Eight years ago, Netflix gave queer women the love story they deserved with the relationship between Casey and Izzie on the series Atypical. The show, which premiered its second season in September 2018, follows the Gardner family, with brother Sam as the central character navigating high school and college with autism. However, it was the arc of sister Casey (Jack Haven) that struck a chord with sapphic viewers.
A Slow-Burn Romance Unfolds
Casey, whose favorite pastimes include bothering her brother and tormenting her mother, is also a dedicated runner. At the start of season two, she joins a fancy prep school on an athletic scholarship and quickly meets Izzie (Fivel Stewart), the captain of the track team. They get off on the wrong foot, but soon their initial hostility gives way to a sweet friendship. Unlike many shows that leave such potential unexplored, Atypical leans into the tension.
By the end of season two, both Casey and Izzie grapple with their feelings for one another. In the season finale, the pair holds hands in a moment of disorientation and epiphany. For newly-out queer women, this tentative joy of discovering something new resonated deeply. One fan recalled pausing the TV and lying on the floor to squeal when Casey and Izzie gently grazed pinky fingers.
Nuanced Representation in a YA Show
The course of true love does not run smooth. At that point, Casey is still dating her high school boyfriend Evan, and Izzie struggles to profess her feelings. In season three, the show fully embraces the coming-of-age romance with swoonworthy scenes: a dance at a party and a confession on the track field, culminating in a kiss. The relationship is messy and flawed, but that is what makes the representation feel nuanced and layered—especially impressive for a YA show.
Both Izzie and Casey work out what the relationship means for themselves and how society perceives them. Izzie withdraws within herself, an up-and-down that is relatable for teenagers confronting their sexuality. Yet the pair chooses each other time and time again. Although things end on an ambiguous note in season four, that feels okay. This is a first love, and whether they end up forever or not, it is refreshing to see a coming-of-age romance between two women that is not the be-all and end-all of the plot.
A Lasting Legacy
When the show first aired, and even now, this remains one of the rare occasions a sapphic teen relationship has been depicted on the small screen in an impactful way. With Netflix and other streaming giants cancelling shows centering bisexual women and lesbians, the story feels even more special. Casey and Izzie deserve to join the hall of fame with other groundbreaking fictional queer women like Tara and Willow in Buffy, Leighton in Sex Lives of College Girls, Taissa and Van in Yellowjackets, and Shelby in The Wilds.
