My Weekend (Canceled) Crush

Well, I guess we should talk about “The L Word: Generation Q” cancellation. I mean, we all expected it (hell, I prematurely called it when I mistakenly thought the penultimate episode could be my last Pre-L for the show ever). But it’s still what can best be described as a bummer. Symbolically, canceling the one show that focuses entirely on queer women’s lives really is the cherry on the Cancel Your Gays cake. Remember when we just wanted them to let our queer characters live? Now they won’t let whole damn shows live. Whenever I start to think that maybe, maybe we’re getting somewhere truly significant with our representation, mainstream media decides we’re still expendable and not part of their core mission. And it’s a reminder that corporate America sees diversity and inclusion initiatives as fringe benefits to be quickly cut loose when times get a tad tougher.

Like, I’m sure Amazon Prime only have “A League of Their Own” those four episodes because they knew the fallout would be so shattering if they didn’t (or, well, because they’ve got an overall deal with one of the creators who also happens to be head of another show on the same streamer they’ve actually put a big publicity push behind…).

But, as with everydamnthing these days, a reboot might still be alive and kicking. Per Deadline, The Ilene Chaiken is in development to reboot the series as “The L Word: New York” or some such thing. Think “Sex and the Lesbians” or “And Just Like Gay…” Lol. I have absolutely no comment on what a Chaiken NY reboot would mean for us other than to say please leave the stray dogs, circus tents and breast cancer storylines out of it.

I will be sad if this is the last we’ve seen of Bette, Tina, Shane and Alice. While TiBette got their storybook wedding (though, I still have questions for their wedding suit tailors), Alice got her Tasha and Shane got...well, at least she still looks very Shane today. I hate to say it, but there aren’t too many of the Generation Q characters I will miss. I mean I thought they were mostly likable. But, yeah.

In the end, TLWGQ — while sometimes more well structured (though, clearly not always - they sure dropped the Gini/Dani relationship like the most unceremonious hot potato for apparently no reason) than the original — was never truly more fun than the original. And that may have as much to do with timing as anything else. Back when TLW premiered in 2004 it felt like a revelation. A show about us! Sure, it didn’t encompass all of us (which has always been one of its issues), but then no show can truly represent the vast spectrum of queer women. And they did make much more of an effort with the reboot. But the vitalness of seeing ourselves, well, it’s not as urgent thanks to begrudging progress.

Now, at least before they were canceled, you could find yourself in a show about superheroes or marooned high schoolers or warrior nuns of unimaginably glamorous international assassins, etc. etc. It didn’t have to be a group of well-to-do queer women in LA. It could be anywhere. And while I certainly appreciate all the representation and think our ubiquity is key to equality, it still hurts when the thing that was explicitly ours is taken away. So thanks for being their TLWGQ. Our stories always deserve to be told. I mean, it’s the way that we live and looooove after all. Happy weekend, all.