Who killed Jenny Schecter? We were none the wiser after The New York Times’s “Life After The L Word” talk in midtown last night, but no matter. Gray Lady staff writer Kim Severson interviewed The L Word’s creator, Ilene Chaiken, and actress Jennifer Beals about their time on the groundbreaking show. It ran for six seasons, finally drawing to a close in March with a conclusion where nothing—delightfully or infuriatingly (depending on your viewpoint)—was concluded.

The assembled audience of several hundred women (and about five men) seemed to hang on the exquisite Jennifer Beals’s every word; indeed, she was in fine fettle. She talked about taking on the role of Bette Porter, power lesbian extraordinaire and linchpin of the sapphic ensemble. “I had been offered another show where I would play a prostitute,” she recalled, “and it was kind of like, Hmmm, do I want to be a prostitute or a lesbian? I think I’ll choose a lesbian.” Clearly, it was a no-brainer. “When I met Rose Troche,” said Beals, “the deal was absolutely sealed…and I knew I was a part of something that was special.” She was especially delighted to be joined by the legendary Pam Grier, who played her sister Kit. Apparently, in the pilot episode, Grier had a different role. “She was a sea captain,” said Beals, still clearly bemused by the idea. “I swear to God.”

Beals also talked about her main squeeze on the show, Tina Kennard, played by Laurel Holloman. “Some people have fantasies that we’re lovers,” she said, to cheers from the audience. “We had each other’s backs—literally.” As a straight woman, Beals admitted that her induction into the world of lesbian love was something of a surprise. “It came time to do the [first] love scene, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m a lesbian. What am I supposed to do? I’m going to be that ugly hetero person who doesn’t have a clue. Can I google something?” she recalled. And the learning curve was steep: “I learned what a twink was, I learned what a dental dam was”—more audience applause. “But seriously, the thing that I think I learned the most, clearly, was how connected we all are” she continued, “and I see how all women are connected, and that we are all repressed or repress ourselves in certain ways, and that is truly codified within the culture.” Beals looked teary, which cued a complete audience meltdown.

Ah yes, and Ilene Chaiken had a thing or two to say too. Severson talked about the cultural landscape that The L Word stepped into when it first aired—hard on the heels of Ellen’s coming out, the arrival of Will and Grace and Queer as Folk—and then pushed forward, radically. Chaiken was suitably modest. “We got swept up in the midst of a cultural change, and it was thrilling to be a part of it; and if we nudged it here and there, then that was even more thrilling.” Praise aside, Severson took Chaiken to task for the season finale. Beals nodded in agreement, but Chaiken offered a spirited defense: “There is no resolution in life,” she said, “it was a bittersweet ending…I wanted to do a final show that reflected how we felt about saying goodbye.” But, she said, despite the fact that the much-rumored spin-off series, The Farm, has been put on indefinite hold (Showtime didn’t pick it up), The L Word isn’t over. “We would love to do an L Word movie,” she said. Beals concurred. They didn’t offer up any more details, but in any event: We can’t wait.