L Word Generation Q Season 3: Everything We Know

The L Word Generation Q Season 3 debuted on Showtime on November 18th. Here’s everything we know about the season!

Episode 310: Looking Ahead

Episode Description: Shane and Sophie challenge old patterns, while Alice discovers “The One” may be closer than she thinks. Dani distracts herself from Dre, until a surprising reveal force her to choose what she really wants. Micah and Maribel make moves toward becoming parents, while Finley takes a big step into adulthood as all of the season’s love, lust, loss, laughs and longing come to a head. Season finale.

Episode 309: Quiet Before the Storm

Episode Description: Alice’s past mistakes blow up in her face, forcing Sophie and Dani to pick up the pieces. Shane drops a bombshell at Angie’s class reading. Meanwhile, Finley helps Carrie seduce Misty, but can Carrie check her baggage and get the girl?

  • (L-R): Jennifer Beals as Bette and Laurel Holloman as Tina in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Quiet Before the Storm". Photo Credit: Isabella Vosmikova/SHOWTIME.

Episode 308: Quality Family Time

Episode Description: Chosen families come together at Thanksgiving when an unwelcome visitor brings Finley to her breaking point. Sophie realizes the price of her indecisiveness, while Maribel plans a grand gesture for Micah, and Carrie lets her true feelings slip. Across town, Dani kicks back for a solo holiday until unexpected circumstances push her and Dre closer, and Shane and Angie volunteer together when a surprise sighting forces them to confront Angie’s feelings.

  • (L-R): Carmen LoBue as Dre, Arienne Mandi as Dani, Rosanny Zayas as Sophie, Jacqueline Toboni as Finley, Jamie Clayton as Tess, XX and XX in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Quality Family Time". Photo Credit: Scott Everett White/SHOWTIME.

Episode 307: Little Boxes

Episode Description: Alice searches for “The One” while Dani fights her true feelings. Sophie jeopardizes Micah and Maribel’s chance at parenthood. Finley acts as Carrie’s wingman while Angie must confront a hard truth before furthering things with Hendrix.

  • (L-R): Fletcher as herself, Arienne Mandi as Dani and Carmen Lobue as Dre in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Little Boxes". Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

Episode 306: Questions for The Universe

Episode Description: In a very special episode, Alice, Shane and Sophie grapple with their biggest questions on the path to finding “The One.”

  • (L-R): Jillian Mercado as Maribel, Leo Sheng as Micah, Jacqueline Toboni as Finley and Rosanny Zayas as Sophie in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Questions for the Universe". Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

Episode 305: Locked Out

Episode Description: Tensions run high as Alice and Tess uncover the lies in their relationships and awkward circumstances leave Shane with nowhere to run. Dani lives her romcom fantasy with a sexy stranger until she discovers some serious baggage that threatens Sophie and Finley’s newfound trust. Meanwhile, Micah and Maribel struggle to take the first step into parenthood as Angie helps her roommate through a sticky situation.

  • (L-R): Rosanny Zayas as Sophie and Arienne Mandi as Dani in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Locked Out". Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

Episode 304: Last To Know

Episode Description: Micah finds a queer role model with a familiar face, while a new face comes to town and helps Dani and Sophie break out of their funk. Meanwhile, Alice tests the waters of her new relationship, until scary movie night becomes a little too scary. Shocking truths come to light when the masks come off.

  • (L-R): Joanna Cassidy as Patty, Kate Moennig as Shane and Jamie Clayton as Tess in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Last To Know". Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

Episode 303: Quiz Show

Episode Description: “Alice leverages her 100th episode as an opportunity to find “the one” with help from a special appearance by guest Margaret Cho. Dani cares for Gigi until old wounds drive them apart. Meanwhile, Shane competes for Tess’s attention. Finley and Carrie make big moves, while Angie discovers a troubling revelation about her new flame.”

  • (L-R): Rosanny Zayas as Sophie and Leisha Hailey as Alice in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Quiz Show". Photo Credit: Troy Harvey/SHOWTIME.

Episode 302: Los Angeles Traffic

Episode Description: Bette and Shane break new ground with Tina and Tess, respectively, but old habits come back to bite them. Sparks fly with Alice’s latest prospect until an unexpected revelation, while Angie heals her heartbreak with a new flame. Meanwhile, Finley competes for Maribel’s favor until Maribel drops a bomb about Sophie that threatens to tear them apart, and Dani puts hurt feelings aside for Gigi, but is it too late?

