Returning characters Bette, Shane, and Alice navigate relationships and co-parenting arrangements involving Nat and Gigi, while new storylines revolve around Dani and Sophie’s lesbian relationship, Finley’s Catholic upbringing and feelings, and especially Micah Lee, a trans man played by trans actor Leo Sheng. Micah’s arcs explicitly include family confrontation with pre-transition photos and navigating bisexuality, making gender identity a recurring focal point rather than incidental.

Showrunner Marja Lewis-Ryan emphasized hiring diverse writers and casting to reflect broader communities and avoid the original series’ homogeneity, with cast interviews highlighting intentional inclusion of Asian trans masculine representation and trans actors in trans roles. Episode plots repeatedly foreground these elements, from election-night tensions tied to personal queer lives to relationship conflicts shaped by identity and pasts.

Audience and critic responses note the shift to more diverse queer casting and trans storylines as a deliberate update, though some viewers criticized pacing and character depth amid the emphasis on representation. This foundational reliance on progressive identity frameworks elevates the score, as the narrative would not exist without them.