“Was any of it worth it?” — Bette PorterSo much dyke drama, so little time. The L Word: Generation Q wrapped up its debut season last week, and we have a lot of processing to do: Will Sophie pick Dani or Finley? When was Jose planning to tell Micah about his husband? Is Bette Porter going to run for president next? And who will comprise our next throuple?While we eagerly await Season 2 of The L Word: Generation Q, here are our thoughts for the bests and worsts of Season 1 and our predictions for Season 2!Featuring: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

Off The Chart: Xtra’s L Word podcast

Best and Worst of Season 1

“I dated her. The birds were a whole thing.” — Dani NunezWhat better way to end a season of lesbian drama than by turning everything into shambles! In this season finale of The L Word: Generation Q, everyone’s grappling with loss: Bette struggles to find purpose after the mayoral race, Alice comes to grips with possibly losing her talk show, and Shane once again becomes a sad boi. Meanwhile, Sophie is forced to make a choice between Dani and Finley, and Micah learns something troubling about Jose. It all ends in a cliffhanger at the airport. Last boarding call for our L.A. lesbians: We’ll see you next season ?Episode notes and extras:The results of Xtra’s L Word Twitter pollJennifer Beals talks to Elle about the highs and lows of being Bette PorterVery important: Shane and her dogRoxane Gay’s Bad FeministMarja Lewis-Ryan tells Variety she’s glad there’s a Season 2, “because if we didn’t, I’d probably be stoned by lesbians for the rest of my life.”Featuring: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturingan Producer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

Baggage Check

“Why would I judge you? I’m in a throuple—with two ex-wives!” — Alice PieszeckiRemember that dyke drama we were asking for? Well, it’s here—albeit moments before The L Word: Generation Q’s debut season comes to a close. In this penultimate episode, Bette’s still pining for Tina (TINAAAAA!), Alice gives the throuple the boot and Shane is navigating the pre-parenthood stage. Meanwhile, Jose’s meet-the-mom date with Micah goes sour, Dani can’t stop working, and Sophie and Finley swap spit. Lies, deception and a forthcoming mayoral race: Perhaps only Angie can save us.Episode notes and extras:Just a reminder that Tina and Bette never described Angie’s heartbeat as “horses stampeding in mud”Ma’am Sir, the Filipino restaurant where Micah, Jose and Grace have lunch #RepresentationWinsNew from Autostraddle: On The L Word’s trans actors playing cis charactersFeaturing: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturingan Producer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

I Will Go Down With This Ship

“Look around. I’m wrong all the fucking time.” — Bette PorterShe’s baaaaaack! Tina Kennard, the other half of the famed TiBette, has returned to the cast of our favourite L.A lesbians—and in typical The L Word fashion, things are getting saucy. In this sixth episode, Bette and Tina hash out the past, Dani does damage control on Bette’s mayoral campaign, Angie confesses her love for Jordi, Shane makes a big decision on parenthood, Sophie and Finley get closer during bro night, and Alice and co. continue to navigate their throuple. And where’s Micah, you ask? Probably avoiding the dyke drama.Episode notes and extras:Jennifer Beals talks Tina’s return and co-star Laurel Holloman: “Even when we first saw each other after a while, it was like no time had passed. Zero time.”Holloman on her return to The L Word: “It felt very surreal.”TINAAAAAAA!In praise of queer women’s friendshipsFeaturing: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

Welcome Back, Kennard

“We never get any good words. Vulva, labia, throuple!” — Alice PieszeckiNever mind what you want; Episode 5 of The L Word: Generation Q is begging you to tell us what you need. We catch up with our hungover favourites post-Shane McCutcheon 40th birthday bash, and everyone’s trying to get their priorities straight: Alice is navigating throupledom, Bette’s trying to be a better mom, Shane’s forced to contemplate parenthood, Dani is shutting down her daddy and Micah’s exploring love and sex with Jose. Poor Finley, meanwhile, is still a hot mess—and in desperate need of some guidance and guardianship. In the end, we could all use an Uncle Shane and a Mama B in our lives.Episode notes and extras:Janelle Monáe’s “I Like That”The rise of the sober queerWhat polyamory means to six queer folks, from Autostraddle: “I view polyamory as a structure that’s helpful in me decolonizing my love life and the way I view relationships.”Never forget the simpler days: Baby Angie, Mama T and Mama B (and Auntie Kit, RIP!)Featuring: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