  • (L-R): Leisha Hailey as Alice and Jules Willcox as Asia in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Los Angeles Traffic".
    Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

New Generation Q Key Art Teases Photo Booth Hookups

Key Art for THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, Season 3. Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME.

Courtesy of SHOWTIME.

Snaps from this photobooth have been popping up in L Word advertisements and billboards and also all over the Instagram accounts of the actors involved (see: Jacqueline Toboni, Shane, Leisha Hailey (with Margaret Cho!), Jennifer Beals) and everybody has questions about FINLEY AND DANI. Well, according to Ash Silver, “these pics are from a photo booth on set the cast could have fun in, except Bette & Tina are photoshopped in obviously.” So they don’t necessarily mean that Finley and Dani actually are gonna hook up this season, but I personally would love that because I LOVE CHAOS.

Episode 301: Last Year Info

Episode Description: Bette and Tina struggle to reconcile their past and future selves as Angie is dealt a shocking blow on her first day of college. Meanwhile, Shane adjusts to domestic life with Tess, and Alice questions what she wants in a partner. At the bungalow, Finley returns from rehab and works to pick up the pieces of the life she left behind with Sophie, while Dani and Micah take big swings with Gigi and Maribel. Season premiere.

  • (L-R): Jacqueline Toboni as Finley, Jamie Clayton as Tess and Arienne Mandi as Dani in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, "Last Year". Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.
    Photo Credit: Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME.

Donald Faison Returning as Guest Star in Season 3 of The L Word Generation Q, Paula Placido To Play “Roxy”

As per Showtime:

Picking up right where the dramatic season two cliffhanger left off, the series continues to follow the cast of characters as they struggle with secrets, old scars and new flames on their search for “the one.” Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals) is on the brink of a devastating letdown or startling confession after Tina (guest star Laurel Holloman) appears at her door; while they determine their future together, their daughter Angie (Jordan Hull) embraces her new freedom at college, finding love in all the wrong places.  At the bungalow, Finley (Jacqueline Toboni) returns from rehab and discovers news about Sophie (Rosanny Zayas) that threatens both her sobriety and their relationship. Meanwhile, Dani (Arienne Mandi) and Micah (Leo Sheng) both attempt to take major steps forward in their relationships, but Gigi’s (Sepideh Moafi) baggage and Maribel’s (guest star Jillian Mercado) temper put their plans to the test. The drama heightens as Shane (Kate Moennig) and Tess (Jamie Clayton) grapple with secrets that could tear them apart for good, while Alice (Leisha Hailey) questions whether she’ll ever find her soulmate, or if she’s doomed to be alone forever. Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Faison also return to guest star in their roles of Carrie and Tom, respectively.

In addition to the new news that Donald Faison is returning in a guest capacity, the trailer and new information on IMDB reveal that artist Paula Andrea Placido will be joining The L Word: Generation Q for at least two episodes, playing “Roxy.”

You may recognize Paula from Hacks, where she played Hannah’s hot subletter who Hannah ended up hooking up with or from Shameless, where she played a lesbian bartender Debbie did not end up hooking up with but they did kiss, so.

Trailer and Teaser for The L Word: Generation Q: Season 3

The trailer for The L Word Generation Q:Season 3 has been annotated chaotically by the entire TV team. You can also watch it here:

Previously, a teaser for The L Word Generation Q Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video which I have thus far been unable to locate on my own interface for The L Word Generation Q but mark my words I sure will eventually! Luckily, fans have stepped in and recorded the teaser for us all to witness:

The new teaser plays with the chart motif once more, showing us clips of Dani and Gigi, Sophie and Finley, Micah and Mirabel, Shane and Tess and Bette and Tina. There’s Dani asking “are you dating me or her” while we see some camera-play between Gigi and Nat? There’s Alice saying, probably to Shane let’s be honest, “things get too real, you get restless” while the tape cuts from Kehlani to Alice! There’s Mirabel saying “you two are so toxic together” about Sophie and Finley, because she underestimates the worth of this important ship! ALSO WHY IS THERE A LINE ON THE CHART FROM SOPHIE TO REBECCA THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE??

