'L Word: Generatn Q' Star Jacquele Toboni Is “#enGAYged”

Contents:

• L WORD: GENERATN Q STAR JACQUELE TOBONI IS “#ENGAYGED”
• KATHERE MOENNIG AND LEISHA HAILEY REVEAL ALL ON ‘THE L WORD: GEN Q’ SEASON 3CLIFFHANGERA WEDDG PS SEASON 3 OF “THE L WORD: GENERATN Q.” OGS MOENNIG AND HAILEY TALK DIRECTG, QUEER REPRENTATN, AND WHY THEY, LIKE FANS, LOVE THE DRAMA’S MIX OF SOAP AND GR.SHANNON O’CONNORSOCIAL MEDIA EDORPUBLISHED JAN. 19, 2023 4:49AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+HERE THEY ARE: SHANE MCCUTCHEON AND ALICE PIZECKI, RIGHT ONT OF THIS REPORTER—OR, OK, THEIR PORTRAYERS KATHERE MOENNIG AND LEISHA HAILEY—A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE CELEBRATED MIL EPISO OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q DARED TO POS THE QUTN—OR TANTALIZG POSSIBILY—OF THE TWO BT IENDS GETTG TOGETHER AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF THEM ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY NOT. THE LOOKS ON THE CHARACTERS’ FAC THAT SCENE SAID ALL: NO WAY, THIS NNOT HAPPEN. OF ALL THE CRISS-CROSSG BED-HOPPG OF THE L WORD, SHANE AND ALICE’S IENDSHIP HAS STAYED PLATONIC AS (SO MANY) WOMEN HAVE E AND GONE.“WE WOULD NEVER LET THEM [MAKE SHANE AND ALICE A THG],” HAILEY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.“TO THE RPECT OF THE ORIGAL WRERS, THEY ALWAYS KNEW NOT TO GO THERE. AND JT RRIED FORWARD,” ADDS MOENNIG. “I FD THE IENDS-TO-LOVERS TROPE IS A B TIRED.”THE TWO BT IENDS AND -STARS ARE THEIR UAL BANTER-FILLED SELV ON ZOOM WH THE DAILY BEAST JT A WEEK BEFORE THE SEASON 3 FALE OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q, WH THE DRAMA RAMPG UP AROUND BETTE AND TA’S WEDDG. (IT BUTS ACROSS STREAMG AND ON MAND TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AND AIRS SUNDAY ON SHOWTIME AT 10 P.M. ET/PT.) HOWEVER, BEFORE DIVG TO THE GAY WEDDG S THE MAKG, ALL THE MAJOR CHARACTERS RETURNG AND THAT UNEXPECTED AND FUN MIL EPISO MT BE ADDRSED. THE FANS MAND . BIS GIVG THE L WORD FANS AN ALMOST KISS BETWEEN SHANE AND ALICE, THE AFOREMENTNED MIL EPISO ALSO CLUD THE RETURN OF ER DANIELS AS LEGENDARY CHARACTER DANA, THE HOT TENNIS PRO WHO AFTER HER TRAGIC ATH SEASON 3 OF THE ORIGAL SHOW WAS LAST SEEN GHOSTLY OUTLE A WATERFALL.“WHO WOULD EVER THK OF A MIL EPISO WH THE L WORD,” SAID MOENNIG WH A LGH. BUT BOTH THE ST AND DANIELS JUMPED ON BOARD WH THE IA.“I LLED ER RIGHT AWAY AND WAS LIKE, ‘OK, THERE’S A CRAZY IA. THEY WANNA BRG YOU BACK, BUT ’S GONNA BE A MIL EPISO,’” HAILEY RELLS WH A LGH. “SHE WAS FULLY GAME, BEE WE LOVE TO WORK TOGETHER. SHE WAS LIKE, ‘AS LONG AS I’M WORKG WH YOU, WE’RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME.’”AS MOENNIG AND HAILEY SCRIBE , WAS ED A GOOD TIME. THEY FILMED THE EPISO A WEEK AND MOENNIG, HAILEY AND FELLOW STMATE ROSANNY ZAYAS, WHO PLAYS SOPHIE, SPENT MUCH OF THEIR TIME REHEARSG. “I HAD BEEN WORKG SO MUCH I WASN’T ABLE TO GET TO HAVE REHEARSAL WH THE CHOREOGRAPHERS, SO LEISHA AND ROSANNY TOOK UPON THEMSELV TO TEACH ME ONE WEEKEND SO I ULD BE UGHT UP TO THE LEVEL THEY WERE AT,” SAID MOENNIG.BOTH MOENNIG AND HAILEY ALSO HAD TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAISE ROSANNY’S SUPERB SGG VOICE. “I WAS LIKE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDG THAT?” HAILEY SAID. LEISHA HAILEY DIRECTG THE SEASON 3 FALE.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME DPE BEG QUE A BIG CHANGE OM ANYTHG THE SERI HAD DONE BEFORE, MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST WH THE MIL EPISO. MOENNIG ONLY HAS ONE REGRET ABOUT THE EPISO AND THAT IS SHE WISHED SHE SANG. “I THK WOULD’VE LAND DIFFERENTLY HAD I DONE , BUT, OH WELL, TOO LATE,” SAID MOENNIG.DANIELS ISN’T THE ONLY CHARACTER WHO’S MA A RETURN THIS SEASON. FANS WERE ALSO SURPRISED TO SEE NOW-FIREFIGHTER TASHA (ROSE ROLLS), BACK AND IMMEDIATELY ARGUG WH EX ALICE UPON THE RCUE OF HER T MR. PIDDL JR. OM UP A TREE.