Episode 11: "One More Kiss"
"Kisses mean different things to different people. Ultimately the meaning depends on the one who does the kissing and the one who sees it happen." In this episode, three kisses are significant.
First, when Gabrielle kisses Tom, she means only to kid around and playfully repair all the insults of his youth, claiming the kiss is for all the cheerleaders that didn't kiss him when he was in high school. Tom understands it the same way and doesn't think twice about it. However, Lynette becomes extremely uncomfortable. We already know from previous episodes that Lynette is sensitive about the possibility of Tom cheating on her. So the meaning for her is steeped in fear. What if he liked it? What if he took it as an interest in her? What if...what if? After he eases her mind about Gabrielle's intentions, she realizes she has overreacted. Or has she?
The second kiss is from Lynette. Despite making up with Gabrielle, Lynette realizes that Gabrielle finds absolutely no fault in her actions. Lynette then lays a fat, juicy one on Carlos. The meaning for Lynette is to prove a point - that any kiss by another woman for any reason can have a serious impact on a man. For Gabrielle, the viewer, the meaning of the kiss brings her to compassion. She understands now how her kisses might impact both men and women in her life.
Third, the kiss between Andrew and Justin means different things to both the kisser and the viewer.
Andrew's intentions are highly questionable throughout this episode, and I keep wondering when Justin is going to figure out that he's partly being used. Andrew MAY intend the kiss for intimacy, but the way he uses it in front of his mother suggests that perhaps he intends it for something darker. Andrew's plight is for control, to get the upper hand on his mom. And his tactics prove effective. Bree flips. For her, the meaning of the kiss is a total disrespect for her values and for her kindness. She tells him that she can't control what he does outside, but that he won't be allowed to mock her values under her own roof.
So, how could this possibly relate to Christ? Actually Christ suffered at the hands of a kiss as well. He had been praying all night in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing his crucifixion was to take place the next day. His closest disciples were near him. But one of his disciples, Judas, was on his way to betray him. Judas had agreed with the religious leaders of the day to identifyJesus by giving him a kiss. When he kissed Jesus, the meaning for Judas was ultimate betrayal. It was a condemnation to torture and death. To those watching, it was power. Power to destroy a heretic. They had previously been unable to capture Jesus, but now using someone on the inside, they would finally snare the one who called himself God. I have always wondered why Judas chose to kiss him instead of just pointing him out from behind the bushes. Why such a personal gesture, when the intent was betrayal? I wonder what it must have been like for Judas to kiss the face of God, knowing it would mean the ultimate torture and crucifixion of someone he had walked with for so long. Amazing, really...
I guess I'll never know why it happened that way, but it is a good reminder that kisses aren't always given from a place of love. Perhaps most kisses are given as Mary Alice said, out of a basic human need to connect to another human being. But there are other kisses whose meaning is much darker, even if it's not apparent to the one being kissed.
First, when Gabrielle kisses Tom, she means only to kid around and playfully repair all the insults of his youth, claiming the kiss is for all the cheerleaders that didn't kiss him when he was in high school. Tom understands it the same way and doesn't think twice about it. However, Lynette becomes extremely uncomfortable. We already know from previous episodes that Lynette is sensitive about the possibility of Tom cheating on her. So the meaning for her is steeped in fear. What if he liked it? What if he took it as an interest in her? What if...what if? After he eases her mind about Gabrielle's intentions, she realizes she has overreacted. Or has she?
The second kiss is from Lynette. Despite making up with Gabrielle, Lynette realizes that Gabrielle finds absolutely no fault in her actions. Lynette then lays a fat, juicy one on Carlos. The meaning for Lynette is to prove a point - that any kiss by another woman for any reason can have a serious impact on a man. For Gabrielle, the viewer, the meaning of the kiss brings her to compassion. She understands now how her kisses might impact both men and women in her life.
Third, the kiss between Andrew and Justin means different things to both the kisser and the viewer.
Andrew's intentions are highly questionable throughout this episode, and I keep wondering when Justin is going to figure out that he's partly being used. Andrew MAY intend the kiss for intimacy, but the way he uses it in front of his mother suggests that perhaps he intends it for something darker. Andrew's plight is for control, to get the upper hand on his mom. And his tactics prove effective. Bree flips. For her, the meaning of the kiss is a total disrespect for her values and for her kindness. She tells him that she can't control what he does outside, but that he won't be allowed to mock her values under her own roof.
So, how could this possibly relate to Christ? Actually Christ suffered at the hands of a kiss as well. He had been praying all night in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing his crucifixion was to take place the next day. His closest disciples were near him. But one of his disciples, Judas, was on his way to betray him. Judas had agreed with the religious leaders of the day to identifyJesus by giving him a kiss. When he kissed Jesus, the meaning for Judas was ultimate betrayal. It was a condemnation to torture and death. To those watching, it was power. Power to destroy a heretic. They had previously been unable to capture Jesus, but now using someone on the inside, they would finally snare the one who called himself God. I have always wondered why Judas chose to kiss him instead of just pointing him out from behind the bushes. Why such a personal gesture, when the intent was betrayal? I wonder what it must have been like for Judas to kiss the face of God, knowing it would mean the ultimate torture and crucifixion of someone he had walked with for so long. Amazing, really...
I guess I'll never know why it happened that way, but it is a good reminder that kisses aren't always given from a place of love. Perhaps most kisses are given as Mary Alice said, out of a basic human need to connect to another human being. But there are other kisses whose meaning is much darker, even if it's not apparent to the one being kissed.
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