Previously, we were served a sneak peek clip of Season 3 from Showtime, showing Bette opening the door for Tina as per the final scene of Season 2.

Who Are The New Cast Members and Guest Stars?

In September, Fletcher announced on twitter that she has gotten herself a new trailer… ON THE SET OF THE L WORD GENERATION Q! A stunning next move after creating so much lesbian drama this summer!

Musician Kehlani will be playing Ivy, a single Mom who is “re-entering the world of dating after having a baby” and “falling for an unavailable woman.”

Also on our list of guest stars? Chrishell of “Selling Sunset” posted a TikTok from her trailer on October 12th indicating that she, too, will be appearing on the program:

screenshots from Crishell's TikTok from the set of The L Word Generation Q

Other guest stars announced for Season Three include:

  • Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy) as Taylor, a “salt-of-the-earth barista with a secret passion”
  • Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) as Patty, Tess’ mom and a former Las Vegas showgirl now suffering from multiple sclerosis and dementia;
  • Margaret Cho will play herself as a guest host on the Alice talk show

Everything We Know About the Plot of L Word Generation Q Season Three

TV Line recently dropped a little bit of buzz regarding Season Three of The L Word; Generation Q: Jordan Hall revealed that Angie will be 18 when the series picks up and “will tackle young adulthood, and her relationship with her Moms will thicken.”

Jillian Mercado told TV Line that “drama, drama, drama!” and “life-altering decisions” are coming up for Maribel, continuing: “All of the questions [from last season] will be answered [and] a lot of beautiful romances and relationships and real-life experiences will be told.”

Previously, we learned from Entertainment Weekly that The L Word: Generation Q is “all about finding the one in season 3” and will include “some returning characters from the original series.” We already knew that Tina was coming back, and I know personally of one other original series cast member who is returning but I was sworn to secrecy. So that’s at least two, but here’s hoping for even more!

As for Bette and Tina, Marja Lewis-Ryan told Entertainment Weekly: “With so much history between them, they’re forced to answer: Would it be different this time around or is it too little too late?” 

Furthermore, L Word YouTuber Ash Silver recently did a set visit in Los Angeles, and Jamie Clayton told Ash that everybody was gonna “lose their mind” about the finale. Other cast members Ash spoke to seemed particularly fond of Episode Six. She also observed that it appears the network is investing more money in the show this season, noting specifically that filming has been moved from the Paramount Lot onto their own lot.

Carrie (Rosie O’Donnell) is Returning for Season Three and May Have a Sex Scene

Rosie O’Donnell has been posting videos from set and on The Howard Stern Show on September 12th, and that she will, probably, have a sex scene, directed by none other than L Word Sex Scene God Shane McCutcheon.

“They said it’s a sex scene,” Rosie told Howard, “and I told them when I took the job I’m not doing a sex scene but the women who are there, they’re so smart and they’re young and they’re in their 30s and 40s and they’re writing this incredible stuff.”

While still uncertain about shooting the scene, Rosie related that Kate Moenning is directing the episode and has assured Rosie there’ll be an intimacy coordinator. According to IMDB it appears that Katherine O’Keefe, a queer intimacy coordinator who has worked on Vida, For All Mankind and Grey’s Anatomy, will be doing the intimate honors for Generation Q’s third season.

On August 30th, Rosie O’Donnell posted a TikTok from set on August 30th, saying she was “in her Carrie hair” and had just shot a scene at a bowling alley. “I love it here,” Rosie said. “People are so nice. Everyone! The crew, the cast, the drivers. Yesterday we did a scene in the bowling alley and today all of my thigh muscles hurt. Or, I should say, both of my thigh muscles hurt.”

Will Pippa (Vanessa Estelle Williams) Be in Season 3?

During a set visit, L Word reporter Ash Silver asked about how many episodes Vanessa Estelle Williams and Rosie O’Donnell were going to be in, and was told Rosie would just be in a few episodes. She was unable to receive confirmation re: Williams’ episode count.

Vanessa Estelle Williams hasn’t been listed as part of the cast on imdb, but Ash’s question and Pippa’s name scrawled on the first page of the aforementioned Episode 301 script do suggest she could be returning, even if just for one moment! On October 4th, Vanessa Estelle Williams posted a video from set — Casamigos Ranch in Malibu — and it seems that commenters have assumed the set-in-question is The L Word Generation Q.

L Word Generation 3 Season Three Premiere Will Stream November 18, 2022

Today it was announced on Instagram that the third season of L Word Generation 3 will be streaming on Showtime starting November 18, 2022 and will premiere on the network grid on November 20th.

The post also contained a lot of cryptic notes, such as a list of names that includes Carrie (Tina’s ex), Pippa (Bette’s… ex?), Ivy (?) and Skye (?), the indication that perhaps “someone gets married” (which could involve pictionary or patriarchy?) and a nod to the existence of time itself: LAST YEAR? LATER? QUEERER?. Other notes reference the concept of “fucking your ex” and “i wanna f u on my livestream” and also a drawing of a person with curly hair, TBD.

L Word Generation Q Season 3 Cast Share Photos From Set:

Season 3 of The L Word Generation Q began production the week of June 9th, and the whole cast has been sharing fun pics from set ever since. Here’s a collection from Leisha Hailey:

Ilene Chaiken came to set:

Look at Kate Moennig and Jordan Hull in suits and shiny shoes!!??!

Look at these ladies heading out on a road trip?!?!

Look at these set pics from Jamie Clayton, Kate Moennig and Leo Sheng:

L Word Generation 3 Season 3 filming: Kate Moennig and Jamie Clayton, Leo Sheng and Jillian Mercado, Kate Moennig and her makeup artist

On June 8th, Leisha Hailey posted a photo from set starring herself, hair/makeup artist Christy Tagatac, actor/screenwriter Chris Renfro and makeup artist Angel Radefeld-Wright:

Laurel Holloman also posted photos from set.

Laurel Holloman instagram post from the set of The L Word Generation Q

Meet The Writer’s Room

Marja Lewis-Ryan has posted an instagram photo of the writer’s room for The L Word Generation Q Season 3 and once again it appears that I am somehow not in it. However, many others are!

L Word Generation Q’s Season Three Writing Team Is:

Nova Cypress Black: Non-binary writer, arts educator and poet, 2021 Outfest Screenwritng Lab Fellow, 2021 Hillman Grad Mentee, Damn Write Originals Screenwriter. Nova posted some pics of their move to LA on Instagram, including a shot next to their nameplate as Staff at The L Word Generation Q, and Lena Waithe commented “proud.” SO!

Melody Derloshon: Producer of The L Word Generation Q since Season One, has previously been credited with writing one episode each season, previous projects include Cougar Town and Telenovela.

Allie Romano: Writer and story editor on The L Word Generation Q since Season One. Previously worked as a Staff Writer on The Upshaws and a writer’s assistant on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistence. Associate Producer on Marja Lewis-Ryan’s film 6 Balloons (2018).

Marie Tomisato: Screenwriter/Director. Formerly a Production Assistant on the horror film Scare Us. Is producing a short called Internal.

Nina Kim: Comedy writer. Formerly a Writer’s Production Assistant on Nancy Drew and Shondaland’s Sunshine Scouts and a showrunner’s assistant on Netflix’s Dead to Me. Formerly selected for Viacom’s Writers Mentoring Program. Semifinalist at the 2020 Austin Film Festival. (Also went to the University of Michigan, just like me and also Leo Sheng and also Jacqueline Toboni!)

Alison Levering Wong: Comedy Writer and Actor. Formerly a Staff Writer for One Day at a Time and Paramount’s Rise of the Pink Ladies. Also worked as a producer at Buzzfeed Motion Pictures and as a staff writer for Disney Television Animation and has performed her comedy all over the place!

María Renée Prudencio: Bolivian writer and actress known for The Last Call (2013), The Eternal Feminine (2017) and Club Sandwich (2013).

The last two are Courtney Nicole and Leah Couvelier, and I can’t find much information on either of them, besides that Leah was in a movie called Realm of Shadows in 2022.

L Word Generation Q Season 3 Is Coming

In February, Showtime announced that they had renewed the series for a third season that would debut later this year. There will be ten episodes, and Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig, Arienne Mandi, Leo Sheng, Rosanny Zayas, Jacqueline Toboni, Sepideh Moafi, Jamie Clayton, Jennifer Beals and Jordan Hull are all presumably returning to the show.

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Riese

Riese is the 41-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3238 articles for us.

