'Bojack Horseman's' Todd Chavez Comes Out as Asexual, Makes TV History

Light Bojack Horseman Season 4 spoilers ahead!

"I don't think I'm allowed to be in love."

Todd Chavez mutters the line as he looks off into the distance. As the beloved Bojack Horseman character struggles with his sexuality, the show proudly represents one of television's few openly asexual (someone who doesn't experience sexual attraction) characters. 

The Netflix original animated series continues to surprise and delight fans across the globe. On the season finale of season 3, Todd opened up about his sexuality for the first time. "I’m not gay," he explained to a childhood friend. "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."

This was the first time many TV viewers have seen anyone talk openly about asexuality on television and the relatability of the scene sent Ace fans into full-on knees-to-chest existential breakdown mode.

The show could've stopped there, but instead delved even deeper into his asexuality. One of Todd's defining traits is his selflessness and he constantly drops whatever he's doing to help his friends, which isn't always what's best for him. In the beginning of Season 4, Episode 3 'Hooray! Todd Episode!' a frazzled Todd rushes onto an orchestral stage with only 16 bars left until his part. Just in the nick of time, he slides into his seat and dings the triangle with a huge sigh of relief.

"His name is Todd Chavez, and he’s the most giving man the world has ever known," a lion piccolo player explains. "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."

Throughout the rest of the episode, Todd is continually taken advantage of and coerced into helping everyone around him (not that he minds, he's just that good of a guy). But when he has to talk to Bojack about his confusing relationship with an old girlfriend, Todd finally takes a moment for himself and opens up about his sexuality, marking one of TV's first coming out stories following an asexual character. 

"I think I'm asexual," Todd says. "I'm sure you think that's weird."

"Are you kidding? That's amazing," replies Bojack.

"It actually feels nice to finally say it out loud," Todd smiles as epiphany music swells. "I am an asexual person." 

Todd decides to attend his first Asexual Meet-Up that night, and for the first time ever, when Todd's big orchestral triangle finish is nigh, he misses his moment. The orchestra members gasp when the triangle ding goes unplayed.

"Good for him," the lion piccolo player smiles.  

Throughout the rest of the series, Todd's asexuality is thoughtfully and intricately woven into the storyline as simply just a part of who he is. This representation isn't going unnoticed, and Ace people are praising the series for doing something many shows haven't dared before: show an asexual person just...existing.