After five seasons of amassing animosity, Jennifer Diane Schecter (Mia Kirshner), The L Word’s sexually confused diva auteur, will meet an untimely (and well-publicized) end in the first episode of the Showtime series’ final season (January 18). Jenny-bashing became a spectator sport almost from the moment she arrived in Season 1—a state of affairs the show’s creator, Ilene Chaiken, still finds shocking: “People read into the character that she was a manipulator, self-absorbed, a troublemaker who put other people in service of her own neurotic agenda. I think people react so strongly because she is just a mess in the way that so many people are.” Or maybe she was just really, really annoying. Below, the best of Jenny’s worst.

(Photo: Showtime/The Kobal Collection )

Season 1: Selfish Jenny
Establishing her irritating sexual waffling, engaged Jenny has a not-so-secret affair with sultry café owner Marina.

Season 2: Victimized Jenny
Straight-male roommate Mark’s voyeurism leads her to fly off the rails and onto the stripper pole.

(Photo: Courtesy of Showtime)

Season 4: Heartless Jenny
She dumps her transgendered lover, Max (pictured), just as he begins his sexual transition.

Season 4: Vindictive Jenny
The new author adopts, then kills a dog in a revenge plot against her book’s harshest critic.

Season 5: Bitchy Jenny
Now a filmmaker, she abuses her groveling personal assistant—only to be out-Jenny’d by her very own Eve Harrington.

(Photo: Paul Michaud/Courtesy of Showtime)

Season 5: Narcissistic Jenny
Naturally, she hooks up with the actress cast as her alter ego in the movie based on her book.

Season 6: Dead Jenny
She’s found floating in a pool, and everyone on the show is a murder suspect. Okay, we confess.

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• Table of Contents: Jan 19, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!