'The L Word' Creator Ilene Chaiken Reveals Why She Regrets Dana Fairbank's Death | PEN | People

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
  • Dana Fairbank's battle with breast cancer is one of "The L Word's" most memorable storylines, but the fan backlash was so strong creator Ilene Chaiken wishes she had spared the character.
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    'The L Word' Creator Ilene Chaiken Reveals Why She Regrets Dana Fairbank's Death | PEN | People
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ความคิดเห็น • 103

  • @pandastrat
    @pandastrat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +450

    Exactly, I’ll never forgive Chaiken for getting rid of the best character, I’m sorry. Dana was the sanest, most relatable person. 😓

    • @mikkat8613
      @mikkat8613 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Fr

    • @lizzard2023
      @lizzard2023 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I wish they would just bring back the show

    • @kslucki
      @kslucki 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@lizzard2023 it's back 😊

    • @busychrissy0.0
      @busychrissy0.0 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@lizzard2023 got your wish girl!

    • @Greenkai3000
      @Greenkai3000 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I agree. They wanted to tell the story of an athletic, strong woman getting breast cancer. Still, she didn’t have to die. Her character surviving would’ve made a bigger impact IMO . That scene when they do the race in her honor, and visit the memorial broke me

  • @Amy-jh6br
    @Amy-jh6br 4 ปีที่แล้ว +247

    Her death hit me HARD AS SHITTTTT. I definitely miss her, she was a fav.

  • @vanrawr
    @vanrawr 5 ปีที่แล้ว +177

    Everytime I see that scene I cry like crazy and the beautiful acting of Leisha made everything harder

  • @agasuchon3052
    @agasuchon3052 4 ปีที่แล้ว +73

    The show was never the same after Dana’s death. It feels like something is missing. She shouldn’t have died :(

  • @mykylc
    @mykylc 3 ปีที่แล้ว +69

    One of the biggest mistakes in television. Hard loss. The show was never the same.

    • @GabiFOliv
      @GabiFOliv ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Just like when writers killed Laurel Lance Earth-1 in Arrow, and Gigi and Dani situation in Genq. I kind of enjoyed these shows until these moments.

    • @bovnycccoperalover3579
      @bovnycccoperalover3579 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pretty much watched sporadically after that.

    • @nadines.3453
      @nadines.3453 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Amen to this

  • @majopacheco3100
    @majopacheco3100 4 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    Although Dana's death was extremely painful as she was my favorite character in the show. I think it's a great lesson. People go through difficult things in life and in her example she was struggling with her sexuality and how difficult it was to be her trulyself. Makes us realize how short life is, how we should not waste time on not being ourselves and that we must love without barriers and passionately every day of our lives and love all those who love us as well. It shows us how difficult life is, it shows the reality of it. Death or diseasse can occur at anytime to anyone, no one is free from such fate. Painful but a true ... painful but a very valuable lesson in my opinion.

  • @curiousorigins
    @curiousorigins 4 ปีที่แล้ว +98

    It sucked killing off Dana, because out of everyone, we saw her struggle with her journey to being out the most. She was never comfortable. She loved her friends, we also lost like 6 months of her life.
    First she was with Alice and then they skipped 5 months into her being with Laura, just to kill her off. She has a total of 3 girlfriends, her whole life.
    Literally every moment of her health decline was terrible. No reprieve for her. It went from suspicious lump, to mastectomy asap, to it spread to muscle and lymph nodes. To her realizing she was still into Alice to her getting a cold while home alone. To barely conscious in the hospital, to dead. In like maybe 4-6 episodes. If we include the funeral one.
    It was cruel to do it that suddenly. And yeah, sometimes it happens like that in real life... it would have been better, if they got her sick for a while, got her a mastectomy, got her in remission and had her get killed after the cancer came back. They had her make all the right health calls, and it would’ve been matched more people’s experience when breast cancer killed their loved ones.
    Obviously, I didn’t want Dana to die, and would rather she not. But it would’ve been better to have it be longer. And on top of it, we never got to see her bounce back a bit after finishing with her first round of Chemo.