“THE HARST PART OF THE ENTIRE NIGHT WAS THE FLARE,” MOENNIG RELLED. MOENNIG, WHO MA HER DIRECTORIAL BUT THE PENULTIMATE EPISO OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q’S THIRD SEASON THAT AIRED ON JAN.15, WAS TERMED TO GET TASHA’S REVEAL RIGHT.TO GET THE SHOCK FOR ALICE AND THE DIENCE RIGHT ALL ME DOWN TO GETTG THE TIMG RIGHT WH A LIGHT FLARE—AND MOENNIG NAILED . THEN, THE MERA PANNED TO A VERY UNIMPRSED ALICE.“TASHA AND ALICE WERE ALWAYS ARGUG, SO JT TO HAVE THEIR VERY FIRST SCENE LIKE NO TIME HAS PASSED [WAS PERFECT],” SAID HAILEY. JACQUELE TOBONI AS FLEY, YELLOW, WH ROSANNY ZAYAS AS SOPHIE.NILE WILR/SHOWTIME THE RETURN OF TASHA, WHO ME TO THE SERI AS ALICE’S LOVE TERT SEASON FOUR AND STAYED UNTIL THE FALE OF THE ORIGAL, IS SOMETHG BOTH MOENNIG AND HAILEY WANTED FOR SOME TIME AND NOT JT BEE THEY WANTED TO RNE WH OLD STMAT—ALTHOUGH THAT IS A PL—BUT BEE AS FANS OF THE L WORD THEMSELV, THEY WANT TO SEE HER RETURN. “WE HAVEN'T SEEN TASHA SCE 2009. WASN'T EVERYONE A LTLE CUR WHAT HAPPENED TO TASHA AND ALICE? I WAS, AND TO SUDNLY SEE HER BACK, WHAT A SHOT THE ARM,” SAID MOENNIG.BIS BRGG DANA AND TASHA, THE L WORD: GENERATN Q ALSO BROUGHT BACK MAX SWEENEY (DANIEL SEA) THIS SEASON. MAX MA HIS BUT THE L WORD SEASON 3 AND THE OFTEN TRANSPHOBIC TREATMENT OF HIS CHARACTER THE SHOW HAS BEEN A SORE SPOT FOR FANS FOR MANY YEARS. IN HIS RETURN EPISO, THIS TREATMENT WAS BLATANTLY ADDRSED AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIM AND SHANE (MOENNIG), WHERE SHANE APOLOGIZED FOR THE IEND GROUP’S OLD BEHAVR. IT WAS A MOMENT FANS HAD LONG BEEN WAG FOR.“WE WERE JT ACKNOWLEDGG WH MAX [THAT] YEAH, TIME HAS CHANGED AND EVERYONE HAS GROWN UP SCE 2000 AND WHAT, EIGHT OR SEVEN OR WHATEVER THAT YEAR WAS. AND JT [WE WERE] BEG ACUNTABLE,” SAID MOENNIG. “NOT MAKG A MEAL OUT OF , BUT JT BEG ACUNTABLE.”“[TRANSPHOBIA] IS AN CREDIBLY DANGERO THG THAT'S HAPPENG AND ’S WHY SHOWS LIKE [THE L WORD: GENERATN Q] NEED TO EXIST BEE ALL HELPS THE CHANGE. REPRENTATN IS SO IMPORTANT AND TO DO PROPERLY IS SO IMPORTANT,” SAID HAILEY. “MY CHARACTER DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO APOLOGIZE TO MAX AND I KNOW ALICE SAID SOME PRETTY ABHORRENT THGS BACK THEN.” “I THK ’S UP TO PEOPLE POWER TO MAKE THOSE BOLD CISNS AND KEEP SHOWS THAT HAVE MORE THAN TWO GAY CHARACTERS ALIVE”— LEISHA HAILEY REPRENTATN ON TELEVISN HAS BEEN A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE OF LATE, PECIALLY AFTER A STRG OF QUEER-LED AND PECIALLY FEMALE-CENTRIC TELEVISN SERI WERE NCELED.“SADLY, I THK WE’RE BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE,” HAILEY SAID. “MEDIA THKS ’S OK TO JT SERVE UP SOME GAY CMBS WH A UPLE OF GAY CHARACTERS OR TRANS CHARACTERS, OR MAYBE A STRAIGHT PERSON HAS A BISEXUAL EXPERIENCE [ A SHOW], AND I THK THEY THK WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE SATISFIED WH THAT. AND QUE ANKLY, I DON'T THK ’S ENOUGH.”“NOR IS REFLECTIVE OF WHERE WE ARE 2023,” ADDS MOENNIG.“I THK ’S UP TO PEOPLE POWER TO MAKE THOSE BOLD CISNS AND KEEP SHOWS THAT HAVE MORE THAN TWO GAY CHARACTERS ALIVE,” HAILEY ADDS.THAT IS WHY SHOWS LIKE THE L WORD: GENERATN Q REMA SO IMPORTANT TO THE QUEER MUNY AS IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC LOOK TO THE LIV OF MANY QUEER CHARACTERS WHO AREN’T FED BY THEIR SEXUALY OR GENR INTY. AND THIS SEASON, THE MOST BELOVED UPLE WH THE SERI FALLY RNED. Y, OF URSE, THE RNN OF TA (LREL HOLLOMAN) AND BETTE (JENNIFER BEALS) EPISO TWO WAS A HUGE FAN MOMENT. AND JT WHEN DIENC WEREN’T SURE WHEN THEY’D SEE THE HAPPY UPLE AGA, THE TWO POP BACK UP THE PENULTIMATE EPISO OF THE SEASON AND DO SOMETHG WE ALL HOPED WOULD HAPPEN: GET ENGAGED. JENNIFER BEALS AS BETTE AND LREL HOLLOMAN AS TA.