Showtime has added new guest stars to the line-up of The L Word: Generation Q, which is currently shooting it’s second season in Los Angeles with an expected 2021 premiere, according to Deadline. Rosie O’Donnell (The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Sleepless in Seattle), Donald Faison (Scrubs, Clueless) and Griffin Dunne (Dallas Buyers Club, Trust Me) will join the ensemble cast, with Jordan Hull (The L Word: Generation Q) promoted to series regular.
Hull made her television debut in season one of The L Word: Generation Q as Angelica Porter-Kennard, the teenage daughter of original series on-and-off-again couple Bette Porter and Tina Kennard. Angelica was born at the end of the original The L Word‘s second season, making the 2019 reboot the first time fans got to see the character grown-up. Throughout the first season, Angelica grappled with her first love and her hopes to see her mothers – Mama B and Mama T – rekindle their romance, plotlines likely to resume in the show’s second season.
Angelica was far from the only character hoping to see Jennifer Beals’ (Flashdance, The L Word) Bette and Laurel Holloman’s (Boogie Nights, The L Word) Tina get back together, however Tina’s engagement to an unseen character named Carrie stood in the way. This plot point has led to speculation that O’Donnell’s season two character, named Carrie, is Tina’s fiancé, via Autostraddle. Of course, there’s always the possibility that O’Donnell’s Carrie is unconnected to Tina Kennard, as the show has recycled character names in the past.
O’Donnell’s character is described by Deadline as “a brash yet kindhearted public defender thrust into Bette’s life”. This snippet of information indicates that O’Donnell may play Tina’s fiancé, as the character mentioned that she and Carrie planned on establishing a residence in Los Angeles when she came to visit Bette in season one of The L Word: Generation Q. This would certainly qualify as an intrusion on Bette’s life, as she expressed some interest in getting back together with her ex.
Another character to be introduced into Bette Porter’s orbit in The L Word: Generation Q’s second season is Dunne’s Isaac. Deadline explains that Dunne is to play an international art dealer “who builds a relationship with Bette.” Despite running for mayor of Los Angeles in The L Word: Generation Q, Bette’s background was in art curation and serving as the Dean of Students at an art school in the original The L Word. It’s possible that Dunne’s Isaac reconnects Bette to her routes in the art world after losing the mayoral race at the end of season one.
Lastly, Faison will join The L Word: Generation Q in a role involving another alumnus of the original The L Word, Leisha Hailey’s (The L Word, Bosch) daytime talk show host Alice Pieszecki. His character, Tom, is described by Deadline as “a self-deprecating editor”, though it’s unclear whether that means a video editor on the fictional talk show Alice or print editor. If Faison’s role is the latter, that could indicate that Alice will be writing a book in the show’s second season.
Faison has previously worked on Showtime series Ray Donovan alongside Kate Moennig (Gone, The L Word), the third and final original The L Word cast member with a regular series role on The L Word: Generation Q.
While Faison, Dunne and O’Donnell invite some intrigue into The L Word: Generation Q’s second season, it’s likely that they are just represent the beginning of guest star announcements that can be expected from the series. The fictional Alice talk show has provided opportunities for unique guest stars on The L Word: Generation Q such as feminist author Roxanne Gay and soccer champion Megan Rapinoe.