We have a date for The L Word: Gen Q season 3! It will be streaming on Showtime from November 18 with new episodes dropping every Sunday.
But that’s not all — we have some deets about what to expect.
First of all, the fab list of guest stars. According to Deadline, Margaret Cho (Hacks), Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy) and Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) will all make guest appearances on season 3. Some big names are about to spice things up!
“Cho will play herself as a guest host on the Alice talk show; Adams will play Taylor, a salt-of-the-earth, self-deprecating barista with a secret passion; Cassidy will play Patty, Tess’s mom and a former Las Vegas showgirl currently suffering from MS and dementia.”
Lesbian musician Kehlani announced on Instagram that she’ll be guest starring on The L Word: Gen Q, too! “From bingeing @sho_thelword to guest starring on #TheLWord . See you for Season 3!,” the singer wrote.
Showrunner and executive producer, Marja-Lewis Ryan, said she’s “so excited to have these icons join [their] sparkly cast!”
Deadline reports that Carrie and Tina will continue to be series guests. I was sure Bette and Tina would get back together this season, but there is no news of Tina becoming a regular character.
The L Word’s official Twitter dropped some hints when it announced the new season along with handwritten notes on a script. One note says “B+T” with what looks like “coldopen” underneath.
Is the note referring to a “cold open” narrative technique, where a television show or film jumps directly into a story before the title or opening credits are shown?
The original L Word was the queen of cold opens!
Writers employ cold openings to grab our attention, according to Masterclass. What scene could do so quicker than one featuring Bette and Tina?
“TV shows, sitcoms, and dramas employ cold openings to win the audience’s attention and keep them from channel surfing. These cold opens will usually fall before the theme song or opening credits. In film, a cold open might introduce the main character and tee up the plotline. Cold opens can operate as a stand-alone prologue, a setup for a sequence of events, or as a teaser of what’s to come.”
I’m guessing the cold open won’t destroy all hope of a reunion between Bette and Tina because showrunners know the exes’ love story is the pinnacle of long-term L Word fans’ suspense.
So will the cold open play with time? Will it show the pair at the end of the season, together, with the season revealing the lead-up?
I’m going to take a wild stab and guess that the cold open will show Bette declaring her love for Tina at Tina and Carrie’s wedding, which will be towards the end of the season. Leading up to the wedding, Shane and Alice will convince Bette she needs to say something beforehand, to which Bette will deny harboring feelings for her ex.
It will take the wedding actually happening before Bette realizes this is her last chance. I’m not sure if Tina will take Bette back. I fear that Bette waiting until the actual ceremony to speak up about the way she feels will simply remind Tina of why she’s with Carrie: Bette has a habit of acting on her own passion, often on a whim, without considering how it affects those around her. Carrie is respectful and predictable.
Of course I want Bette and Tina back together. But I think, if Bette waits until the wedding to say something, Tina won’t appreciate another selfish display.
