The 5 Best Minor Characters From 'The L Word'

The L Word was a revolutionary show in its own right. As one of the first LGBTQ+ shows on premium cable, the Showtime series went through highs and lows just like any heterosexual show would while following a group of lesbian friends living in West Hollywood, California.

Running from 2004-2009, The L Word seemed to have it all - cheating, birth, death, marriage, pregnancy, adoption, and even straight people. While the show's primary focus was relationships within their main characters, there were some short-lived characters that made just as big of an impact on The L Word. They not only left an impact on the show itself, but they left lasting marks on the characters they interacted with.

While it could be argued that some of these five women were main characters, we are focusing on short-term appearances on the show. None of the five women appeared on more than two full seasons of the six that existed in the original run of the show. So who appears on this chart? Well, here are the five best short-lived characters of The L Word.

5. Joyce Wischnia

Joyce was most present in season 2 with the initial breakup of Tina and Bette, but whenever we did get to see her it was always a slightly humorous treat. As the most notable LGBTQ+ lawyer in Los Angeles, Jane Lynch brought this arrogant, extremely stereotypical character to life in a way that only Lynch could.

Not only did Wischnia sleep with almost all of her clients, she allowed her desire to fuel which cases she took or declined. She represented both Tina and Bette regarding custody of Angelica, as well as representing Phyllis later on in the series.

4. Jodi Lerner

Jodi came into the series in season 4 and while she only lasted for two seasons, she left a pretty lasting impact. Portrayed by Oscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin, the character of Jodi was somewhat pioneering as it showcased deafness in such a normal light. It was touched on, obviously, but it wasn't made to be a spectacle.

Despite everything, Jodi played a pretty significant role in the show. She was Bette's first serious relationship after Tina and served as a bigger picture of what Bette was lacking with Tina. Jodi was an artist, an inward thinker, a pioneer for the "capable," and unashamed of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. In other words, she was one of the most fitting characters in the entire series. It's a shame she wasn't around for longer.

3. Lara Perkins

Lara is easily one of the most wronged The L Word characters of the entire series, at least in my opinion. What started as a really cute relationship between her and Dana ended in tragedy when Dana passed in season 3. What makes it worse is that Lara wasn't even by Dana's side. After bearing the brunt of Dana's anger over her cancer diagnosis, Lara was chased away to Paris where she missed most of Dana's illness and completely missed her death.

Lara eventually was written out of the show after "taking a job in San Francisco," but she never left our hearts. In a perfect lesbian world, she would have stayed with Dana and eventually opened her own restaurant.

2. Ivan Aycock

Ivan came and went very quickly but he left an incredible impact on not only the show, but on the culture. As one of the two primary transgender characters in the show, Ivan opened a lot of doors that eventually led to the show (and viewers) embracing the character of Max Sweeney.

Ivan was one of the first transmasculine characters on television that showcased swagger and confidence of being genderqueer. When we were introduced to Ivan, he was a performer who was basically courting Kit. With Kit's sobriety, Ivan saw an opportunity to help her maintain her commitment and to show her a life of being treated like a literal queen. The elephant in the room was that Kit was a heterosexual woman falling for... well, another biological woman.

The important takeaway from Ivan was not only was he an incredibly warm and supportive person, but Kit demonstrated how easy it is to accept someone for who they are. While characters like Bette recognized Ivan as a biological woman trying to trap her sister, Kit figured if Ivan said he was a man then that's exactly what he was to her. It's unfortunate how Ivan's storyline ended, but the impact is the most important legacy.

1. Carmen de la Pica Morales

Buckle your seatbelts for this one because The L Word did my girl so wrong.

Aside from being one of the most beautiful inside and out, Carmen was one of the only voices of reason that Shane ever had in the show. It was a bold move to go for the biggest player in West Hollywood, but Carmen saw beneath Shane's act. She saw someone who was generous, kind, and guarded. It was simply unfortunate that Carmen had to go through Jenny to get to Shane, but we all have mountains to climb at some point.

What made the end of Carmen so devastating is that deep down, we knew it was coming. In her brief relationship with Shane (face it, they'd barely known each other a year), Carmen was cheated on, lied to, ignored, and gaslighted. As viewers, we wanted Shane to stop being Shane and marry the girl of our dreams because Carmen made her a better person. But the sad reality is Shane wasn't actually a better person with her around. We'd like to think so seeing how happy they could be at times, but the reality of it is Shane was still a pretty lousy person and she took Carmen for granted. The pinnacle was Shane leaving Carmen at the altar in Canada, which caused a ripple effect of Helena being cut off financially from the Peabody Foundation.

I wouldn't say that Carmen was necessarily a wasted character, but it's sad that the showrunners chose to victimize such a great character at the hands of someone else's choices. It's realistic and bad things (and relationships) happen to good people, but I would have loved to see Carmen stick around for a bit longer. I also would have loved to see her find love that wasn't Shane.