    • @MayaBishopStan
      @MayaBishopStan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Truer words have never been said.
      I lost my mom to breast cancer, and I know the struggles she passed through

  • @Sophie_Chassee
    @Sophie_Chassee 5 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    Sitting here in 2019 and crying my ass off because I just finished episode 3 and my favorite character just died. What am I gonna do now?! 😭 Never thought the death of a fictional character could make me so upset 💔

    • @alisonluxr2872
      @alisonluxr2872 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      MsMusicsophie I don’t have the strength to keep watching without Dana

  • @mpk0422
    @mpk0422 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Dana was my favorite character... heartbreaking when she died:(

  • @PrincessProzac
    @PrincessProzac 4 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Her death scene still gives me goosebumps and gets me all emotional

  • @ShrewdEmpath
    @ShrewdEmpath 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I did remember thinking it was a waste of a character because Dana was so quirky and loveable, but also it happened just as she was self-actualising.

  • @dominique603
    @dominique603 5 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    The episode where Dana dies almost made me cry but I had to suck that shit back up to continue my binge on Netflix. I cried like 2 minutes into the next episode because Dana's younger brother Howie says something along the lines of, "This isn't what Dana would've wanted, this isn't Dana at all." Him crying into Alice's (I think) shoulder got me. I had tears falling down my face during the funeral scene and almost cried again at the waterfall scene when Shane gets worked up. Dana was my favorite character on The L Word, and I give Ilene credit for having the balls to kill off one of the main characters. BUT WHY DANA?!?!?!?! DX

  • @donmonteiro6830
    @donmonteiro6830 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    i cant believe that i forgot how intense those scenes were... i beat stage four cancer ... watching these scenes even just briefly made me tear up when alice was crying... i cried like that when my mom passed from stage 4 lung cancer just a year before i got it

  • @robinvendrone315
    @robinvendrone315 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I love that Dana was a gay tennis player and that she , had such a realistic hard time with coming out.

  • @xaniiu
    @xaniiu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Worst decision ever made to kill Dana.

  • @kylepop4371
    @kylepop4371 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    rewatching the L Word right now and the death scene absolutely broke me. Dana was such a wonderful, amazing character and I was truly devastated. I wish she could have lived but seeing the profound impact she had on all of her friends was actually beautiful to see unfold. She was tbe heart of the whole group

  • @nancesulange260
    @nancesulange260 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I cried a lot Alice & dana broke up then when she came back to alice arms when she became sick and her death also and when I saw the grief of alice when she died,.so painful💔

  • @florsalazar9687
    @florsalazar9687 5 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    I’m sitting here crying like an idiot still. Hated this so much.

    • @thephilosopher5799
      @thephilosopher5799 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I know it was annoying. They shouldn't have killed her off. They should have made her a survivor.

    • @meganf1359
      @meganf1359 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Still gets me every time I see it! I don’t think I’ve ever cried so hard from a tv show☺️

  • @xaniiu
    @xaniiu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I stopped watching after that. Skipped the whole rest of season 3 and have only seen like 5 episode after

  • @laurynsomethin5717
    @laurynsomethin5717 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I cried so much on that scene, so much!🥺

  • @TDKiller415
    @TDKiller415 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    What Ilene Chaiken should truly regret is deciding to write season 3 onwards in the first place.
    She'd already done enough damage with Jenny alone from the first episode, but seasons 3 to 6 just went from bad to worse. She ruined every single character. Seasons 1 and 2 were a decent (though still flawed) two-part story.

  • @mafatt1329
    @mafatt1329 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Terrible terrible terrible decision to get rid of Dana 😭. She was one of my favorite characters and needed to stay until the end.

  • @bettycopper3630
    @bettycopper3630 7 ปีที่แล้ว +52

    no that was a good spot in that movie it showed that anybody can die with breast cancer so lady all of you go get a mammogram Amen

    • @SourStrawberrys
      @SourStrawberrys 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Betty Copper Yeah, I think that was a good thing that that writing had such an impact on the story. It is just like when certain long time beloved characters where killed off greys anatomy and when certain beloved characters where killed off The Walking Dead. It is just good story writing when you make it realistic and emotionally impact the audience. Like she said it would have made as much of an impact if it was a character not many cared about.

    • @cominooculto
      @cominooculto 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I totally agree it was the right way i waaas so damn sad but shit just happens

  • @nikki1574
    @nikki1574 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Why couldn’t Dana just have a secret twin like most drama series?? So Erin didn’t have to leave.😭😭

  • @rayaandyael3165
    @rayaandyael3165 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    This was where i stopped watching L world last 8 yrs ago😥 i love dana so much my passion with L world died with her and just a few months ago i started to watch it again from the beggining i just dont know if i can still finish it after dana's death again😥😥😥

    • @dealin21s
      @dealin21s 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mama Miraflor You can! And when you finish that go binge the first season of Generation Q so you can be ready for season 2.