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME. “MY OBJECTIVE WH THOSE TWO WAS THAT I DIDN'T WANT SCHMALTZY AND I KNOW ULD TEETER THAT TERRORY VERY EASILY,” SAID MOENNIG, WHO DIRECTED THE SIGNIFINT MOMENT. “SOMETIM SIMPLE IS THE ANSWER TO THGS LIKE THAT. I WAS HAPPY THAT I ULD BE THE DRIVER'S SEAT WH THAT.”IN THE END, THE PROPOSAL SCENE TURNED OUT JT LIKE MOENNIG, BEALS AND HOLLOMAN WANTED . IT WAS A VERY BETTE AND TA PROPOSAL. IT WASN’T OVERLY CHEY OR OVER THE TOP, WAS A SIMPLE CLARATN OF LOVE.WHILE MOENNIG GOT TO DIRECT THE EPISO OF TASHA’S RETURN AND BETTE AND TA’S ENGAGEMENT, HAILEY, HER DIRECTORIAL BUT, WAS TASKED WH DIRECTG TA AND BETTE’S WEDDG EPISO—THE SEASON 3 FALE. “THE BETTE AND TA WEDDG MEANS A LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, SO THE PRSURE WAS ON THAT SENSE,” SAID HAILEY. “THERE WAS A LOT GOG ON ONE PLACE THAT HAD TO BE DONE A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT A FUN CHALLENGE.” KATHERE MOENNIG DIRECTG EPISO 9 OF SEASON 3.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME WHEN MOENNIG AND HAILEY EXPRSED THEIR TERT DIRECTG BACK WHEN THE L WORD: GENERATN Q WAS JT BEGNG THEY HAD NO IA THAT THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY DIRECT TWO OF THE MOST PIVOTAL EPISOS OF THE SERI. “THEY JT SAID, ‘OK, YOU’RE DOG 9, YOU’RE DOG 10,’” ADDS HAILEY. “AND WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GONNA BE AT THE TIME.”MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAVE BEEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ON THE L WORD: GENERATN Q SCE BEGAN 2019 AND HAVE TAKEN ON QUE A ROLE BEHD THE SCEN, BUT DIRECTG WAS A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THEM BOTH AND ONE THAT SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL PROGRSN. “IT’S A VERY VULNERABLE POSN TO BE ON A SET BEE EVERYTHG HAS TO GO THROUGH YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A FORT KNOWG, ‘OH, I UNRSTAND THIS WORLD VERY WELL.’”— KATHERE MOENNIG “I THK THE ENVIRONMENT WAS PERFECT TO GET YOUR FEET WET THIS PARTMENT, BEE WE’VE BEEN ON THE SHOW NOW FOR HOW MANY YEARS—WE UNRSTAND THE WORLD THIS TAK PLACE AND WE KNOW THE CHARACTERS,” SAID MOENNIG. “IT’S A VERY VULNERABLE POSN TO BE ON A SET BEE EVERYTHG HAS TO GO THROUGH YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A FORT KNOWG, ‘OH, I UNRSTAND THIS WORLD VERY WELL.’”HAILEY AND MOENNIG BOTH SHADOWED DIRECTORS DURG SEASON TWO AND THREE AS THEY GEARED UP TO MAKE THEIR BUTS.“WORKG WH THE ACTORS WAS REALLY FUN AND TRYG TO BRG OUT THE BT EVERYONE'S PERFORMANCE IS A FUN CHALLENGE OR TO TRY TO TAKE THEM TO PLAC MAYBE THAT ARE OUTSI OF THEIR FORT ZON,” SAID HAILEY. “ARIENNE MANDI [WHO PLAYS DANI] GOT TO DO A LOT OF THAT, WHICH WAS REALLY FUN FOR HER AND ME.”THE FALE EPISO GIV FANS THE BETTE AND TA WEDDG EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAG FOR, BUT LIKE ALWAYS EXPECT A PLETHORA OF DRAMA—THE SOAPS OF THE SHOW THAT MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED. “YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REASON TO E BACK,” SAID HAILEY.