102 Comments

  2. Absolutely amazing beautiful woman ☺️ I love the show you enlightened my journey through out everything else that is going on in our chaotic world 🌎 positive energy vibes
    Thank you 💖😊💖😊💖

    Reply to This Comment

    • Wowww.. This first episode was, well. Cringe? Chaos, dissapointing, frustrating? I’m sorry after that ep I had to watch something light to get over this depressing feeling I got. Happy for the tibetters but everything else is just… I must mention the complete farce of the Dani gigi situation, they wrote them so beautifully in season 2 and now it’s just, jolted and weird. And what happened about the jail dad fraud storyline??? Not even a mention of the apparent cliffhanger from last season?? Seriously this show.

      Reply to This Comment

  4. Mon commentaire à moi est que je suis en Amour avec cette émission, les actrices sont très jolies et formidables dans chacune de leurs rôles. Ces histoires de chaque Femme montre bien notre réalité. J’espère qu’elle serons tous de retour. Bravo de penser à nous en continuant cette merveilleuse série.

    Reply to This Comment

    • Why do you even have to comment negatively at all? This is for people who love the show and appreciate all the characters in all their beautiful parts. It makes it richer, more meaningful and adds to the reality of our lives. I happen to have friends that are Trans, so I find what you said to be offensive.

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    • This really reminds me of those studies where people watching crowd scenes in movies perceived the percentage of women in the crowd as much larger than it actually was (can’t find the specific study but this article discusses the same phenomenon across other types of media) https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/how-17-equals-496-the-amazing-multiplying-women.htm

      It also calls to mind the common refrain among conservative viewers that “gays are taking over tv;”“every show thinks it has to have a gay character now;” “unnecessary, not everyone wants to see that;” “ridiculously overrepresented;” “sick of these shows pushing the gay agenda on us;” etc. I often wonder what the ideal amount of gay representation would look like to those viewers. Would they find it more pleasant to return to the tv landscape of the 80s or 90s? (Maybe not; idk who else remembers the 90s lol but I remember similar comments back then about how gay ppl were taking over media with movies like The Birdcage or Ellen’s sitcom after she came out — those little crumbs we had at the time must have seemed very excessive to them after decades of gays on screen being so rare!) Seeing these sentiments applied to trans characters or actors on tv today is kind of hilarious to me given how few trans ppl are actually on tv, but not surprising — when any minority begins to get more screen time than the crumbs they had before, it’s almost always perceived by the majority (particularly conservatives) as extreme/excessive. For those unhappy with the current amount or trans or nonbinary representation on screen, what would the preferable amount be? I want to guess zero? But that’s just a guess, I can’t speak from that POV since I would prefer to see more diverse characters as we move forward, not fewer; and I’m hopeful that is what will unfold as more people come out as trans, gay, lesbian, bi, queer, intersex, asexual, questioning, all those identities that exist irl but are still relatively rare onscreen. I mean, Hallmark just put out their first movie with a lesbian in a co-starring role(!) and poster features this femme, blonde, gender conforming lesbian standing with a man so it initially looks like she’s part of a straight romance until you read the fine print. Like, that marketing team clearly strove to present the character as non-threatening as possible — and there are still SO many negative comments complaining about how “everything has to be gay now.” So fun how many people wish they never had to see us lol. In conclusion, I can’t wait til Hallmark includes their first trans character in 2062 and it would also be pretty rad to see the L word I incorporate a second trans storyline, or at least give a fourth trans actor a cool part to play. For a group that’s apparently so overrepresented, trans actors actually don’t get a ton of work, and there are some really talented artists out there! Would love to see Alexandra Billings pop up!

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    • Unfortunately we got word Vanessa Estelle Williams will not be returning. So I don’t give a damn about this show anymore. They treatment of black characters is so disappointing and disrespectful.

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  6. I Absolutely cannot wait for the next season to make its appearance, L WORD is the best series EVER,please never stop producing it, and if possible try to get the seasons out faster for us folk that hate to have to wait a year for the next binge!! Thank you for an awesome series!!

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  7. Could season three be worse than season two? Let’s see, but impossible to get different results with a showrunner who gave disastrous interviews when the second season was finished. We deserve better stories (at least make sense of them), better writing, better dialogue. Despite the the diacritical marks that mark our identity (me as a biracial girl, afrolatina, queer), it is sad and embarrassing to see the way we are represented on this show.