The Uncle Shane and Mama B Show

“I got divorced on my birthday!” — Shane McCutcheonWe’re halfway through the season and it’s one big reveal after another in the fourth episode of The L Word: Generation Q. Bette finally explains why she’s running for mayor (rest in power, Kit). Finley gets drunk and tells Rebecca she’s in love. Dani finds out Bette is still sleeping with Felicity. Jose shows Micah what he really wants. Tess figures out what’s been going on between Lena and Shane. Shane clarifies why she and Quiara broke up just before Quiara makes a surprise entrance at Shane’s surprise 40th birthday party. And, oh yeah, Nat tells Alice that she’s still hot for Gigi—AND A THREEWAY ENSUES. Anyone want some cookies to go with those MILFs?Episode notes and extras:The LA Times on the westward expansion of the opioid crisisYou’re looking very Shane todayChelle’s fave bop of the episode: Shura’s “religion (u can lay your hands on me)” The L Word Book by Jennifer BealsQuiara is played by Lex Scott DavisFeaturing: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Good Things Come in Threes

“I fucked the priest!” — Sarah FinleyTensions are running high for our L.A. queers—and it’s about time! In this episode of Off The Chart: Generation Q, we process the third episode of our beloved L Word reboot: Dani and Sophie are still sparring over wedding plans, Finley freaks out when she realizes she’s sleeping with a minister, Bette and Angie face off over public school and Shane can’t stop being a fuckboy. At least Megan Rapinoe shows up. Is it hot in here, or is it just us?Episode notes and extras:Inside the Metropolitan Community Church, a queer-friendly haven for more than 50 yearsHow Grindr changed the way the world datedThe last time we saw Tina Kennard invigorated: at a lesbian oil wrestling matchMegan Rapinoe: Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2019Featuring: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

Fudging All Night

“I just want you to know that I would help you hide a body.” — Sarah FinleyWe’re just two episodes into the Generation Q reboot, but there are already so many red flags ???! Dani makes a massive career change without talking to her fiancée—just 24 hours into the engagement. Bette is still thirsty for her married former fling. Shane is hanging out at a random sports bar with Finley—and Finley will try to pick up any woman with a pulse. Much remains uncertain but there is finally a long-awaited conclusion to a decade-long mystery: who killed Jenny Schecter? As always in L Word land, drama reigns supreme.Episode notes and extras:Our thoughts on Jenny Schecter’s death from the last season of “Off The Chart.” We all saw this coming!Where have all the lesbian bars gone?Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party”Making Shane: An Oral History of The L Word’s Resident HeartbreakerFeaturing: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

The Living Legend

“Time’s up, bitch!” — Sarah FinleyIt’s been 10 years since our L.A. lezzies walked off the scene (with the wind machine in their hair, no less), and it’s time for some new faces! In the premiere episode of “Off The Chart: Generation Q,” we meet the goofy Sarah Finley, the loved-up couple Dani Nunez and Sophie Suarez and the very adorable Micah Lee. All the while, we catch up with our OGs: future mayor Bette Porter, Alice Pieszecki a.k.a. the new Ellen and the very rich Shane McCutcheon (we’re just as confused as you are). What’s changed in the last decade in the queer universe that is The L Word —and what (or who) refuses to change with it? Find out along with us! https://media.giphy.com/media/f5dhu3tUavqw5Na7TG/giphy.gifEpisode notes and extras:Jacqueline Toboni, who plays Finley, is the real-life sister of Gianna Toboni! Jennifer Beals talks to Variety about the reboot—and why she’s the lamest cast member The new cast reflects on how the show has evolved......except for Shane’s hair: “Anyone who says Shane can’t commit doesn’t realize she’s been committed to her hair since the day she swaggered into our lives,” writes Shannon Melero“The L Word Generation Q is trying to atone for the original’s sins”A look inside the opioid crisis, worst addiction epidemic in American historyFeaturing: Erica Lenti @ericalentiMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Michelle TuringanExecutive producer: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseMusic: KidKulit