“RIDICULO CIRCUMSTANC ARE FUN TO WATCH,” HAILEY SAID. “BUT ON THE FLIP SI, I THK ’S VERY IMPORTANT TO DIG MORE EPLY TO THE REAL STCTURE BEHD THE IENDSHIPS AND THE EMOTNAL QUALY OF THE RELATNSHIPS AND TO STAY LONGER AND TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE BETTER AND TO GIVE FANS A CHANCE TO DIVE TO THE STORYL AND GET VTED.” THE L WORD: GENERATION QLEO SHENG AS MIH AND JILLIAN MERDO AS MARIBEL.NILE WILR/SHOWTIME “YOU N'T HAVE ONE WHOUT THE OTHER,” MOENNIG AGREED AND ADD THAT SHE ALWAYS LIKED HOW THE ORIGAL SERI YOU NOT ONLY SAW THE CHARACTER’S DATG DRAMA BUT THEIR WORK DRAMA, LIVG ARRANGEMENT DRAMA, ETC. “YOU STARTED TO GET A PRETTY CLEAR SPE OF WHO EVERYONE WAS, PECIALLY AS THE SEASON WENT ON,” SAID MOENNIG. “WHICH MA THE SHOW, I'M NOT SAYG WAS PERFECT, BUT ENRICHED THE DRAMA. SO YOU WERE LIKE, ‘OKAY, I N DIVE AND BELIEVE THIS OUTLANDISH CIRCUMSTANCE.’”ONE OF HAILEY AND MOENNIG’S FAVORE THGS ABOUT THE L WORD WAS HOW MUCH REALLY PICTED THE FOUND FAY ASPECT OF QUEER CULTURE. “THAT WAS THE GLUE OM DAY ONE,” SAID MOENNIG. “WE CHOSE EACH OTHER,” ADD HAILEY.CHOSEN FAY WAS HIGHLIGHTED A BIG WAY THIS SEASON OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q WH CARRIE (ROSIE O’DONNELL) AND FLEY’S (JACQUELE TOBONI) STORYLE. “IN THIS SEASON, THAT'S MY FAVORE STORYLE,” SAID HAILEY. “THAT'S MY TAKEAWAY OM THE SEASON.”OF URSE NO NVERSATN ABOUT ROSIE O’DONNELL’S VOLVEMENT THE L WORD ULD GO WHOUT PRAISE FOR HER CREDIBLE PERFORMANCE. “SHE'S OUTSTANDG,” SAID MOENNIG. “SHE'S THE MVP OF THE SEASON.” “I DON’T MISS THE SONG. I DO MISS OUR OPENG CREDS, I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALWAYS FUN.”— LEISHA HAILEY THERE IS ONE THG THOUGH THAT HAILEY AND MOENNIG DO NOT MISS OM THE ORIGAL AND IS THE INIC THEME SONG. “I DON’T MISS THE SONG,” SAID HAILEY. “I DO MISS OUR OPENG CREDS, I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALWAYS FUN.” AND THEY WERE A PRODUCTN. “THEY ED TO HAVE TEAMS OF PEOPLE FLY UP TO VANUVER,” HAILEY SAID. “[THEY’D] MAKE A REALLY HIGH NCEPT LOOK AND SHOOT FOUR DAYS AND [THERE] WAS A STAGE WH ALL THE DIFFERENT STUM AND LIGHTG AND MERA TRICKS,” MOENNIG ADD.THE THEME SONG AND LONGER OPENG CREDS IS SOMETHG OF A LOST ART. EXCEPT FOR THE OCSNAL HBO SHOW OPENG, HAS SCE BEE A THG OF THE PAST TELEVISN. “THERE IS SOMETHG ABOUT A THEME SONG THAT LOCKS THE VIBE OF A SERI, FOR STANCE, SUCCSN. THE MOMENT YOU HEAR THAT STMENTAL, YOU THK, ‘OK, HERE WE GO. I'M THE WORLD OF SUCCSN’ AND GETS YOU. NOT THAT I'M AT ALL PARG THE THEME SONG TO THE ORIGAL OF THE L WORD TO SUCCSN,” MOENNIG SAYS WH A LGH. “I'M NOT AT ALL PUTTG THOSE TWO THE SAME TEGORY.”WHEN THE CREDS ROLL ON THE SEASON THREE FALE, TE L WORD FASHN, THERE ARE SOME JUICY CLIFFHANGERS AND UNANSWERED QUTNS. WILL THERE BE A FOURTH SEASON? WE ALL ARE WONRG THE SAME QUTN. “THAT IS ABOVE OUR PAY GRA,” QUIPS MOENNIG. (SHOWTIME WOULD NOT MENT TO THE DAILY BEAST ON WHETHER A FOURTH SEASON WAS NFIRMED.) AS FOR SHANE AND ALICE, HAILEY AND MOENNIG SAY THEY HAVE A WISHLIST OF SHENANIGANS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TWO IENDS BE UGHT UP (THEY CLE TO SAY WHAT PRECISELY), BUT MALY, AS HAILEY TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, “I THK WE’LL JT RRY OUR REAL IENDSHIP TO THE SUNSET.” WE SHALL BE WATCHG—AND CHEERG. SHANNON O’CONNOR

L WORD: GENERATN Q STAR JACQUELE TOBONI IS “#ENGAYGED”

An openly gay public figure, she’s never one to shy away om discsg her sexualy or many other hot button issu.

) This time, though, there are two trans men the ma st: Smh is joed by Leo Sheng as Mih, a gay adjunct profsor of social work who liv wh his iends, a lbian uple. ”For “Generatn Q, ” McBee suggted Adams as a rource for addnal qutns Ryan had about gay trans men. “You know, whatever qutns I have that will lend thenticy, bee I won’t know if ’s right or wrong, but a trans gay guy will totally know if I’m gettg right or wrong.

#enGAYged. On first dat, at gay book clubs, when meetg new lleagu — pretty much any suatn where you, an awkward lbian, are tryg to reach across the void and nnect wh someone else who has lbianism, if not awkwardns, mon — The L Word is an easy bet.

