It’s been almost a decade since the hetero-normative world was being enriched by radiant queerness in every lesbian’s go-to show. The L Word was groundbreaking when it started, but more importantly, it’s stayed just as prevalent in the LGBT world today. Queers of all ages stumble upon this show, or like many, have watched it numerous times; and still find comfort in knowing there is something out there they can relate to on a more personal level.
In 2016, there were rumors of a reboot. Fans were elated to hear the speculation, primarily after Donald Trump was elected president. A lot has changed, both positive and negative, from the time when the show first aired. After the 2016 election, the director and some former cast members decided action needed to be taken. The cast and crew were shocked that more films or shows hadn’t done something like it since the show stopped airing. There are now new issues stemming from old solutions, like gay marriage finally being legal in the United States. However, many LGBTQ couples are still turned down while booking wedding venues and accessories.
Another major change is that the Trans community is much more visible today than ever before. A lot of fans (myself included) are looking forward to seeing more trans men and women, gender nonconforming folx and POC on the reboot. As much as we all love the cast, I think we’ve been starved for so long we want and need more of EVERYTHING.
What we can expect: 3 of the main characters, Shane, Bett and Alice, reunited. We are completely in the dark about where the character’s lives are now, but many fans have their theories and fantasies. I’ve seen a lot of posts of fans wondering about two of there favorite couples; Bett/Tina and Shane/Carmen. Bett and Tina are easy to imagine, based on how the show ended (which we haven’t even covered yet! Oh no not Jenny…). Shane and Carmen are a total fantasy, but I must admit, they did have incredible chemistry. And hey, with Shane, anything could happen.
The ending of the series was not only left up for the viewers interpretation, but controversial. It is assumed that Jenny was mysteriously murdered. The killer was left unknown, but there were many implications that it was one of the other main characters.
With lesbian bars closing all around the country at an alarming rate, this show can bring awareness to this (among countless other things) and perhaps even save the queer service industry for the good. Queer spaces are already so limited, we need more of something that’s already being lost.
One of the biggest disappointments in the original series was the trans-phobic approach to Max’s character; not only watching scene’s where other’s deliver cringe-worthy insults about him, but the lack of knowledge in the writers room. Many people are still frustrated by this and want to see a change.
It’s safe to say to say we’re ready for our reboot! There are still many looming questions we need answers to. What happened to Jenny? Will Alice and Tasha be together? Will Tina be in it? Does the chart play a bigger role now with social media so prevalent? What is Shane up to? What new issues do they plan on tackling? On January 31, 2019, Showtime announced the revival of The L word, Generation Q, to premier fall 2019. It will be filming during the summer prior to the release. Until then, let’s keep speaking up and telling our stories. We need to continue being visable and speaking up for all of the LGBTQ community. The more we speak, the more we are heard.