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And while creator Ilene Chaiken is back as an executive producer, shes not at the helm anymore.
Tell me about the first time you sawThe L Word.This is actually why recaps specifically are important to me!
So I didnt have premium cable.
The recaps had comment sections, and we all had a sign-in name that said something about us.
Everybody showed up again and again and knew each other.
It wasnt covered by the nondiscrimination policy.
Wed walk in, look at the haircuts, order nothing, and leave.
Like, that was my [queer community] experience.
Ilene Chaiken has since personally given me a reprieve.
I confessed to her, I stole your show.[Laughs.
It no longer exists but it was one of the last lesbian bars in Chicago.
One episode burned onto a promo DVD!
Your journey was sort of aligned with the shows journey.Am I Jenny Schecter?
Im an Alice rising, Jenny sun, and a Dana moon.
Or maybe a Bette moon.
What about you?Oh my God.
Justice for Dana.Justice for Dana.
The only people that really have been are men.
But women like me usually get filtered out before they get to TV.
But shes too suave.
Theshybutch that Shane is almost an effeminate butchness thats what I connect with.
Like, a Benedict Cumberbatch pop in.
I dont know why hes coming to mind.
Ive never said that before.
I want mens makeup.
But when men get their makeup done, by the way, they get grooming.
Thats not what I want.
Bowie was always in a full face of makeup.
You want to look like Leo inRomeo + Juliet.Yes!
Shane and Leo are the same.[Laughs.]
They are the same.
And thats such an important movie.
That era Leo is Shane.
Shane is like, a problem.
Thats the whole point of that character.
We dont talk about that enough.
You dont get a lot of Paige love.Yes.
I know, you dont.
But like, a fully made family?
That scene where theyre doing the 50s house shit I grew up in the fucking suburbs.
I grew up Catholic.
Even if then you smash it.
Another answer is obviously Carmen.
I agree, Carmen is great.
Ill amend to say its between Shane and Carmen.I cant believe that its an or between those two.
That says a lot about your flexibility.
Thats from the source!
Ive actually talked to so many people involved in the show.
For instance, I know that Bette and Tinas pool was on a soundstage.
You just crushed me.Im really sorry to tell you that.
So many of these characters are characters we hadnt seen before.
Alice had some weird seasons.
First season Alice whos ever been that person?
But thats also a strange thing to claim because shes the sex symbol of the show.
Like, Im the star of the show.
Its still something that I care about.
But we should still have those conversations about the things that are wrong.
All TV shows require a second look.
How do you think its aged?
I think part of that is the pace of TV, the way things look.
We really cant go back to a pre-HD experience and have that look right anymore.
Its like whenthe newGilmore Girlswas rereleased, it was like, This is so fucking weird.
you’re able to tell this isnt a real town and its just shot on a soundstage.
And then I went back and watched the original, and I was like, Oh.
This is how it always was.
I had just been like, Yeah, thats a coffee shop!
Ive very rarely gone there.
I recently rewatched the entire thing.Whatd you think?
But all of the problems are more glaring on this second go-around, for sure.
Though I still loved it.So, the problems were actually glaring to me at the time.
It was like, Wait, why is Alice not bisexual anymore?
Why are they treating Max like this?
I couldnt get it at the time.
It didnt feel true to my experience.
But I think the sexiness [holds up].
I was like, Its gonna blow your mind.
And also, just the sheer amount of sex!
And the fact that the sex looks good because it was made by bi and queer women.
What are your feelings on season six?
Are you an apologist?
I feel like season sixdidhappen.
In my understanding, it did happen.
Also, I get why trying to end that show with a tone and genre shift would make sense.
Because so much else had already been accomplished.
And also, we just had the end ofGame of Thrones.So few TV shows have a truly satisfying ending.
So you think Jennys definitely dead?I think Jennys dead.
But did you see Mia Kirshnertweet that she wasnt dead?
[Laughs for a long time.]
Ill just say this: Ive read the pilot.
Thats as far as Ive gotten.
Have you seen screeners?
No!Thats all Ill say.
Ilene has talked about wanting to eliminate the sixth season.
But doing it is a whole different thing.
Or maybe it was just in Jennys head all along.That would be consistent with the rest of the show.
When were constantly at a carnival, in Jennys mind.
With manatees and pig people.
Would you prefer that Jenny be dead?Yes.
Who do you think killed her?Thats such a good question that Ive never spent time on.
I think it was whats her name, Jessie?
]Look, being a movie star is a lot of pressure.
I also love the idea of bringingXena: Warrior Princessin to wrap the whole thing up.
The thing that was nice about that show is that the celebrity guest stars were queer celebrities.
Tegan and Sara did an episode.
I think Tina killed her.Tina?!
I dont like Tina.
Shes whiny and rude.
And low-key racist.I too think that Tina got, um … a very tough role to fulfill.
And Bette should have been with the early-season carpenter.
She doesnt have a ton of likable characteristics.[Laughs.]
Can we do some fuck-marry-kills?Yes, of course.
Shane, Bette, Helena?Okay.
Youll be set for life.
Shes gonna work and I can just relax.
I think thats what would happen with me and Shane.
So I have to kill Shane.
Which is the saddest.
But then Id take her place.
And fuck Helena?Yeah!
Plus Ive met her and shes very nice.
Tina, Jenny, Max?Kill Tina.
Fuck Jenny, for sure!
Thats gonna be very fun.
Max is a sweetheart.
Kit, Papi, Alice?This is really good.
Okay,I dont know if I agree with this, but I think its the truth.
I think its fuck Alice, marry Papi, and kill Kit.
I think youre right, though.
Because Kit isnt gay.Number one, Kits not gay.
Also, Kits like, shes dealing with so much.
Shes doing the best she can, theres Angus.
Dana, Marina, Ilene Chaiken?
[Laughs loudly.]Um.
Fuck Dana for sure.
Marina … shes gotta go.
I cant remember exactly what she said just that it was her biggest regret.
Okay, last one.
Lara, Danas mom, Danas dad?Obviously, fuck Danas mom.
She has the dalliance as a youth.
And Marry Lara 100 days out of 100 days.
Hm, Lara doesnt do it for me.Are you serious?
Shes too uptight.Im uptight!
Lara and I together, well get everything done.
with her little hat.
Whos your least favorite character on the show?Danas fiancee.
Whats her name?Tonya.They say it weird Taaahnya.
Shes incredibly hard to deal with.
The instructions were clearly like, Make this person an annoying human.
And she crushed it.
Its quite a performance.
Do you remember how in every single episode, everywhere they go, everyone is gay?
Theyll meet a random woman, and shes gay, hot, single, and DTF.
Its disgusting and invasive.
But I love the random hot UPS delivery woman, who then Shane is having sex with.
A really fun one.
When Shane is weirdly doing Arianas hair and theres something between them thats weird?
But theres nothing beyond the front vestKate Moennig is wearing in the pilot.That full-leather outfit.
Theres never been anything like that.
Its in a class all of its own.
I think whatever it will be, it doesnt necessarily disparage the original product.
There are issues in the original one, but its also amazing and it changed my life.
Whatever happens with the next season, the first is always gonna be what it was.
Look for Cameron Espositos recaps ofThe L Word: Generation Qon Vulture starting this Sunday night.