KATHERE MOENNIG AND LEISHA HAILEY REVEAL ALL ON ‘THE L WORD: GEN Q’ SEASON 3CLIFFHANGERA WEDDG PS SEASON 3 OF “THE L WORD: GENERATN Q.” OGS MOENNIG AND HAILEY TALK DIRECTG, QUEER REPRENTATN, AND WHY THEY, LIKE FANS, LOVE THE DRAMA’S MIX OF SOAP AND GR.SHANNON O’CONNORSOCIAL MEDIA EDORPUBLISHED JAN. 19, 2023 4:49AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+HERE THEY ARE: SHANE MCCUTCHEON AND ALICE PIZECKI, RIGHT ONT OF THIS REPORTER—OR, OK, THEIR PORTRAYERS KATHERE MOENNIG AND LEISHA HAILEY—A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE CELEBRATED MIL EPISO OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q DARED TO POS THE QUTN—OR TANTALIZG POSSIBILY—OF THE TWO BT IENDS GETTG TOGETHER AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF THEM ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY NOT. THE LOOKS ON THE CHARACTERS’ FAC THAT SCENE SAID ALL: NO WAY, THIS NNOT HAPPEN. OF ALL THE CRISS-CROSSG BED-HOPPG OF THE L WORD, SHANE AND ALICE’S IENDSHIP HAS STAYED PLATONIC AS (SO MANY) WOMEN HAVE E AND GONE.“WE WOULD NEVER LET THEM [MAKE SHANE AND ALICE A THG],” HAILEY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.“TO THE RPECT OF THE ORIGAL WRERS, THEY ALWAYS KNEW NOT TO GO THERE. AND JT RRIED FORWARD,” ADDS MOENNIG. “I FD THE IENDS-TO-LOVERS TROPE IS A B TIRED.”THE TWO BT IENDS AND -STARS ARE THEIR UAL BANTER-FILLED SELV ON ZOOM WH THE DAILY BEAST JT A WEEK BEFORE THE SEASON 3 FALE OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q, WH THE DRAMA RAMPG UP AROUND BETTE AND TA’S WEDDG. (IT BUTS ACROSS STREAMG AND ON MAND TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AND AIRS SUNDAY ON SHOWTIME AT 10 P.M. ET/PT.) HOWEVER, BEFORE DIVG TO THE GAY WEDDG S THE MAKG, ALL THE MAJOR CHARACTERS RETURNG AND THAT UNEXPECTED AND FUN MIL EPISO MT BE ADDRSED. THE FANS MAND . BIS GIVG THE L WORD FANS AN ALMOST KISS BETWEEN SHANE AND ALICE, THE AFOREMENTNED MIL EPISO ALSO CLUD THE RETURN OF ER DANIELS AS LEGENDARY CHARACTER DANA, THE HOT TENNIS PRO WHO AFTER HER TRAGIC ATH SEASON 3 OF THE ORIGAL SHOW WAS LAST SEEN GHOSTLY OUTLE A WATERFALL.“WHO WOULD EVER THK OF A MIL EPISO WH THE L WORD,” SAID MOENNIG WH A LGH. BUT BOTH THE ST AND DANIELS JUMPED ON BOARD WH THE IA.“I LLED ER RIGHT AWAY AND WAS LIKE, ‘OK, THERE’S A CRAZY IA. THEY WANNA BRG YOU BACK, BUT ’S GONNA BE A MIL EPISO,’” HAILEY RELLS WH A LGH. “SHE WAS FULLY GAME, BEE WE LOVE TO WORK TOGETHER. SHE WAS LIKE, ‘AS LONG AS I’M WORKG WH YOU, WE’RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME.’”AS MOENNIG AND HAILEY SCRIBE , WAS ED A GOOD TIME. THEY FILMED THE EPISO A WEEK AND MOENNIG, HAILEY AND FELLOW STMATE ROSANNY ZAYAS, WHO PLAYS SOPHIE, SPENT MUCH OF THEIR TIME REHEARSG. “I HAD BEEN WORKG SO MUCH I WASN’T ABLE TO GET TO HAVE REHEARSAL WH THE CHOREOGRAPHERS, SO LEISHA AND ROSANNY TOOK UPON THEMSELV TO TEACH ME ONE WEEKEND SO I ULD BE UGHT UP TO THE LEVEL THEY WERE AT,” SAID MOENNIG.BOTH MOENNIG AND HAILEY ALSO HAD TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAISE ROSANNY’S SUPERB SGG VOICE. “I WAS LIKE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDG THAT?” HAILEY SAID. LEISHA HAILEY DIRECTG THE SEASON 3 FALE.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME DPE BEG QUE A BIG CHANGE OM ANYTHG THE SERI HAD DONE BEFORE, MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST WH THE MIL EPISO. MOENNIG ONLY HAS ONE REGRET ABOUT THE EPISO AND THAT IS SHE WISHED SHE SANG. “I THK WOULD’VE LAND DIFFERENTLY HAD I DONE , BUT, OH WELL, TOO LATE,” SAID MOENNIG.DANIELS ISN’T THE ONLY CHARACTER WHO’S MA A RETURN THIS SEASON. FANS WERE ALSO SURPRISED TO SEE NOW-FIREFIGHTER TASHA (ROSE ROLLS), BACK AND IMMEDIATELY ARGUG WH EX ALICE UPON THE RCUE OF HER T MR. PIDDL JR. OM UP A TREE.