L Word primer

If you missed last season (where were you?), here's what happened:

- Alice (Leisha Hailey) went stalker over her breakup with tennis player Dana (Erin Daniels), but then turned back into a true-blue friend when Dana fatally contracted breast cancer.

- Hairdressing heartbreaker Shane (Katherine Moennig) opened up her own shop at a skateboard emporium, and actually maintained a relationship with DJ Carmen (Sarah Shahi)

- Central couple Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) broke up after Tina decided to revert to heterosexuality.

- Jenny Schechter (Mia Kirshner) hooked up with a "boi" named Moira (Daniela Sea), who was transitioning to Max. And, oh, yeah, someone agreed to publish her novel.

- Helena (Rachel Shelley) had an ill-fated affair with gold-digging filmmaker Dylan (Alexandra Hedison).

- Kit (Pam Grier) spiffed up the Planet restaurant and had a relationship with Bette and Tina's "manny," Angus (Dallas Roberts).

In the season-ending cliff-hanger, Shane skipped out on her wedding to Carmen; Bette drove off with her and Tina's infant daughter, Angelica; Jenny and Max seemed kaput; Helena's rich mommy cut off her money; and Kit learned she was pregnant. This season, Shahi and Daniels are gone, but Kristanna Loken, Marlee Matlin, Cybill Shepherd, Annabella Sciorra, Janina Gavankar, and Rose Rollins join the lesbopalooza. Even Karina Lombard--luscious "Marina" from season 1--makes a brief reappearance.

New episodes of The L Word air on Showtime every Sunday night at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.