Random thoughts:
Troy/Lucy comes across as a textbook heterosexual crossdresser. The "transformation" joint Troy/Lucy visited is of a type that caters nearly exclusively to crossdressers, particularly those who engage in the behavior clandestinely. Did you catch Gina's (the proprietor) surprise when she said, "Your wife knows about this?" Probably 95% of her clientele are in the closet. They go there because they have few other options outside of lugging a suitcase full of dresses and wigs to a lonely hotel room. And people like Gina, who always make a big show of "being there to help" individuals like Troy and "show them how to wear makeup," etc. exact a handsome price for their attention and companionship (taking the client out to a club, shopping, etc.). A package like the one Troy signed up for was probably in the $500-$600 range or more, not including any clothing, wigs, makeup, etc. purchased from Gina (they tell you how great you look, then try to get you to buy the stuff) and/or "photo shoot" services she may have provided. Gina's business is not unique. Shops like that have been around for years and advertise all over the internet. They play to the crossdresser's craving for glamour and fantasy, not to give them the age-appropriate appearance of an everyday woman. That's why "Lucy" got out of the chair looking like a transvestite prostitute.
Stacy is a doll. She has beautiful eyes and a beautiful heart. Leslie should not be surprised if one of these days local men start pursuing Stacy -- and she likes it.
The Leslie story seems like a non-starter to me, the primary reason being money. Already she has placed her family in financial jeopardy by going to work en femme. I get that she wants to be her true self, but sometimes practicality outweighs personal desire. There are scores of transgender people across the United States -- many who are not only more financially secure than Leslie but who also don't have a pregnant wife and child to support -- who cannot risk losing their jobs. They go to work dressed in male clothing, then revert to their true selves at night and on weekends. It's a sucky arrangement, sure, but not having food on the table or a roof over your head sucks pretty bad too. They bide their time until they think they can safely transition without being fired (or fired upon as the case may be at the GUN SHOP.) But seriously, a gender transition costs tens of thousands of dollars. Hormones can be obtained from Planned Parenthood but everything else? The cost is astronomical. Breast augmentation, facial feminization surgery, the "gender confirmation" surgery (orchidectomy, penectomy and reconstructive surgery), voice training ... to have it done in the US today probably ranges in the $50,000-$75,000 range, if not more. They never say it on shows like this, but "transitioning" is a privilege mostly reserved for upper middle class to wealthy individuals. That's one reason many transgender people hated the way Caitlyn Jenner publicly flaunted her costly plastic surgery, designer gowns, Kardashian lifestyle, etc. Because many transgender people have no such options. They're stuck where they are, in bodies they don't like, simply because they can't afford to change anything.
How will Leslie ever hope to afford more than hormones when a trip to the nail salon almost broke the bank for Stacy? I don't know, maybe the limited hormonal changes will be enough for Leslie. Impossible to say.
AJ/Karen ... Typical. Announces "I am a woman inside" and almost immediately behaves like a boorish male, cutting Beverly off in mid-sentence and making decisions for her when sitting with the realtor. I also noticed Leslie apparently forgetting which gender she is while seated on the couch with Stacy, seated further back and her arm draped behind Stacy in a mannish fashion. Comportment counts for a lot when you want the world to see you as a woman. Caitlyn Jenner comes to mind again -- there's another who never made the least attempt to alter her mannerisms or body language to a more feminine carriage.
I am struck by the contrasts between the transgender individuals and the cis-women as captured by the camera. The transgender individuals are totally absorbed with themselves, their appearance, and being "out." "Look at me! I'm transgender!" The cis-women, meanwhile, all exhibited heartfelt concern and empathy for each other, whether it was the girlfriends at Ladies' Night worried about Jennifer, the realtor's (mostly) unspoken sympathy for Beverly, the quiet but firm support Beverly received from her teenage daughter and friend, or the honest exchange between Cindy and Jo the salon owner. All I'll say is I know which group I'd rather belong to.
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