“THE HARST PART OF THE ENTIRE NIGHT WAS THE FLARE,” MOENNIG RELLED. MOENNIG, WHO MA HER DIRECTORIAL BUT THE PENULTIMATE EPISO OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q’S THIRD SEASON THAT AIRED ON JAN.15, WAS TERMED TO GET TASHA’S REVEAL RIGHT.TO GET THE SHOCK FOR ALICE AND THE DIENCE RIGHT ALL ME DOWN TO GETTG THE TIMG RIGHT WH A LIGHT FLARE—AND MOENNIG NAILED . THEN, THE MERA PANNED TO A VERY UNIMPRSED ALICE.“TASHA AND ALICE WERE ALWAYS ARGUG, SO JT TO HAVE THEIR VERY FIRST SCENE LIKE NO TIME HAS PASSED [WAS PERFECT],” SAID HAILEY. JACQUELE TOBONI AS FLEY, YELLOW, WH ROSANNY ZAYAS AS SOPHIE.NILE WILR/SHOWTIME THE RETURN OF TASHA, WHO ME TO THE SERI AS ALICE’S LOVE TERT SEASON FOUR AND STAYED UNTIL THE FALE OF THE ORIGAL, IS SOMETHG BOTH MOENNIG AND HAILEY WANTED FOR SOME TIME AND NOT JT BEE THEY WANTED TO RNE WH OLD STMAT—ALTHOUGH THAT IS A PL—BUT BEE AS FANS OF THE L WORD THEMSELV, THEY WANT TO SEE HER RETURN. “WE HAVEN'T SEEN TASHA SCE 2009. WASN'T EVERYONE A LTLE CUR WHAT HAPPENED TO TASHA AND ALICE? I WAS, AND TO SUDNLY SEE HER BACK, WHAT A SHOT THE ARM,” SAID MOENNIG.BIS BRGG DANA AND TASHA, THE L WORD: GENERATN Q ALSO BROUGHT BACK MAX SWEENEY (DANIEL SEA) THIS SEASON. MAX MA HIS BUT THE L WORD SEASON 3 AND THE OFTEN TRANSPHOBIC TREATMENT OF HIS CHARACTER THE SHOW HAS BEEN A SORE SPOT FOR FANS FOR MANY YEARS. IN HIS RETURN EPISO, THIS TREATMENT WAS BLATANTLY ADDRSED AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIM AND SHANE (MOENNIG), WHERE SHANE APOLOGIZED FOR THE IEND GROUP’S OLD BEHAVR. IT WAS A MOMENT FANS HAD LONG BEEN WAG FOR.“WE WERE JT ACKNOWLEDGG WH MAX [THAT] YEAH, TIME HAS CHANGED AND EVERYONE HAS GROWN UP SCE 2000 AND WHAT, EIGHT OR SEVEN OR WHATEVER THAT YEAR WAS. AND JT [WE WERE] BEG ACUNTABLE,” SAID MOENNIG. “NOT MAKG A MEAL OUT OF , BUT JT BEG ACUNTABLE.”“[TRANSPHOBIA] IS AN CREDIBLY DANGERO THG THAT'S HAPPENG AND ’S WHY SHOWS LIKE [THE L WORD: GENERATN Q] NEED TO EXIST BEE ALL HELPS THE CHANGE. REPRENTATN IS SO IMPORTANT AND TO DO PROPERLY IS SO IMPORTANT,” SAID HAILEY. “MY CHARACTER DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO APOLOGIZE TO MAX AND I KNOW ALICE SAID SOME PRETTY ABHORRENT THGS BACK THEN.” “I THK ’S UP TO PEOPLE POWER TO MAKE THOSE BOLD CISNS AND KEEP SHOWS THAT HAVE MORE THAN TWO GAY CHARACTERS ALIVE”— LEISHA HAILEY REPRENTATN ON TELEVISN HAS BEEN A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE OF LATE, PECIALLY AFTER A STRG OF QUEER-LED AND PECIALLY FEMALE-CENTRIC TELEVISN SERI WERE NCELED.“SADLY, I THK WE’RE BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE,” HAILEY SAID. “MEDIA THKS ’S OK TO JT SERVE UP SOME GAY CMBS WH A UPLE OF GAY CHARACTERS OR TRANS CHARACTERS, OR MAYBE A STRAIGHT PERSON HAS A BISEXUAL EXPERIENCE [ A SHOW], AND I THK THEY THK WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE SATISFIED WH THAT. AND QUE ANKLY, I DON'T THK ’S ENOUGH.”“NOR IS REFLECTIVE OF WHERE WE ARE 2023,” ADDS MOENNIG.“I THK ’S UP TO PEOPLE POWER TO MAKE THOSE BOLD CISNS AND KEEP SHOWS THAT HAVE MORE THAN TWO GAY CHARACTERS ALIVE,” HAILEY ADDS.THAT IS WHY SHOWS LIKE THE L WORD: GENERATN Q REMA SO IMPORTANT TO THE QUEER MUNY AS IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC LOOK TO THE LIV OF MANY QUEER CHARACTERS WHO AREN’T FED BY THEIR SEXUALY OR GENR INTY. AND THIS SEASON, THE MOST BELOVED UPLE WH THE SERI FALLY RNED. Y, OF URSE, THE RNN OF TA (LREL HOLLOMAN) AND BETTE (JENNIFER BEALS) EPISO TWO WAS A HUGE FAN MOMENT. AND JT WHEN DIENC WEREN’T SURE WHEN THEY’D SEE THE HAPPY UPLE AGA, THE TWO POP BACK UP THE PENULTIMATE EPISO OF THE SEASON AND DO SOMETHG WE ALL HOPED WOULD HAPPEN: GET ENGAGED. JENNIFER BEALS AS BETTE AND LREL HOLLOMAN AS TA.