Let's be real: you probably have some very strong feelings about Jenny Schecter. If you watched The L Word during its original run on Showtime, or even if you just binged it recently on a streaming binger, Mia Kirshner’s performance likely left you either mesmerized or reaching for the remote in frustration. It's been over fifteen years since the original series wrapped, yet the discourse around Mia Kirshner and her polarizing character hasn't actually cooled down. If anything, it’s gotten weirder.
The show started as a story about Jenny. She was our "in." The wide-eyed, slightly pretentious writer moving to West Hollywood with her boyfriend Tim, only to have her world cracked open by Marina and a very expensive espresso machine. But by the time the series finale rolled around in 2009, Jenny had morphed into a full-blown villain—or a misunderstood genius, depending on which corner of the internet you haunt.
The Evolution of the "Hateable" Protagonist
Mia Kirshner didn't just play a role; she inhabited a character that seemed to actively rebel against the audience’s desire for a likable lead. In the first season, Jenny was someone we could relate to. She was confused, messy, and navigating the terrifying waters of coming out.
Then things took a turn.
By Season 4, the "New Jenny" had arrived. This version of the character was a narcissistic, pseudo-intellectual director who treated her friends like disposable research subjects for her book, Lez Girls. Remember when she adopted a dog just to spite a critic who gave her a bad review? Yeah. That happened.
Honestly, the shift was jarring. Many fans felt the writers simply "gave up" on making Jenny a human being and decided to turn her into a plot device designed to create maximum friction. Kirshner herself has touched on this in interviews, noting that the character’s descent into what some called "sociopathic" behavior was difficult to reconcile with the girl we met in the pilot.
Why Mia Kirshner was the only actor who could do it
Despite the writing becoming increasingly unhinged, Kirshner’s acting remained top-tier. She brought a specific, frantic energy to Jenny that made even the most eye-rolling dialogue feel grounded in some kind of internal logic.
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- She used her eyes—those huge, expressive "silent film" eyes—to convey a deep-seated trauma that the script didn't always articulate.
- Her comedic timing was surprisingly sharp, especially when Jenny was being her most delusional self.
- She committed 100% to the "manatee" phase, the "strip club" phase, and the "circus" phase.
Without Kirshner’s commitment, Jenny Schecter would have been a caricature. Instead, she became a legend.
That Infamous Season 6 Mystery
We have to talk about the pool.
The final season of The L Word was framed as a "Who Killed Jenny Schecter?" murder mystery. It was a bizarre choice for a show that was essentially a soap opera about friendship and community. Every main character had a motive. Bette was tired of her drama. Alice was furious over a stolen script. Shane was... well, Shane was just caught in the crossfire of Jenny’s obsession.
The finale famously ended without a resolution. We saw the girls walking into a police station, and then—cut to black.
It wasn't until the 2019 reboot, The L Word: Generation Q, that we finally got an answer. Bette Porter offhandedly mentions that Jenny died by suicide in her pool. This revelation didn't sit well with everyone, least of all Mia Kirshner.
Mia Kirshner’s Reaction to the "Suicide" Reveal
When the news broke that Generation Q had officially canonized Jenny’s death as a suicide, Kirshner took to social media to voice her frustration. She didn't hold back. She tweeted that Jenny was a "survivor of sexual violence" and that ending her story that way felt like a betrayal of the character's core strength.
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"Nope. Jenny is not dead. That's not the story that needs to be told about a survivor... It's not a story that can be wrapped up and tied up with a bow."
For Kirshner, Jenny wasn't just a TV character; she represented a specific kind of complicated, traumatized person who deserved more than being a footnote in a reboot. This tension between the creator (Ilene Chaiken) and the actor (Kirshner) highlights just how much weight the character still carries.
Life After West Hollywood
It’s easy to forget that Mia Kirshner has had a massive career outside of the "Planet" coffee shop. While Jenny Schecter might be her most famous role, she’s been a staple in the industry for decades.
She was the assassin Mandy in 24, a role that showed off her ability to be genuinely terrifying. More recently, Star Trek fans know her as Amanda Grayson (Spock's mother) in Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds. It’s a complete 180 from the chaotic energy of Jenny—calm, maternal, and dignified.
But perhaps her most important work has happened off-camera.
Kirshner is a dedicated activist. She spent years working on a book called I Live Here, which documents the lives of refugees and displaced people in places like Chechnya and Malawi. She’s not just an actress who signs petitions; she actually goes to the ground, conducts interviews, and uses her platform to highlight humanitarian crises that the 24-hour news cycle often ignores.
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Comparing the Actor to the Character
| Feature | Jenny Schecter | Mia Kirshner |
|---|---|---|
| Personality | Self-absorbed, erratic, creative | Thoughtful, activist-driven, private |
| Career | Struggling writer / director | Successful actress / author |
| Legacy | The most hated character on TV | Respected peer in the industry |
| Vibe | "I'm the main character" | "Let's talk about global human rights" |
It's sort of ironic. Jenny Schecter was a character who couldn't see past her own reflection, while Mia Kirshner is someone who spends her free time trying to make sure the rest of the world is seen.
The Cultural Impact: Why We Still Care
Why are we still writing about a character from a show that peaked in 2005?
Because Jenny Schecter was a "disruptor" before that was a buzzword. Before the era of the "unreliable narrator" or the "difficult woman" (think Fleabag or Girls), Jenny was there, being messy and unlikable and refusing to apologize for it.
She challenged the idea that queer characters had to be perfect "role models." In the early 2000s, there was a lot of pressure on LGBTQ+ media to present "positive" images to win over mainstream audiences. Ilene Chaiken and Mia Kirshner did the opposite. They gave us a queer woman who was deeply flawed, occasionally cruel, and profoundly human.
What You Can Do Now
If you’re feeling a sudden urge to revisit the chaos of Jenny Schecter, here’s how to do it with fresh eyes:
- Rewatch Season 1 only. See if you can spot the exact moment the writers decided to change her trajectory. It’s usually around the time she starts the "carnival" dream sequences.
- Read I Live Here. If you want to see the "real" Mia, check out her book. It’s a heavy read, but it shows a side of her that Jenny Schecter could never touch.
- Check out her Star Trek work. Seeing her play Spock's mom is a great way to cleanse the palate after watching Jenny ruin everyone’s lives in Season 6.
- Listen to the "Pants" podcast. Hosted by Leisha Hailey (Alice) and Katherine Moennig (Shane), they occasionally drop behind-the-scenes nuggets about what it was really like on set with Mia during those intense filming years.
Ultimately, Mia Kirshner delivered a performance that survived a decade of bad writing and a controversial ending. Whether you love Jenny or hate her, you can't deny that she changed the landscape of queer television forever.
To get the full perspective on how the show's legacy evolved, compare the original series' treatment of mental health with how newer dramas handle similar themes today. You'll likely find that while The L Word was a pioneer, it also left a lot of room for improvement in how it portrayed its most vulnerable characters.