The word on word.

I would like to thank you for the interview you did with Jennifer Beals, definitely the "Soul of The L Word" [January 31]. This show has inspired me in every possible way and given me a voice I never knew I had. Living in Europe, the fans can only wait for the DVD releases each season, but it is worth waiting for. I feel my life has changed in a positive way--I am much more honest to myself and others around me. I am not afraid anymore. Every actress in the show is an inspiration in her own way. I applaud all of them for their bravery and talent and can only hope there will be many more seasons to come. In the last segment of the interview, Ms. Beals expresses her gratefulness to her fans. I am forever grateful to you, Jennifer Beals!

JUDITH SZAFERMANN Frankfurt, Germany

I've finally realized why The L Word's Jenny Schecter made absolutely no sense last season. Throughout her January 31 interview ("Burning Questions"), Ilene Chaiken seems to sidestep nearly every one of Anne Steckwell's probing and relevant questions that have plagued L Word viewers since Marina's psychotic disappearance. However, in her insufficient explanation as to why Jenny's dream sequences were confusing and unresolved, Chalken provides the disturbing answer that, as a filmmaker, she refuses to overtly portray rape in conjunction with traumatic circumstances due to its "exploitative" nature. How exactly does Ms. Chaiken expect women who have been victimized--in the manner she could only allude to in Jenny's "dream sequences"--as having the potential to lead progressive, successfull, and sane lives, when she personally cannot face the issue that triggered the situation? This explanation does a disservice to all women and men who have ever been taken advantage of and have overcome their pasts. If Ms. Chaiken is trying to make Jenny into a more "likable" character, she might want to start by not projecting her own psychological hang-ups onto prime-time fiction.

ANDREA SEARBY San Francisco, Calif.

Ilene Chaiken promises that the third season of TLW is going back to its roots and is "tight in the way that the first season was." Unfortunately, from the episodes of the third season so far, this seems a remote possibility. The problem with The L Word is not the theme song or the role of Betty or Elizabeth Ziff or even the fact that Marina won't be back. The problems with The L Word are in the writing and character development. The dialogue, which was snappy and profound in the first season, has degenerated into bitchiness. As for the character development, quite apart from the loss of complexity, The L Herd appears to have completely lost the plot.

It's one thing to create drama through change. It's quite another to make a total hodgepodge of discordant story lines and regressing characters--most of whom are strangely preoccupied with men.

NICHOLAS ST. JAMES Ithaca, N.Y.