New Queers on the Block

“That hiatus felt really long. It felt like a decade, right?” — Alice Pieszecki It’s finally here! This episode we look ahead at The L Word: Generation Q. No spoilers, we promise! We talk about what’s changed for queer women and trans people in politics and visibility in the 10 years since the original series wrapped in 2009. We share our hopes for Generation Q: Better trans representation! More racial diversity! Lots of queer drama! We offer our first impressions on the new series and get to know the new characters, Dani, Sophie, Finley and Micah. We pour one out for the Betty theme song and give love to the Gen Q music supervisor for Lizzo and Le Tigre. We plan to vote for Bette Porter, we want to be guests on Alice’s talk show and we still have concerns about Shane’s hair.Episode notes and extras:The L Word: Generation QJennifer Beals in New York magazine on The L Word: Generation QGLAAD’s annual report on Where We Are On TV“Brother” by The OrganShane and Carmen have sex on the set of The Organ video shootFeaturing: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganSpecial guest: Katie Sketch @KatieSketchBandProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

L to the Q

“Goddammit, Jenny. Fucking, fucking bitch!” — Bette PorterWe’ve reached the final season of original The L Word run, and one question lingers: Who killed Jenny Schecter? Don’t get too excited, because you’ll never know—and in the end, it doesn’t really matter. We process possibly the most confusing season of the series: Jenny and Shane hook up (barf)! Max is pregnant! Bette almost sleeps with Nomi from Showgirls! Alice and Tasha join a throuple! It all leads up to a series finale no one asked for. Is this really the way we lived and loved?Episode notes and extras:Jennifer Beals in Autostraddle: “I would do the scenes and then go to my trailer and yell WHYYY???” Why Do I Care Who Killed Jenny Schecter?“Ilene Chaiken and her team did not write Season Six with knowledge of Jenny’s killer in mind. They don’t know who killed Jenny.”For posterity’s sake: The final scene of The L Word, featuring a wind machineFor the New York Times, Ginia Bellafante reviews The L Word’s “lunacy-revealing plot points.”Featuring: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Lez Kill Jenny

“Jesus Christ, it’s like South Beach threw up in here.” — Shane McCutcheon at Dawn Denbo’s ShebarWe’ve gone full meta! In season five, we enjoy the movie version of the book version of the television series The L Word (yes, you read that correctly)—because we’ve reached the point in this series where nothing makes sense! We hit the set of Lez Girls, where Jenny has reached peak diva, and meet closeted Hollywood star Niki Stevens (Kate French), white man movie mogul William Halsey (Wallace Shawn) and Jenny’s doting assistant Adele Channing (Malaya Drew). Meanwhile, Shane can’t keep it in her pants and sparks a lesbian club war between Kit and Dawn Denbo (Elizabeth Keener) and her lover Cindy. Tasha fights for her right to keep serving in the military. And Tina finally shows some emotion! It’s the beginning of the end, baby.Episode notes and extras:A brief history of Don’t Ask, Don’t TellMolly Kroll, Phyllis Kroll’s daughter played by Clementine Ford, is Cybill Shepherd’s real-life daughter! And Elizabeth Keener, who plays our favourite lesbian club mafioso Dawn Denbo, is the IRL sister of actress Catherine Keener! “This is my lover Cindy.”Miami’s Great Lesbian Club Wars of the 1990sFrom Carmen Maria Machado’s In The Dream House: When your abuser is also queerWired’s Kam Burns on how The L Word got trans representation wrong—and why the reboot is television’s second chance at getting it right.Featuring: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Lights, Camera, (Lots of) Action