    • @SillyGayBoy
      @SillyGayBoy ปีที่แล้ว

      Did you end up finishing it? What about the new show?

  • @JinxedJacqueline
    @JinxedJacqueline 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I know people will be against it, but you told a story about what cancer is too, it's unpredictable, sad, & it's also something that could take your life & you have no say, I know it was sad to lose Dana, but to express this to people I think made the difference & it really did make them stronger as a group, & it's not that we lost a character that made them strong, but losing the people they love & holding your friends closer because you never want to know that feeling again, so I hope the writer dosen't take it too much to heart

  • @nadines.3453
    @nadines.3453 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The Story was amazing but it was sad she choose Dana die it. Because she was such a sane, relatable Character of the show. So many cloud identify themself in her the most.

  • @DOSkywalkR
    @DOSkywalkR ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What kind of annoys me: I finally have the DVD box set (since the show is not on blu-ray) and on the front, back and inside prints - no Dana. Why is she not in any of those pictures?! They seem to have been taken after she left the show, but photoshop is a thing, you know 😅 she was main cast for half of the run of The L Word.

  • @mlk8433
    @mlk8433 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I usually don’t cry when I watch films or tv shows, but when Dana died I cried so hard, she was my favourite character, I loved her so much. I know that it is realistic, because it happens, people die from cancer, but why Dana ? I didn’t want her to die, and after that I was so heartbroken

  • @kathysamsom1748
    @kathysamsom1748 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I never watched the L word when it came out - I just binge watched the whole original series on Hulu - I thought this story line was fine. Chaiken was brilliant. This storyline showed the audience a part of life - death. My favorite character is Alice - she is a brilliant actor!!!

  • @Dirtymousey
    @Dirtymousey 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I still miss Dana 😭😭😭

  • @frederickvanhelsun9315
    @frederickvanhelsun9315 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I miss her so she was a part of us all

  • @t.herring2037
    @t.herring2037 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    NOPE! Will. Never. Forgive. Ilene!!! Especially knowing that Jenny lasted all 6 seasons. Hell, I would've even been ok with killing off Tina's ass 😂 #FairbanksForever 💕

  • @bettycopper3630
    @bettycopper3630 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    so sad but true

  • @chaedokhu
    @chaedokhu 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I literally cry so much and my throat burns from trying to stop the tears and my chest hurts, so yes, it does upset the audience a lot jdjdjf 😭 its a character but if u've lost someone in your life it's the same kind of pain, through that character's death u r again faced with the feelings of losing someone in real life.

  • @mishikawa2629
    @mishikawa2629 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Dana love!

  • @boredom247
    @boredom247 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    She can bring her back as a 👻 Idk just my thoughts

  • @TMWill-fi5fy
    @TMWill-fi5fy 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    She felt they would be "wimping out" to tell the story about a character who wasn't beloved. Imagine being that arrogant and taking yourself that seriously. It's a TV show, you are there primarily to entertain, not teach us life lessons. Dana was a character we loved and it was Ilene's responsibility to simply give us who we loved.

  • @Madge21
    @Madge21 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Omg ...still hurts

  • @breonnasmith4830
    @breonnasmith4830 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’m watching right now and ugh that I’m not anticipating to cry over again 😩

  • @kotonohakatsura6930
    @kotonohakatsura6930 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Yeah Dana x Alice forever!!!

  • @rafaelgalindo4794
    @rafaelgalindo4794 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Killing Dana was the biggest load of shit she ever did. I am surprised she can even walk after that.

  • @cominooculto
    @cominooculto 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I really loved Dana but i think Ilene did the right choice to portray this no matter if she regretted it years later because honestly this type of stuff happen it happend in my life and it hurts and this scene made everyone flip and cry and hurt and that's just awesome writing i love The L Word Thank you Ilene for being awesome i wish she was writing this new season i mean Marja is good but nothing like Ilene i know she's busy still with empire but i hope she comes back and write it again no offense to Marja this new season is great but i really really want Ilene to get more involve in the writing rather than being an executive producer.

  • @J2LO
    @J2LO 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    She should come
    Back..as her lost twin sister or so

  • @aliciaborton5139
    @aliciaborton5139 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I quit watching when Dana died.

  • @jriley6197
    @jriley6197 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Definitely still sad about this. Cry every time.