    Reply to This Comment

    • Whew I agree with you. The stories were awful. But more than that, so was the acting (with a few exceptions, ahem the OGs, Gigi, and of course Rosie). But also, while I think they should be more inclusive and embrace diversity, the way they’re doing it is very transparent and almost patronizing. Like that’s the focus instead of the storytelling. (Don’t get me started on the pointless and cringe poker scenes with Lena Waithe). Why can’t we have organic diversity, great storytelling, and good acting? We deserve.

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  10. The problem with this show is that we can’t feel emotionally connected with these characters and, consequently, with this couples. Objectively, what stories were we told on season two? I don’t know. Season two was a non-story, a non-narrative. Everything seemed so soulless, lifeless that it’s hard for anyone watching to hold on to it. Stories don’t make sense, they don’t happen. More than seeing my color (I’m a black trans), my body, I would like to feel through these characters, to be moved by them and for them. I feel nothing. Worse thing is watching something that you created a lot of anticipation because they sold the premise that this show was made for us and not feeling anything about it.

    Reply to This Comment

    • This is how I feel too— just can’t connect emotionally. (Though I didn’t with the original show either tbh.) I’m not sure how to pinpoint what it is about the show that I find inaccessible? I connected so much more deeply to Work in Progress, even though the Gen Q characters are way closer to my demographic.

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  11. Here’s a “stunning”concept. Not ” all” or some stories will match or coincide with our lives. Having s preconceived perception of ” what ” should” …problem solved..solved. you watch to disagree or complain….don’t watch.

    Reply to This Comment

    • When people say they can’t connect emotionally, they’re not demanding that these stories be exactly like our lives or our experiences. I think they’re referring to the power of storytelling to move us and engage us with characters. We are not asking for biographies, but more human stories that captivate us. If we LGBTQ+ can’t talk about our opinions (positive or negative) about a show, why do a show about us? Can’t we demand better stories? There are currently better shows about lgbtq+ people precisely because in the past lgbtq people dared to talk about what they don’t like in representations about the community. PP have to listen, learn and always improve. We deserve it.

      Reply to This Comment

    • You have a point here. This show is about Generation Q and no longer focuses on lesbians. It is disappointing for many who were expecting a continuation of the L-word and understandably so. I don’t think the grievances should be ignored. Do the show runners really want to lose these fans? The show will die without them. And they keep dangling the “carrot” (Bette/Tina) to keep them. That relationship is obviously dead so I say to those who are hoping, just walk away from this show.

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  12. Ummmmmm I fear that trolls have found the online forums. We hate seeing ourselves rep’ed bc it’s ‘not deep enough’ like yeesh it’s better than nothing. And it’s not bad this q version! I was a bit harshy mccarsherson back in the day but I think we were critical and our critiques were answered in many ways. I look forward to many more seasons. Ps let Tibette finally end. Amen.

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  13. Ummmmmm I fear that trolls have found the online forums. We hate seeing ourselves rep’ed bc it’s ‘not deep enough’ like yeesh it’s better than nothing. And it’s not bad this q version! I was a bit harshy mccarsherson back in the day but I think we were critical and our critiques were answered in many ways. I look forward to many more seasons. Ps let Tibette finally end. Amen.

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  14. I’d love to see more age diversity in the Writer’s Room. I feel like one of the problems Gen Q faces stems from not including voices of OWLS. And while this doesn’t at all mean that the current Writers Room is lacking in experience and knowledge, I maintain that it could benefit from a wider age range.

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  15. All I wish for the new season is not to have Bette and Tina get back together. I’m just like… so done with their will they / won’t they deal. And I’m probably in the minority here but I want more Rosie O’Donnell?? I didn’t love how depressing her character ended up but I love her acting/presence and getting some more masc vibes and chubby representation on the show. The celesbian guest stars were such a fun part of the original show and I wanna see like Tig Notaro, Roberta Colindrez, Tessa Thompson, Lea Delaria, Alexandra Billings, a return of Holland Taylor maybe with Sarah Paulson this time?? I like when couples play couples haha

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  17. When someone else uses the username you went by elsewhere- ugh!

    …but anyway, Tibette as a relationship- super unhealthy. Though as fiction- I can’t help but want to watch them. Laurel herself kind of annoyed me with what she said about not creating memes with her artwork. I thought she was taking herself way too seriously, but whatever.

