This post contains spoilers for BoJack Horseman Season 4.
Todd Chavez always gives his all. Even if “his all” isn’t materially impressive — he doesn’t have a home or a steady income to speak of, though he does have a lot of shit to clean up — the fourth season of BoJack Horseman sees Todd stepping up again and again. In only the third episode, for instance, he scrambles to the stage of a classical performance to place the triangle part for a band in need of a player.
“His name is Todd Chavez, and he’s the most giving man the world has ever known,” a lion piccolo player tells his fellow musicians. “He is always helping others. You know, sometimes, when that triangle part is coming up, I find myself hoping he won’t show up. No man should be asked to give that much.”
That episode (titled “Hooray! Todd Episode!”) and the fourth season as a whole find Todd as compassionate as ever, but with newfound motivation to focus on himself and his needs after setting boundaries with BoJack and discussing his orientation with his former girlfriend, Emily. “I’m not gay,” he told Emily over banana splits during the third season’s last episode. “I mean, I don’t think I am, but I don’t think I’m straight, either. I don’t know what I am. I think I might be nothing.”
While Todd’s voice actor Aaron Paul was quick to note that he is “the first asexual character in television,” his assertion isn’t 100-percent accurate; characters such as The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, Sherlock’s Sherlock Holmes, and Riverdale’s Jughead have been widely interpreted as asexual by many in the asexual community. That said, none of these characters have vocalized this outright within their respective television series, and though plotlines have hinted at it, writers often move quickly to skirt around the issue — either by suddenly introducing newfound desire (such as the case of Sheldon and Jughead) or by refusing to give the issue more credence (such as the case of Sherlock, who creator Steven Moffat claims is just “abstaining,” as his being asexual would be “no fun”). One short-lived Fox show, Sirens, actually did include a well-developed, out asexual character in an EMT named Voodoo, but was canceled after just 23 episodes.
“It actually feels nice to actually say it out loud.”
The fourth season of BoJack backs up Paul’s declaration, with a slight tweak: Todd is the first openly asexual character on mainstream television, with a rich, healthy treatment of his sexuality. Unlike aforementioned characters, Todd discusses the importance of labels with Emily at the very beginning of the season — within the first 10 minutes, in fact.
“Whatever you call yourself, you’re my friend, and I support you,” Emily tells Todd (eating burgers with the ice cream this time). “But sometimes, labels can be helpful.”
This isn’t just a cheap, half-hearted ploy to move the plot along or garner a few extra nods in reviews. Todd’s navigation of his newfound identity — or, rather, his conscious decision to be himself, out and proud — is intricately and thoughtfully woven throughout the season, making for positive and extremely visible representation like no other series has accomplished before. When Todd is ready, and only when he’s ready, he decides to adopt the term “asexual” to describe himself, and he begins attending asexual meeting groups.
“It actually feels nice to actually say it out loud,” Todd says in the second episode. “I am an asexual person. I am asexual…[I]t feels good to talk about it.”
Later in the season, Todd accepts a date from another ace. Stunned but happy, he turns to find a striking visual metaphor: everyone around him in the restaurant dressed like him, Todd Vogue. Because asexual people aren’t mythical, and they aren’t waiting to figure out whether they’re gay or straight. They exist, and they’re everywhere. Some of them even dictate fashion trends.
But Todd’s most poignant moment perhaps comes much earlier in the season, right at the moment he’s supposed to play that triangle part. Where is Todd? He’s not there to play the note, because he’s at his very first asexual meet-up.
Cut to the lion piccolo player, who smiles ever so slightly to himself.
“Hmm,” the musician murmurs. “Good for him.”
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Editor’s note: This piece initially omitted mention of Voodoo, of the short-lived Fox show Sirens, and was updated to include her.
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