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME. “MY OBJECTIVE WH THOSE TWO WAS THAT I DIDN'T WANT SCHMALTZY AND I KNOW ULD TEETER THAT TERRORY VERY EASILY,” SAID MOENNIG, WHO DIRECTED THE SIGNIFINT MOMENT. “SOMETIM SIMPLE IS THE ANSWER TO THGS LIKE THAT. I WAS HAPPY THAT I ULD BE THE DRIVER'S SEAT WH THAT.”IN THE END, THE PROPOSAL SCENE TURNED OUT JT LIKE MOENNIG, BEALS AND HOLLOMAN WANTED . IT WAS A VERY BETTE AND TA PROPOSAL. IT WASN’T OVERLY CHEY OR OVER THE TOP, WAS A SIMPLE CLARATN OF LOVE.WHILE MOENNIG GOT TO DIRECT THE EPISO OF TASHA’S RETURN AND BETTE AND TA’S ENGAGEMENT, HAILEY, HER DIRECTORIAL BUT, WAS TASKED WH DIRECTG TA AND BETTE’S WEDDG EPISO—THE SEASON 3 FALE. “THE BETTE AND TA WEDDG MEANS A LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, SO THE PRSURE WAS ON THAT SENSE,” SAID HAILEY. “THERE WAS A LOT GOG ON ONE PLACE THAT HAD TO BE DONE A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT A FUN CHALLENGE.” KATHERE MOENNIG DIRECTG EPISO 9 OF SEASON 3.ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/SHOWTIME WHEN MOENNIG AND HAILEY EXPRSED THEIR TERT DIRECTG BACK WHEN THE L WORD: GENERATN Q WAS JT BEGNG THEY HAD NO IA THAT THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY DIRECT TWO OF THE MOST PIVOTAL EPISOS OF THE SERI. “THEY JT SAID, ‘OK, YOU’RE DOG 9, YOU’RE DOG 10,’” ADDS HAILEY. “AND WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GONNA BE AT THE TIME.”MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAVE BEEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ON THE L WORD: GENERATN Q SCE BEGAN 2019 AND HAVE TAKEN ON QUE A ROLE BEHD THE SCEN, BUT DIRECTG WAS A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THEM BOTH AND ONE THAT SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL PROGRSN. “IT’S A VERY VULNERABLE POSN TO BE ON A SET BEE EVERYTHG HAS TO GO THROUGH YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A FORT KNOWG, ‘OH, I UNRSTAND THIS WORLD VERY WELL.’”— KATHERE MOENNIG “I THK THE ENVIRONMENT WAS PERFECT TO GET YOUR FEET WET THIS PARTMENT, BEE WE’VE BEEN ON THE SHOW NOW FOR HOW MANY YEARS—WE UNRSTAND THE WORLD THIS TAK PLACE AND WE KNOW THE CHARACTERS,” SAID MOENNIG. “IT’S A VERY VULNERABLE POSN TO BE ON A SET BEE EVERYTHG HAS TO GO THROUGH YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A FORT KNOWG, ‘OH, I UNRSTAND THIS WORLD VERY WELL.’”HAILEY AND MOENNIG BOTH SHADOWED DIRECTORS DURG SEASON TWO AND THREE AS THEY GEARED UP TO MAKE THEIR BUTS.“WORKG WH THE ACTORS WAS REALLY FUN AND TRYG TO BRG OUT THE BT EVERYONE'S PERFORMANCE IS A FUN CHALLENGE OR TO TRY TO TAKE THEM TO PLAC MAYBE THAT ARE OUTSI OF THEIR FORT ZON,” SAID HAILEY. “ARIENNE MANDI [WHO PLAYS DANI] GOT TO DO A LOT OF THAT, WHICH WAS REALLY FUN FOR HER AND ME.”THE FALE EPISO GIV FANS THE BETTE AND TA WEDDG EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAG FOR, BUT LIKE ALWAYS EXPECT A PLETHORA OF DRAMA—THE SOAPS OF THE SHOW THAT MOENNIG AND HAILEY HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED. “YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REASON TO E BACK,” SAID HAILEY.“RIDICULO CIRCUMSTANC ARE FUN TO WATCH,” HAILEY SAID. “BUT ON THE FLIP SI, I THK ’S VERY IMPORTANT TO DIG MORE EPLY TO THE REAL STCTURE BEHD THE IENDSHIPS AND THE EMOTNAL QUALY OF THE RELATNSHIPS AND TO STAY LONGER AND TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE BETTER AND TO GIVE FANS A CHANCE TO DIVE TO THE STORYL AND GET VTED.” THE L WORD: GENERATION QLEO SHENG AS MIH AND JILLIAN MERDO AS MARIBEL.NILE WILR/SHOWTIME “YOU N'T HAVE ONE WHOUT THE OTHER,” MOENNIG AGREED AND ADD THAT SHE ALWAYS LIKED HOW THE ORIGAL SERI YOU NOT ONLY SAW THE CHARACTER’S DATG DRAMA BUT THEIR WORK DRAMA, LIVG ARRANGEMENT DRAMA, ETC. “YOU STARTED TO GET A