  • @MichelMawon4982
    @MichelMawon4982 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    ...but if it was an important story to tell, what would she have done differently? The high stakes of her death made it super real. She did the right thing though I misse and loved Dana

  • @sabrinagurung8891
    @sabrinagurung8891 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I wish dana and jenny never died . Those are my favourite character

  • @awesomenerd7291
    @awesomenerd7291 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    im still mad, she and alice are the best. not to mention i have huge crush on her

  • @ZoeSummers1701A
    @ZoeSummers1701A 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    #NeverForgetNeverForgive. Dana and Lara 4 EVER

  • @paulinebrus7580
    @paulinebrus7580 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I think it was a very strong storyline and wouldn't change it. I would have choosen to let here get cancer a season later so she could have more time with Alice. But this way it also couldn't get more ugly between the two of them, sooo... what would be wise ;) It is sad, but I loved it

  • @Jess65380
    @Jess65380 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Gosh I'm still crying! I just started watching this effin series and I'm here after Dana died. She's my favourite 😢 I hate you Chaiken!!!!

  • @itsme7285
    @itsme7285 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    How do I watch the whole episode?

  • @user-bk1lh6pd5z
    @user-bk1lh6pd5z ปีที่แล้ว

    We all loved her

  • @lorifrancesconi3519
    @lorifrancesconi3519 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Shell shocked yes Erin we all agree with you

  • @bovnycccoperalover3579
    @bovnycccoperalover3579 ปีที่แล้ว

    IC keeps creating the old tropes - lesbians being unhappy or worse, dying. I skimmed "Well of Loneliness once" at the library. Depressed me for weeks.
    The "Price of Salt" (Carol in the film) was probably the first book to have kind of a happy ending. Desert Hearts was adapted from a 1962 book by Jane Rule called "Desert of the Heart", which was more nuanced and complex than the film, although I did love the film".

  • @lisztomaniacgirl
    @lisztomaniacgirl 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fairbanks 🌷

  • @Dee-hg5hy
    @Dee-hg5hy 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dana was my favorite I’m so PISSSSED

  • @nasimashaikh7496
    @nasimashaikh7496 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I miss dana

  • @andaanunta
    @andaanunta 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Leisha's acting 😭

  • @ccruiz8245
    @ccruiz8245 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Ilene, bring her back! Pretend it was a really bad dream.

    • @mlk8433
      @mlk8433 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      When she died I was praying for it to just be a bad dream of Alice’s

  • @AlysiaxD
    @AlysiaxD ปีที่แล้ว

    I think I’m the only one who didn’t care if Dana lived or died. I don’t see why that’s her biggest regret. Show actually got better to me. But that’s just me 🤷🏿‍♀️

  • @nadines.3453
    @nadines.3453 ปีที่แล้ว

    She can do good my bringing her back...Not as Dana of course but it was done before have the long lost twin who is different but still very similar to the original

  • @anniejohnson7074
    @anniejohnson7074 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Yeah - it’s 2024 and you’re still not forgiven! 😡

  • @brutaltruth3125
    @brutaltruth3125 ปีที่แล้ว

    Der wer many mistakes which i hated it.. Like... Jenny marina split 💔....shane carmen break up 💔 and sarah shahi not returning to the show....Jenny's death....

  • @Andrea-119
    @Andrea-119 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Mala interpretación de lo que la gente quería, error de medición de audiencia

    • @Madge21
      @Madge21 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Horrible!!! Quiero que vuelva aunque sea en flasback

  • @pixiedust914
    @pixiedust914 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    OMG l word..

  • @khongbietkhongbiet8269
    @khongbietkhongbiet8269 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Writer made a lot of mistakes such as death of Dana, Jenny.
    And Tasha and Alice was a best couple, but writer hurt them and separated them.
    Now, for Tina and Bette, writer made word " Love " like a bullshit. Love for L word does not exist in the l word and generation Q stories.
    When i watched some videos on youtube about the generation Q, i stopped watching the genration Q.
    Love is the fuck.

  • @TDKiller415
    @TDKiller415 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Some news article said that Dana's breast cancer was like comeuppance for her summoning the courage to come out as a gay woman in the tennis world.
    It wasn't for that. She was paying the price for taking advantage of Tanya, Alice and Lara. After she left Alice because Lara came back, I didn't want her to survive the cancer. Her hair loss was meant to symbolise that her physical appearance now matched the monster she truly was on the inside.

  • @lorifrancesconi3519
    @lorifrancesconi3519 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Show died with Dana...

  • @PROPERTYOFTB
    @PROPERTYOFTB 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I sooo disliked how she her Alice man I felt her passing karmic