My two favorite characters: Alice and ShaneIn a lesbian drama swirling with mystery, Showtime has announced that original creator Ilene Chaiken will be creating an L Word spinoff directly after completing the upcoming sixth and final season.
The as-yet-unnamed show will star one of The L Word’s current characters, though neither audiences nor the actress herself knows. Even more cryptically, the new show is to pick up where the Word’s open-ended finale leaves off.
Showtime may or may not pick up the new series, so it could end up an Internet-only event. But isn’t that how all the lesbians currently watch the show anyway? (I mean, what lesbians can afford Showtime?)
Because Elizabeth Berkley will join the cast for a multi-episode story arc this year as a college friend of Jennifer Beals’ Bette Porter, rumors have swirled that it will be Beals that the show continues with.
As one of the first cast members to sign on (I remember reading about this series to be called Earthlings in Curve magazine or something way back in college) I wouldn’t be surprised. But as one of my least favorite characters (after Schecter of course) I sincerely hope she isn’t.
I’m sure many ladies are voting for Kate Moenning’s Shane, the group heartthrob, and I have to say she would be a decent choice. For all her fornication she’s actually one of the most likeable and realistically flawed characters. She means well but she’s been through a lot. Her hotness, melancholy and mistakes could certainly drive another show. And if they reintroduce Carmen, well, the heat might burn out the TV tubes.
Of course my favorite character, my doppelganger Alice, could also carry a spinoff into a whole new territory of media involvement and Hollywood intrigue. But then again, this could be a narcissistic view. And Leisha Hailey has plenty of other projects, like the upcoming release of her band, Uh Huh Her‘s first album.
What truly might be the most interesting choice, however, would be Max. If he soldiers on we could finally move pass the world of high-powered lesbianism and truly get into a diverse queer world where gender and relationships are not just dramatic but truly complex. And besides, we haven’t had an all trans cast yet, have we? It’s time to move the T beyond reality dating shows…
However, because they give Max about one line per episode, I’m not holding my breath.
Quasi related addendum: A conscientious reader was slightly offended by the “can’t afford Showtime” comment. And although I would have encouraged her to comment directly instead of emailing me I’m guessing this was out of respect. But don’t worry, I like being called out. That’s the nature of the blogosphere!
I hear where she’s coming from. That said, this blog does hold a certain amount of irreverence and I don’t want to sacrifice my voice to the altar of political correctness. It can be a fine line to tread. I have held back from some tasteless jokes, which is more than many bloggers can say.
All that aside, the reality is that most lesbians live at a socio-economic status lower than the general population, contrary to the power-suited portrayals on the L Word. And if I can slide that into a slightly amusing commentary/critique I will. It probably deserved more explanation than a quip can provide, but I also challenge you readers to read between the lines.
Hey!!! Alley, are you dissing on my power-dyke role model, the fabulously beautiful, successful and emotionally-damaged Ms. Porter? I’m going to be offended for the next 3 minutes.
I would love to see more of Max, but since I saw something like 3 episodes of the last season, I don’t even know who the most prominent characters are at this point. But I’m still betting on Bette.
If you had Bette’s moral compass instead of style I’d be worried.
Looks like folks like Alice so far. Yay!