Wh 'Generatn Q,' 'The L Word' leav Wt Hollywood for Silver Lake — tracg the changg center of gravy gay L.A.
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IT’S GREAT ‘THE L WORD’ IS BACK. BUT WHAT DO ‘GENERATN Q’ WANT TO SAY?GROUP DYNAMICLIKE S GROUNDBREAKG PRECSOR, ‘THE L WORD: GENERATN Q’ WILL HAVE A RABOW SPOTLIGHT ON S GROWG PAS. LET’S HOPE MIX OLD AND NEW CHARACTERS, AND FDS S VOICE.TRISH BENDIXPUBLISHED DEC. 08, 2019 5:03AM EST HILARY BRONWYN GAYLE/SHOWTIMEWHAT IS LIKE TO HAVE THE L WORD BACK? THE ANSWER IS: VERY WELE, THOUGH WH RERVATNS. BUT AT LEAST TELEVISN’S ONLY ALL-LBIAN DRAMA IS RETURNED TO BRIGHT, FAIARLY GLOSSY LIFE, S OLD-MEETS-NEW GROUP OF CHARACTERS LOOKG WAY MORE DIVERSE THAN BEFORE. (WARNG: LIGHT SPOILERS FOLLOW.) ON SUNDAY NIGHT, SHOWTIME’S THE L WORD: GENERATN Q BEGS, 10 YEARS AFTER THE L WORD WENT OFF THE AIR. ITS ORIGAL SHOWNNER ILENE CHAIKEN HAS PASSED THE BATON TO PLAYWRIGHT-TURNED-SCREENWRER MARJA-LEWIS RYAN, WHO HAS HAD MANY TOUGH CISNS TO MAKE (ONE: GET RID OF THAT GOD-AWFUL BETTY THEME SONG). WHILE THE ORIGAL SHOW HAD MANY FANS, ALSO HAD JT AS MANY CRICS—SOME, LIKE THIS REVIEWER, SERVG AS BOTH. LIKE THE ORIGAL, GENERATN Q CENTERS ON A GROUP OF IENDS— THIS SE, RETURNG LEADS BETTE (JENNIFER BEALS), ALICE (LEISHA HAILEY), AND SHANE (KATHERE MOENNIG) AS WELL AS A YOUNGER, QUEERER ST OF NEWERS, NAMELY ANDROGYNO FUCKBOI FLEY (JACQUELE TOBONI); LATX PR EXEC DANI (ARIENNE MANDI); HER PARTNER, AO-DOMIN TELEVISN PRODUCER SOPHIE (ROSANNY ZAYAS); AND THEIR ROOMMATE, GAY ASIAN TRANS TA MIH (LEO SHENG).RYAN HAD SOME URSE RRECTN TO DO WH Q, AND THAT IS ULTIMATELY WHAT IS SO TRATG ABOUT THE FIRST THREE EPISOS. BEE WHILE THE SELF-ED “OGS” PROVI FOR A WELG NOSTALGIA, THE NEW CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYL FEEL TOO EQUENTLY VOID OF EMOTNAL PTH, AT LEAST THE EARLIT EPISOS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW. TOO OFTEN, THEIR STORY ARCS AND DIALOGUE ARE GHT WH MELODRAMA AND CLICH AND DON’T EARN VIEWERS’ AFFY JT YET. WE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHO THEY ARE AS PEOPLE, ASI OM WHAT DIVERSY BOX THEY CHECK OFF FOR A SHOW WHOSE BIGGT FAILURE WAS ACCURATELY SERVICG THE VAST MUNY CLAIMED TO. (IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH THE WAY OF BODY OR ENOMIC DIVERSY. PERHAPS THAT DON'T F TO THE SHOW’S IA OF “ASPIRATNAL”?) NOW, THE SOAP HAS TURNED A LTLE TOO SELF-AWARE AND, EXCEPT FOR THE SEX SCEN, FEELS LIKE MIGHT BE MORE AT HOME ON LIFETIME THAN SHOWTIME.IT’S NO FLT OF THE ACTORS, WHO ARE CLEARLY BETTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE BEG PROVID WH AND, STARK NTRAST TO THE ORIGAL, ARE ALL PART OF THE LGBTQ MUNY. (HAILEY WAS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY ST MEMBER WHEN THE L WORD WAS ON AIR.) ANOTHER EVOLUTN OM THE ORIGAL: SEVERAL OF THE NEW REGULAR AND RECURRG ST MEMBERS ARE PEOPLE OF LOR, THE ACTORS OM THE SAME ETHNIC BACKGROUND OF THEIR CHARACTERS. (TO PARAPHRASE ILENE CHAIKEN'S SPEAKG BEFORE SHOWTIME'S PREMIERE LOS ANGEL ON MONDAY, A LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN EXPECTED OM VIEWERS AND THE MUNY HAS CHANGED BETWEEN SHOWS.)BUT REALY, WHAT’S CHANGED IS NOT WHAT VIEWERS EXPECT BUT HOW ACUNTABLE WORKS AND PRODUCERS HAVE TO BE TO VIEWERS AND THE POPULATNS THEY REPRENT 2019, AND GENERATN Q IS PROOF OF HOW AN ATTEMPT TO RIGHT SOME LONGSTANDG WRONGS N LEAVE "DIVERSE" CHARACTERS LIVERED HALF-EMPTY. AT THIS POT, THERE’S A CLEAR DIVI BETWEEN THE RICHNS AND AFFECTN AFFORD TO BETTE, ALICE, AND SHANE (THOUGH 'S DISAPPOTG THERE ARE NO OTHER RETURNG ST MEMBERS OM THE L WORD, AT LEAST NOT YET), AND THE NEW NTGENT—SPE THEIR BEG WOVEN TO THE L WORD WORLD THROUGH JOBS AT BOTH BETTE’S MPAIGN TO BEE MAYOR OF LOS ANGEL AND THE DAYTIME TELEVISN TALK SHOW ALICE PRIS OVER—FAILS TO PTURE THE LIGHTNG--A-BOTTLE EFFECT THE L WORD ONCE HAD. THAT LIGHTNG--A-BOTTLE REALLY WAS SOMETHG. THE L WORD PREMIERED AT A TIME WHEN LBIANS WERE EXPECTED TO BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHG THEY WERE GIVEN. IT WAS 2004, AND THE SUCCS OF THE WORK'S AMERIN TAKE ON THE BRISH H QUEER AS FOLK AFFORD THE L WORD CREATORS ILENE CHAIKEN, MICHELE ABBOTT, AND KATHY GREENBERG A CHANCE AT A SEXY, SAPPHIC SOAP THAT WOULD APPEAL NOT JT TO THE QUEER MUNY, BUT TO VOYRISTIC STRAIGHT VIEWERS. EARLY ADVERTISEMENTS AND PHOTOSHOOTS HAD THE ST HYPER-SEXUALLY POSED, NAKED, HOLDG, HUGGG, OR SOMETIM DRAPG THEMSELV ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER.TEN YEARS LATER, LBIAN AND OTHERWISE QUEER VISIBILY HAS BEE MUCH MORE CELEBRATED. THE CW HAS OPENLY GAY ACTRS RUBY ROSE STARRG AS THE LBIAN LEAD BATWOMAN, WHILE ELLEN DEGENER NTU TO DOMATE DAYTIME AND KRISTEN STEWART, NOW OUT AND PROUD, WILL STAR ALONGSI MACKENZIE DAVIS HAPPIT SEASON, AN UPG HOLIDAY-THEMED ROM- ABOUT TWO WOMEN LOVE, DIRECTED BY CLEA DUVALL. “IN S IMPERFECT, UPLIFTG, AND OFTENTIM SENDG-UP OF WOMEN-LOVG-WOMEN CULTURE, THE L WORD CREATED A SPACE FOR QUEER WOMEN TO TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP, ADOPTG THE CHARACTERS, THEIR QUIPS, THEIR QUIRKS, AND THEIR STORYL TO THEIR OWN LIV AS SHARED VERNACULAR; A LBIAN