The sixth and final season of The L Word starts this Sunday. Yesterday, some of the stars and the show's executive producer, writer, and director Ilene Chaiken sat down at TCA to talk about what it has meant to them and what we can expect from these last eight episodes. While the mystery of who killed Jenny Schecter will be a storyline, it's not all we have to look forward to.

Oh, and about the photo below, Leisha Hailey joked that the what has gotten the most fan reaction is seeing Katherine Moenning in a dress — I must say, I totally agree, but on the panel she looked perfectly Shane. Warning: There were some The L Word spinoff details revealed, but I kept everything spoiler-y after the jump.

  • Chaiken on the show's run: "We had our ups and our downs and we hit our stride on the sixth season. It keeps getting better and better and we end on a high."
  • Chaiken on guest stars to expect this season: Lucy Lawless, Elizabeth Berkeley. "As always, some great guest stars and exciting actors we got to work with, but season six is about this core group of characters. We wanted to devote these last eight episodes to tell stories about these characters."
  • Chaiken on the decision to kill off Jenny: "We said 'What's the story we are going to tell this year?' and the decision to tell that story came out due to a lot of things. The trouble that Jenny has gotten in over the years, she's provoked everyone. All of the dialogue that goes on around the show — journalists, fans, etc — were probably resonating in there somewhere. Jenny has a lot of fans and she's the character people love to hate. She's provoked rage."
  • Jennifer Beals on her favorite fan moments: "One, a couple won a walk-on [part on the show] as an auction item. They were in their 60s and been together over 30 years and in the closet for longer that. They told us from watching the show that they were able to come out to their friends, family, people at work. Giving people encouragement to be their most authentic self made me feel really proud. Two, I recently got a letter from a young woman [who knows she is gay]. She was 16 and she said it was the loneliest time of her life. She said by watching the show it had saved her life because she had contemplated killing herself. Realizing that there were other people out there, part of a larger community and one day she might be able to take part, she was encouraged."

Laurel Holloman also talked about The L Word conventions around the world. Jennifer Beals revealed that she is working on a book of photos of the cast throughout the seasons filming and off set. The proceeds will go to charity including the Matthew Shephard Foundation. For juicy news about the spinoff, the murder mystery and Shane's love through the series just read more.

  • Katherine on Shane's loves: "I think everyone believes that Shane is meant to be with Carmen. I always look at the Carmen situation as that one first love that got away. You'll never find something that will match that level of intensity. I think the Molly thing was fun and cute, I don't know how profound it was."
  • On the murder mystery plot: "In all honesty they kept it from us...we guessed it, but they didn't tell us until we had a meeting and sat us all down and revealed it. It's an intense way to go out, but it's television. It's campy, you have to take it for what it is."
  • At the Showtime Executive's panel, the CEO revealed that the spinoff plot will be that "one of the characters on The L Word goes to prison, so the show goes to prison. . . It’s a big group of characters and there’s a few lesbians in that group, but it isn't the exact make up of The L Word."
  • The pilot has been shot, but the execs have not seen a cut of it. If it does get picked up, Chaiken said that this season of The L Word will lead into the spinoff.
  • We know the show will be centered around Leisha Hailey's Alice. Hmmm, makes us wonder what will land her behind bars?

    • Photo courtesy of Showtime