“I can show you that you’re never going to need a man again. You know Papi can rock your world, right?” — Eva “Papi” TorresIn season four, the arrival of Papi (Janina Gavankar), Tasha (Rose Rollins), Phyllis (Cybill Shepherd) and Jodi (Marlee Matlin) rocks the insular world of The L Word for the better, shaking up and diversifying les girls. Our bougie bitches play hoops and Helena plays poker. Alice gets played by Papi then makes a play for Tasha. Shane plays house with Shay and Paige, and Angus plays with Kit’s emotions. Bette can’t play it cool when it comes to Jodi, while Tina gets bored of playing it straight. And Jenny, channeling Cruella de Ville, plays head games with an adorable veterinarian. It’s all fun and games until someone euthanizes a rescue dog. Seriously, Jenny: WTF?!Episode notes and extras:“You’re looking very Shane today.”Consider the Merkin: A Brief History of Pubic Wigs in HollywoodThe making of The L Word basketball sceneThe Instagram dogs of Xtra: Chelle’s Ellie and Erica’s BelleThe history of Don’t Ask, Don’t TellScarlett Johansson: “I should be able to play any person, tree or animal.”Featuring: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Lotharios in Limos Getting Laid

“C’mon loosen up lesbians... You want to celebrate the snatch, venerate the vagina, praise the pussy!” — Billy BlakeyDana Fairbanks, you will always be our sunshine. Season three of The L Word was a literal matter of life and death, as Dana succumbs to breast cancer in the saddest story arc of the series, while Max begins his new life as a trans man. In our recap, we talk about the show’s hit-and-miss portrayal of Max’s transition and his uneasy integration into the clique—warning, it gets TERFy. We mourn the untimely and unexpected death of one of the series’ most sympathetic characters. We get hot over Carmen’s steamy striptease and bothered by Shane’s wedding day betrayal. And we say willkommen, welcome, bienvenue to guest star Alan Cumming!Episode notes and extras:TERFS explainedAfter Max and Ivan: Revisiting The L Word as a Trans Masculine PersonErin Daniels and Ilene Chaiken on Dana’s deathBreast cancer resources for lesbian, bisexual and trans peopleFeaturing: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganWith guests:Kam Burns @kamcburns, journalist @wiredKathy Tu @_kathytu, co-host @NancyPodcast from WNYCProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Letting Go

“It’s not my job to make you a better man” — Jenny Schecter Whew girl, that is the truth! And there’s a whole lot more truths (and lies) in the second season of The L Word. We recap the love triangles—Bette/Tina/Helena; Dana/Tonya/Alice; and Jenny/Carmen/Shane—as well as some dark truths about our beloved L.A. queer women. We explore the rubble left in Bette and Tina’s explosive breakup—and Tina’s pregnancy; Kit’s alcoholism; Jenny’s traumatic childhood; Shane’s inability to just commit; and a super gross voyeurism/lesbian fantasy plot by Jenny and Shane’s roommate Mark Wayland. We also process some of the season’s lighter (albeit, weirder) moments: Jenny’s Judaic strip tease, Alice and Dana awkward first hook up for the first time, some annoying whispering added in post-production, and a golden shower of sorts.Episode notes and extras:Feminist scholar Laura Mulvey’s bible on the male gazeThe L Word came out in 2004; in real life, it would have taken Bette and Tina four more years to get legally married in L.A.The coming out haircut is still a thingThe super creepy Mark Wayland is played by Eric Lively—Blake Lively’s brother!BuzzFeed’s Shannon Keating recently braved the Olivia cruise, the notorious travel company for queer women, and proceeded to blow up her lifeIt’s here! The Betty theme song we all love to hateFeaturing: Rachel Giese @rachelagieseErica Lenti @ericalentiEternity Martis @eternitymartisMichelle Turingan @chelleturinganProducer and editor: Corey Misquita @coreymisquitaSenior producer: Rachel Matlow @rachelmatlowExecutive producer: Rachel GieseMusic: KidKulit

Lesbian Whisperer

With a new reboot of the groundbreaking Showtime series about a circle of lesbian and bisexual friends in Los Angeles underway, we look back at the original six seasons and forward to the new series—unpacking the ways those L.A. lesbians lived and loved. From the team at Xtra Magazine.