that Jodi's been offered a job at an art center on the East Coast. Tasha's memories of the war continue to haunt her, and she is ordered to keep her sexual orientation a secret. Meanwhile, Shane plans a surprise for Paige, Helena is kicked out of the hotel, and Max comes to a decision regarding his job.
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