Nine questions we demand answers for in the L Word reboot

Is everyone over Shane yet?


For better or for worse, it’s back: Showtime is officially rebooting The L Word, set to return by the end of the year. The last time we saw LA’s leading lesbians back in 2009, they were running a nightclub, cheating on each other and possibly conspiring to murder one of their own. Like so many dyke dramas and queer breakups, the show came to an abrupt — and equally mysterious — end.

Needless to say, we have questions. Here are all the things we want answered by the L Word reboot:

Who killed Jenny?

The final season of The L Word centered on the question of Jenny Schecter’s death, after her body was found in a pool. That came after seasons of watching Jenny become the insufferable character she was, marked in particular by her joy in manipulating everyone and basically killing a dog (seriously!) to get revenge on a book reviewer.

While no one really missed her, we’re still left wondering: Who killed Jenny? And what did that weird cast walkout at the end of the series mean? Were they all guilty?!

Will everyone stop being so obsessed with Shane?

It may be an unpopular opinion, but it needs to be said: Shane McCutcheon is kind of basic (don’t @ me). After 10 years, has Shane’s sex appeal finally sizzled out? Is everyone over her Keith Richards-esque wardrobe yet? Or is she still shilling for Hugo Boss and making every lesbian in LA starry-eyed with her underwear ads?

Will Alice finally embrace her bisexuality?

It was a running joke that Alice Pieszecki was a “boring bisexual” — something considered even remotely funny in the early aughts, when bisexual visibility was at a minimum. But now, with more and more representation for people across the LGBTQ2 spectrum in media, will Alice be more accepting of her identity? Could she actually be a good role model for bisexual women?

 

Will trans women finally get some representation?

Speaking of representation: how is it that this group of LA queers doesn’t know a single trans woman?

We can only hope the reboot does a better job with its trans characters overall. Let’s not understate just how abysmal its representations of Max Sweeney — who couldn’t find an ounce of true happiness and was reduced to stereotypes — and Ivan — whose gender is made a sticking point in a relationship with Kit Porter, who defined herself as straight — were. We so desperately ask: Will trans folks finally be treated with dignity and respect on The L Word?

Will Bette’s power suits return?

Bette Porter may have made some really poor decisions (never forget the time she cheated on Tina with a carpenter, and later cheated on Jodi with . . . Tina), but she rocked a mean power suit. How has her wardrobe grown in the past decade? And how many blazers does she now own?

Will there be a new theme song?

Or will we be stuck enduring another season of talking, laughing, loving, breathing, fighting, fucking, crying, drinking?

Where are the others?

Showrunners have confirmed Shane, Bette and Alice will be returning to The L Word. But we’re more interested in what happened to the others: Did Carmen ever find true love? Is Papi still living her best life? Is Lara okay? Seriously, she just disappeared.

What happened to the kids?

And let’s not forget about the children. In between all of those steamy hookups were a bunch of storylines about kids that we collectively forgot about. Bette and Tina’s baby, Angelica, would be a teenager now. Shane’s little brother, Shay, left after a season. And Max was pregnant! Where are the kids now?

How big is The Chart now?

A lot of sex can happen in 10 years. Has Alice’s apartment been overrun by The Chart? How many hundreds of women have been added? And is Shane still at its centre?

Erica Lenti

Erica Lenti is a deputy editor at Chatelaine and a former editor at Xtra.

Read More About:
TV & Film, Culture, Opinion, The L Word

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