Season four of the hit Showtime series, The L Word, hit our cable television screens earlier this year. Fans are now impatiently awaiting the premiere of the next season, but they have something to help them out. The DVD of season four, released in late October, is full of special features, along with the complete season of twelve episodes. This will let you catch up or look back just in time for the fifth season premiere early in 2008. The countdown to that has already begun.

The fourth season of The L Word is all about new faces. The cast had five new regulars added for season four, many of whom are returning for season five. The most notable additions to the cast include Marlee Matlin and Cybill Shepherd. Both played big parts in the story line involving one of the main characters, Bette Porter. Other additions to the cast in season four included Kristanna Loken and Rose Rollins. These new additions added to an already eclectic and well-loved cast to make an even bigger L Word family.

With the new faces, we even had more drama and juicy story lines involving everyone. There wasn't a moment to spare with this cast because everyone was involved in the action. The L Word also kept with the times, tackling some tough issues during the season, including gays in the military, the war in Iraq, family issues, and even mental health issues. One woman discovers she has been living a lie her entire life, and in the process falls for Alice. When that doesn't work for Alice, the radio personality ends up falling for Tasha, who is friends with new arrival Papi. Shane's competition anyone? Jenny Schecter once again faces her own inner demons, leaving us wondering at the end of season four just where her head is. So much happened in season four that if you missed it, you definitely need to catch up with this DVD set.

The DVD set is full of special features that any fan of The L Word is sure to love. The set includes both special features to be played using your DVD player, and even more additional features if you decide to pop the DVD into your computer's DVD player. The additional features include behind the scenes footage of the cast at various events, including actresses Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey at last year's Sundance Film Festival. Anyone up to see some of your favorites wrestling in a hotel room anyone? That is only one moment you'll catch in this footage.

We also see the winners of The L Word's fan fiction contest and some lucky ladies also get to try on the shoes and personalities of their favorite L Word characters in order to win a chance at visiting the set during the upcoming season five filming. Showtime also includes free episodes of two of their new hit series, The Tudors and Californication, which hit the network following season four of The L Word. Fans can check two episodes of those series out for themselves to see what they missed. They might have even find a new show to love in the process.

This DVD is perfect for any fan, and with its release now you can prepare yourself for what lies ahead in the lives of these Los Angeles-based lesbians we have all come to know over the past four seasons. The L Word returns to Showtime with season five on January 6.