    I liked Carrie- I know she wasn’t a huge hit around here. I’ve been reading the recaps since back in the day & will continue doing so. Super fun! Onward…

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  18. I’m sorry, I just, Rosanny Zayas in that GLAAD photo !! 😯 I’m used to her character, who primarily wears what I think of as like… grown up toddler chic? but woah

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  20. The only thing I ask for this season is for Bette and Tina to understand that they are great as co-parents, but are ultimately happier with other people… AMEN!
    I want to see Bette with someone else so baaaad…

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    • Am I the only lesbian in the world who wants to see them get their acts together “together”? Maybe some older queer writers could delve into the issues that face older lesbians/older women who are in relationships that are measured in decades.

      Just a suggestion from a soon-to-be 75 year-old. Overall, I absolutely love the show.

      Reply to This Comment

      • Even as a 30-year-old, I’d LOVE to see that. Probably would require a different show, but YES PLEASE to any representation of lesbian relationships measured in decades. Or even new relationships where queer elders are dealing with probs other than lying/cheating etc. Sounds great!

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  21. Kehlani’s guest starring??? They really know how to reel me in. I’m ready to enjoy whatever this mess of a show (affectionate, mostly) has to offer next season.

    Crossing my fingers that they don’t roll out any more minor Black characters just to unceremoniously kill them off to advance a silly lil piece of plot though!

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  23. Ugh, no more Jaime Clayton please. The flattest character on television. She delivers lines with all the emotion and skill of a 5th grader forced to do a school theater project.

    Not to mention, in a show of questionable story arcs, hers is one of the most random and unneeded. Is she struggling to remain sober? Who knows who cares, they ditched that story! Is her character a transwoman or a cis woman? Who knows, who cares the writers never thought to work that out! What is the deal with her mom who exists for some unknown reason? Hey! stop asking questions, there are no answers here, just bad acting and zero chemistry with Shane!

    Season 3 better let Shane free to be an interesting character again and hide Tess somewhere in the background, because that show has enough problems, it doesn’t need such a worthless character.

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  24. Tina’s ex? Did Carrie and Tina break up???? I truly can’t recall and have been under the assumption they’re still together, but this update is throwing me for a loop. What else don’t I remember? Do I have to re-watch season 2?!

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  28. I know I’m not supposed to love Bette and Tina… But I came of gay age during the OG series and they were the hottest thing I’d ever seen, and I love them. J.Beals is still so gorgeous. And I know they’re awful together, and as someone currently in the co-parenting amicably divorce process, I hope to never emulate them. But… *watches elevator scene*

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    • Ha! This is relatable. Even though what I want most is for Tina to be her own person, the catharsis of watching them get back together, FINALLY, in that elevator cannot be erased from my coming of gayge experience. I skipped from season 2 to season 5 just so I could watch them be back together

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  31. I haven’t seen season 1 or 2 (though I’ve read a few of the more entertaining recaps). I think i watched like one episode, maybe when it first came out? Didn’t seem like my jam, so it wasn’t worth paying for showtime for. However, for whatever reason I’m feeling like giving season 3 a try. Do I need to watch any episodes from 1 or 2 to get the gist before season 3, or should I just wikipedia it? (I’ve seen the OG L Word) Open to recommendations for which episodes are must sees (or must read the recaps)!

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    • Showtime streaming online has basically constant free trials (and much less secure than others like Hulu in terms of blocking credit cards that have already been used for a free trial). Just saying.

      I’m sure you’ll be able to follow the chaos of season 3, but it might be more fun if you have caught up on seasons 1 and 2, especially since a lot of the new Gen Q relationships and characters have changed configurations but stayed in queer community as it were across the first two seasons.

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  33. This is the part where I am forced to admit that I was reading L Word fanfic during the break between seasons, and SOMEONE ACTUALLY CALLED THE BOWLING ALLEY EP BECAUSE THEY PUT IN A BOWLING ALLEY SCENE IN THEIR FIC. It was specifically for a date between Dani/Gigi, but I sure as hell wasn’t complaining!!!!

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  36. Can’t wait to see how they write themselves out of the clusterfuck of a storyline they made of Finley and Sophie. Here’s to hoping they just forget all of that and move on to more interesting (and realistic) places.

