Tonight on Fox’s single cam comedy series Weird Loners, we find out Zara is on the darts league at the local lesbian watering hole, Truck Stop. Her teammate is someone she used to date named April (guest star Katie Aselton), who, unfortunately for Zara, totally sucks at darts. When someone at Truck Stop mistakes Zara’s roommate Eric for a very butch lesbian, Zara ropes him into playing alongside her in the finals. (He’s much better than April.)
April doesn’t mind, though: She sidles up to Caryn (Becki Newton) and Stosh (Zachary Knighton), hoping to score a date with Caryn. When April mentions an ex-boyfriend, though, Stosh takes the opportunity to ask her out. And because they have a friendly competitive flirtation with one another, Caryn also agrees to go out with April, because she wants to beat Stosh at his own game.
“Caryn’s motivation for anything is ‘approval? I’m in,'” Becki said. “So even though Caryn never thought she was a lesbian, the thought that someone might be interested in her-that was a woman-she’s like ‘Well maybe I am a lesbian!'”
Caryn and April go on several dates throughout the episode, and make out in front of Stosh so that he can become fully jealous of the situation despite his own dates and kissing with the same woman. (No one is exclusive here, so it’s not completely the “slutty bisexual” trope that can often get played.)
“I’m just a lover of all people. My sexuality is somewhat ambiguous. I like who I like, I find my sexuality very fluid and I tend to go with the flow,” Katie explained of her character, who is a doctor. “I find a strong connection to Caryn and I have a strong connection to Stosh and I have a history with Zara, so I’ve got a lot going on!”
Cowritten by out lesbian Rebecca Drysdale, the episode (called “We’re Here. We’re Weird. Get Used to Us.”) is a new spin on bisexual storylines as Stosh is never titilated nor disgusted by Caryn and April’s courtship.
“I think they’re exploring their attraction to each other and I might be a pawn that helps them discover their feelings for each other. Or lack-thereof,” Katie said. “But I think both of their competitive spirits come out when I’m around. I’m completely oblivious.”
Katie said she was thrilled to be called by series director Jake Kasden for the part.
“I got very excited about the idea. Why did he think of me for this role? I’m very sensual. Obviously it’s my sensuality. Or maybe my oblivion!” she said with a laugh. “But I’m always game to do stuff. My very first role professionally was I was a lesbian on Undressed. MTV’s Undressed. I don’t remember my lines but the whole plot was my little sister was coming to visit and I hadn’t come out to my family and my girlfriend was upset. I did most of it in a pink bra and pigtails.”
Becki said she loved working with Katie and hopes to do it again, (“We really would have [made a cute couple]. Where did it all go wrong?”) and also that this episode really highlights how desperately Caryn wants to be loved.
“She doesn’t think it all through but she’s so open to anyone who will like her to, go to all in,” Becki said. “It took her until [one of the last] scenes in the bar to go ‘Oh wait, I can’t really do this-for a number of reasons.'”
Without any more spoilers, suffice to say April and Caryn do not end up together but she also doesn’t end up alone.
“I actually really admire my character,” Katie said. “I think she’s very comfortable with who she is. I like someone who owns their sexuality in that way.”
As for Zara, she spends most of the episode trying to keep all of her lesbian friends from finding out Eric is not really a woman. But there are a few fun scenes where Caryn goes to Zara for lesbian sex advice, and Zara is not willing to educate her.
“She tries to and Zara doesn’t have any of it because Zara’s not so into the whole-if Caryn were actually wanting to explore her sexuality, that would be one thing. But if Caryn were using the idea of exploring sexuality for her own selfish benefits, that is another thing and that is wrong,” Meera said.
Meera also loves that the episode shows Zara’s “warm, fuzzy unconditional” love for Eric, too. Even as he’s oblivious to the fact Truck Stop is a lesbian bar, and that the woman who takes an interest in him thinks he’s a woman, Eric is just so happy to be there with his friend, Zara.
“It’s this loving. playful just like brother/sister love that they have for each other and we get to watch that grow,” Meera said. “It’s so nice because they’re both just like-they both completely lack pretense. They both completely lack social norms and social intelligence almost. It’s great so we just get to be total weirdos with each other.”
Weird Loners airs tonight at 10/9c on Fox. Check back tomorrow for an interview with writer Rebecca Drysdale and our recap from Chelsea Steiner.