SHORTHAND” THIS WOULD HAVE FELT LIKE A FANTASY THE EARLY-2000S, WHEN THE L WORD WAS THE RARE POP CULTURE OFFERG THAT PORTRAYED LBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND QUEER WOMEN RELATN NOT JT TO THE WIR WORLD, BUT TO EACH OTHER. IT WAS SIR BASEBALL FOR A MUNY OF PEOPLE LONG IGNORED AND OTHERWISE VISIBLE. AT THE HEIGHT OF PRE-STREAMG SCHLG YOUR ENTIRE DAY AROUND A TELEVISN SHOW, THE L WORD WAS MT-SEE TV THAT BEME WATEROLER TALK FOR NOW GOG ON 15 YEARS, VIEWG PARTI, TRIVIA NIGHTS, AND ALL.IN S IMPERFECT, UPLIFTG, AND OFTENTIM SENDG-UP OF WOMEN-LOVG-WOMEN CULTURE, THE L WORD CREATED A SPACE FOR QUEER WOMEN TO TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP, ADOPTG THE CHARACTERS, THEIR QUIPS, THEIR QUIRKS, AND THEIR STORYL TO THEIR OWN LIV AS SHARED VERNACULAR; A LBIAN SHORTHAND.SO WHEN SHOWTIME ANNOUNCED WAS REBOOTG THE L WORD, FANS REJOICED. FOR YEARS, VIEWERS TIRED OF REWATCHG THE FIRST SIX SEASONS HAD BEGGED FOR S RETURN, NEVER HAVG FOUND A TE REPLACEMENT FOR THE ONE SERI THAT SUGGTED THEIR LIV AND PERSONALI ULD CENTER NOT JT AROUND THEIR INTI, BUT THEIR MUNY. BEE GENERATN Q IS, EFFECT, AN ENTIRELY NEW SHOW, IS MISSG SOME OF WHAT MA THE ORIGAL SO SPECIAL—ER DANIELS AS FAN-FAVORE DANA, FOR ONE, AS HER BEG KILLED BY NCER SEASON 3 HAS BEEN A NTUO POT OF PA, AND MIA KIRSHNER AS SERI LEAD JENNY SCHECTER, WHOSE MOVG TO WT HOLLYWOOD AND REALIZG HER QUEER INTY SEASON 1 GUID VIEWERS TO THE REAL LIV OF PRIMARILY RICH, WHE, CIS LBIANS LOS ANGEL. (HER MYSTER, SERI-ENDG CLIFF-HANGG ATH IS EXPLAED AN EARLY EPISO, BUT GIVEN VERY LTLE RONANCE.) ALSO MIA IS TA (LREL HOLLOMAN), WHOSE MARRIAGE TO BETTE HAS DISSOLVED BUT LEAV THEM LONG-DISTANCE -PARENTG, AND DIFFICULT FOR “TIBETTE” FANS TO WRTLE WH ANY OTHER LOVE TERT BETTE HAS MOVG FORWARD.ALICE’S NEW TALK SHOW DO ALLOW FOR SPECIAL GUTS TO MAKE APPEARANC, BUT FEELS SOMEHOW MORE NTRIVED THAN THE SLEATER-KNEY POP-UPS AT THE PLA OR CATHERE OPIE ART SHOWS. SURE, BETTE, ALICE, AND SHANE ARE STILL IENDS, BUT NOW THEY’RE MEETG FOR BNCH ON A WEEKDAY STEAD OF AT THE PLA ON THEIR WAY TO WORK, AND THE NVERSATNS ARE LS SPIRED. BETTE’S DGHTER IS A SMART BUT TEMPTUO TEEN WHILE ALICE IS LEARNG HOW TO STEP-PARENT HER NEW GIRLIEND'S TWO YOUNG KIDS. SHANE IS STILL SHANE, DOWN TO HER SALLY HERSHBERGER-SPIRED HAIRCUT. RECURRG ACTORS BRIAN MICHAEL SMH, OLIVIA THIRLBY AND FORTUNE FEIMSTER ARE ALL UNTILIZED AS BETTE'S MPAIGN MANAGER, FLEY’S LOVE TERT, AND ALICE'S TALK SHOW SIKICK, RPECTIVELY. “IT SHOULDN'T BE ON ONE SGLE TELEVISN SERI TO REPRENT A MUNY AS SPECIFIC AND EXPANSIVE AS THE LGBTQ MUNY IS AND WILL NTUE TO BE” THE L WORD: GENERATN Q HAS ROOM TO GROW, BUT LIKE S PRECSOR, WILL HAVE A BIG, RABOW SPOTLIGHT ON S GROWG PAS. IT SHOULDN'T BE ON ONE SGLE TELEVISN SERI TO REPRENT A MUNY AS SPECIFIC AND EXPANSIVE AS THE LGBTQ MUNY IS AND WILL NTUE TO BE; IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK FOR THE L WORD: GENERATN Q AND OTHER LGBTQ-THEMED TV SHOWS TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. (JT ASK LOOKG.)BUT A REVOLUTNARY TIME FOR GREAT STORYTELLG ON TELEVISN, WE ALSO SERVE A LIC DRAMA NOT JT BORN OUT OF OUR DIVERSY BUT EXPAND UPON THE WAY THAT STARZ’S VIDA HAS DONE SO SUCCSFULLY FOR QUEER AND LATX PEOPLE.IT IS SATISFYG TO REVIS SOME OF THE WELL-TRODN STORI OF THE L WORD THROUGH BETTE’S NTUO BAD CISN-MAKG AND VIL-MAY-RE ATTU ABOUT FILY, AND SHANE’S ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT HERSELF OM ANY EMOTNAL VTMENT, BUT THE DISNNECT BETWEEN NEW AND OLD MAY NOT FE QUICKLY ENOUGH FOR SOME FANS TO STICK WH THEIR SHOWTIME SUBSCRIPTN. WELE BACK THE L WORD. NOW, GO FD YOURSELF. TRISH BENDIX
* l word gay cast members *
An openly gay public figure, she’s never one to shy away om discsg her sexualy or many other hot button issu.
Hilary B Gayle/Showtime. She's nng for Los Angel mayor as the first openly gay woman ndidate, addn to raisg a teenage Bette's clearly been booked and by, Beals hasn't been stg around watchg the clock tick the past 10 years, eher.
Cast members and the creator of the Showtime seri “The L Word” are praisg Print Joe Bin for his support of LGBTQ rights. The groundbreakg show followed the liv of lbian iends Los Angel, stgglg wh romance and reers. Actors Leisha Hailey, Jennifer Beals and Kathere Moennig and executive producer Ilene Chaiken joed Whe Hoe prs secretary Kare Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay woman to hold the job, at a prs briefg Tuday honor of Lbian Visibily Week. Chaiken said the LGBTQ muny is “pafully aware that our stggl are far om over,” cg book bans and attacks on members of the muny. * l word gay cast members *
Gaye Coffman...
Roxane Gay...
Cast members and the creator of the Showtime seri “The L Word” praised Print Joe Bin on Tuday for his support of LGBTQ rights. Actors Leisha Hailey, Jennifer Beals and Kathere Moennig and executive producer Ilene Chaiken joed Whe Hoe prs secretary Kare Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay woman to hold the job, at a prs briefg honor of Lbian Visibily Week. * l word gay cast members *
Roxane Gay. Grdr Gay. Hilary Bronwyn Gayle...
LisaGay Haton... Gay Boy.