    And dear lord, no more Tess. Write her off already. I can’t handle another moment of Jaime Clayton’s bad acting nor the wet blanket that Tess is to Shane and the series. Break it off already, let Shane be interesting again!!

    If they don’t quite literally rewrite this show in Season 3 I can’t imagine how they’re gonna continue to get money from Showtime. And trust, I’d love to see this show continue, but ideally with just a modicum of logical plots or at absolute minimum a timeline that makes sense to the casual viewer.

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  37. Wasn’t season 3 of the OG L Word the one where all the cold opens were the origins of The Chart, and the lines were directly (visually) drawn from the women were looking at their vulvas in hand mirrors and Chet being clumsy to the nuns fucking on buses to conversion camp leaders having threesomes to tire-humping rural mechanics to Bette fingerfucking Alice at the opera to Tracy Bonham being Alice’s neighbor for two episodes? Are we about to get such fancy linework in Gen Q??

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  38. Am I the only one slightly annoyed that the guiding theme of season 3 is “finding ‘the one'”?

    (I found that concept to be off-putting in that one chaotic conversation between Shane, Tess, and Finley in 202, and hoped it was a narrative element that would be dropped, never to be heard from again, like like so many other things on this show. Alas!)

    But maybe I’m just a cynical mortal.

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  40. I’m really holding out hope that Finley is doing something other than bothering Dani on her night out, both because I love Finley and don’t want to see her portrayed this way, but also because this already happened!!! Stop repeating story beats!!! Next thing we know micabel are going to be professing their love for each other for the first time again

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  43. I hope we might have an upcoming post/update (or To L and Back launch ep?) with Drew, Analyssa, and Riese responding to that teaser video @sho_thelword posted over the weekend revealing the signs of most of the Gen Q characters… which if I recall was a topic of some speculation on the podcast!

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  44. for all of you brits the series 3 air date has been moved by paramount plus to tomoz at 10pm i just hope its worth the wait PLEASE PARAMOUNT DONT GIVE US MORE PAIN TO WAIT lol

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  45. Is it just me or is Angie the most level-headed and responsible character thus far in S3?

    I’m heartbroken for Tess and she doesn’t even know yet. And I’m baffled at the decision to have Shane go down that familiar road. Just why? It completely undoes any growth she’s gone through in the last ten years.

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    • This really isn’t fair to Shane. She had a bad childhood, worse adolescence and frankly has a lot of trauma. Many people recreate the chaos they knew as a child because it makes them feel safe. They know how to navigate dysfunction. Shane doesn’t know how to end relationships when they are just over and cheats to get out of them. Shane was married for YEARS when the show opened to a very cool lady and they ended it on good terms over a very reasonable difference in wanting kids. That was growth for her. I wish we could see Shane supporting her ex in some way- but does anyone jump right into another successful long term marriage after their marriage ends? Let her be fun! And chaotic!

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      • It may have been been fun to watch when she was young, but at forty-five, it’s just plain sad and toxic.

        And why is this show portraying Angie’s relationship with her teacher in positive light? It just feels so wrong.

        The writers have lost the plot entirely.

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  46. This show truly has gone downhill. There are so many shows that worked so well in the past and should have stayed there. Now they’ve replaced good writing, good character development with badly written drama and character assassination, EXACTLY like every other pointless reboot of an old series.

    Enough already.

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      • I disagree. They got some things wrong and some things right about every character on the show, not just POC and trans characters.

        The worst is that they never solved the full mystery as to why Jenny killed herself. We then all had these interviews which came off more as therapist sessions and less as police investigations.

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  48. All I want for Christmas (besides a 4th season, obviously) is for Gen Q to deliver at least 10% of the storytelling-quality that A League of Their Own did with 2 fewer episodes in their season & arguably 2x the characters.

    The fans deserve better & so does this amazing cast. XOXO

    How do we finally get Riese in the writers’ room?!

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  49. It’s extremely frustrating to me that, as is often the case, the tail end of S3 has accelerated and captured more approval from the audience than the first half. The first half had many of us groaning, not in a good way, and asking ourselves if we were really going to watch the entire episode.

    And my guess would be that since viewership numbers are down even more than they were with S2, we will not be given a fourth season. Not gonna lie, while there’s a big part of me that will be devastated to lose Carrie and her older lesbian perspective and storyline, it’s time for Gen Q to bow out.

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