Danaaaa!

Dana was never my favorite character. When I started watching "The L Word," I got sucked into the Bette/Tina drama and loved checking out Shane.

And while I get really emotionally engaged in my favorite TV shows and movies, I've never actually cried.

But seeing Dana in the finale of season 4 put a lump in my throat. I forgot how much she brought to the show. Watching her go through the process of coming out and learning to be her gay self was a solid, realistic part of the show.

Stupid Ilene. She could have stayed on the soapbox with her breast cancer awareness message and still let Dana live.

But the scene with Dana as a ghost/hallucination/Alice's conscience broke my heart, especially when Alice teared up. I loved how Dana was sassy, bossy, wise, and sincere all at the same time. She challenged Alice while being sympathetic with her.

I liked the "all you know is that you don't know" message. It's so true; we really don't know what is in store for us, and that uncertainty is one of the only reliable constants in life.

I also liked it when Dana asked Alice if she wished she never met her. If she wished Dana never existed so Alice's life could have been easier without having to suffer losing her to 1) Lara and 2) breast cancer.

Alice doesn't answer, but I think that even though she lost Dana, she shouldn't regret knowing her or wish that Dana never existed.

We've all experienced hurt and loss with people, but life would be empty and one-sided if we never met the people that will eventually cause us pain as a result of the inevitable connection between love and hurt.