PRETTY CLEAR SPE OF WHO EVERYONE WAS, PECIALLY AS THE SEASON WENT ON,” SAID MOENNIG. “WHICH MA THE SHOW, I'M NOT SAYG WAS PERFECT, BUT ENRICHED THE DRAMA. SO YOU WERE LIKE, ‘OKAY, I N DIVE AND BELIEVE THIS OUTLANDISH CIRCUMSTANCE.’”ONE OF HAILEY AND MOENNIG’S FAVORE THGS ABOUT THE L WORD WAS HOW MUCH REALLY PICTED THE FOUND FAY ASPECT OF QUEER CULTURE. “THAT WAS THE GLUE OM DAY ONE,” SAID MOENNIG. “WE CHOSE EACH OTHER,” ADD HAILEY.CHOSEN FAY WAS HIGHLIGHTED A BIG WAY THIS SEASON OF THE L WORD: GENERATN Q WH CARRIE (ROSIE O’DONNELL) AND FLEY’S (JACQUELE TOBONI) STORYLE. “IN THIS SEASON, THAT'S MY FAVORE STORYLE,” SAID HAILEY. “THAT'S MY TAKEAWAY OM THE SEASON.”OF URSE NO NVERSATN ABOUT ROSIE O’DONNELL’S VOLVEMENT THE L WORD ULD GO WHOUT PRAISE FOR HER CREDIBLE PERFORMANCE. “SHE'S OUTSTANDG,” SAID MOENNIG. “SHE'S THE MVP OF THE SEASON.” “I DON’T MISS THE SONG. I DO MISS OUR OPENG CREDS, I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALWAYS FUN.”— LEISHA HAILEY THERE IS ONE THG THOUGH THAT HAILEY AND MOENNIG DO NOT MISS OM THE ORIGAL AND IS THE INIC THEME SONG. “I DON’T MISS THE SONG,” SAID HAILEY. “I DO MISS OUR OPENG CREDS, I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALWAYS FUN.” AND THEY WERE A PRODUCTN. “THEY ED TO HAVE TEAMS OF PEOPLE FLY UP TO VANUVER,” HAILEY SAID. “[THEY’D] MAKE A REALLY HIGH NCEPT LOOK AND SHOOT FOUR DAYS AND [THERE] WAS A STAGE WH ALL THE DIFFERENT STUM AND LIGHTG AND MERA TRICKS,” MOENNIG ADD.THE THEME SONG AND LONGER OPENG CREDS IS SOMETHG OF A LOST ART. EXCEPT FOR THE OCSNAL HBO SHOW OPENG, HAS SCE BEE A THG OF THE PAST TELEVISN. “THERE IS SOMETHG ABOUT A THEME SONG THAT LOCKS THE VIBE OF A SERI, FOR STANCE, SUCCSN. THE MOMENT YOU HEAR THAT STMENTAL, YOU THK, ‘OK, HERE WE GO. I'M THE WORLD OF SUCCSN’ AND GETS YOU. NOT THAT I'M AT ALL PARG THE THEME SONG TO THE ORIGAL OF THE L WORD TO SUCCSN,” MOENNIG SAYS WH A LGH. “I'M NOT AT ALL PUTTG THOSE TWO THE SAME TEGORY.”WHEN THE CREDS ROLL ON THE SEASON THREE FALE, TE L WORD FASHN, THERE ARE SOME JUICY CLIFFHANGERS AND UNANSWERED QUTNS. WILL THERE BE A FOURTH SEASON? WE ALL ARE WONRG THE SAME QUTN. “THAT IS ABOVE OUR PAY GRA,” QUIPS MOENNIG. (SHOWTIME WOULD NOT MENT TO THE DAILY BEAST ON WHETHER A FOURTH SEASON WAS NFIRMED.) AS FOR SHANE AND ALICE, HAILEY AND MOENNIG SAY THEY HAVE A WISHLIST OF SHENANIGANS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TWO IENDS BE UGHT UP (THEY CLE TO SAY WHAT PRECISELY), BUT MALY, AS HAILEY TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, “I THK WE’LL JT RRY OUR REAL IENDSHIP TO THE SUNSET.” WE SHALL BE WATCHG—AND CHEERG. SHANNON O’CONNOR

Acrdg to GLAAD’s “Where We Are on TV” report for 2019, LGBTQ reprentatn on televisn is at an all-time high; almost all of those characters, though, tend to be the solary gay an ensemble of straight people. Whereas straight girls and gay guys may scribe themselv acrdg to Sex and the Cy archetyp (“I’m a Carrie sun, Miranda risg”), lbians have our charmgly imperfect group of L Word ladi. The changg cy plays much more of a thematic role Generatn Q than did prev seasons, when the characters seemed to exist an idyllic, wealthy enclave immune om the equy and disorr of the outsi world: Bette is nng for mayor bee she’s passnate about endg the opid and hog cris, while Shane, aimls, unemployed, and über-rich, nsirs buyg and revivg a oime gay bar that has morphed over the years to a straight sports-bro spot.

Later, watchg an awkward scene wh Ferris Bueller vib, I wonred if the referenc were actually supposed to be homag or if they were jt has promise, but he’s still rather one-dimensnal: nice, shy, gay, lookg for love, and perhaps, on the whole, too fed by his transns or, rather, by his reluctance to talk about .