The Best Portrayal Of Teen Sex Is On Hulu’s ‘Casual’

If TV has taught us anything about teenagers it’s this: They’re going to be rebellious, and they’re obsessed with sex. That second part is what makes the character Laura such a natural fit on Hulu’s nebulous dramedy, Casual. What’s Casual about, you ask? Everything that’s complicated, cringe-worthy, and cathartic when it comes to sex.

The series focuses on Valerie (Michaela Watkins), a recently divorced mother who decides to live with her equally dysfunctional brother, Alex (Tommy Dewey). However, Val’s reacquaintance with the world of dating and non-serious relationships doesn’t only mirror her commitment-phobic brother’s. It also mirrors the social and sexual life of her daughter, Laura (Tara Lynne Barr). Casual’s Laura is far from the only TV teenager getting down and dirty on screen, but Laura’s journey is uncharacteristically not sexy. Rather than rely on shot after shot of the show’s attractive cast going at it, Casual holds back, taking the time to build out Laura’s character and create an authentic-feeling relationship with sex for Laura.

Decider had the opportunity to speak to Tara Lynne Barr about what creatively goes into bringing one of the most authentic portrayals of teen sex to television. “[Casual’s] all about sex. That’s what got us the green light. They were selling it to Hulu and they were like ‘It’s just going to be sex, sex, sex, 24/7’” Barr joked. Barr’s character walks a middle ground that few onscreen teenagers rarely approach. Laura is neither a virgin nor a vixen. When asked about what goes into creating this grounded portrayal of sex, the actress focused on the strength of Casual’s storytelling.

“I’m really happy that you brought that up because that is one of the reasons that I love Laura so much, and why I love and appreciate our writers so much,” she said. “They are committed to creating a fully fleshed out human being rather than just a teenager.”

“I feel like teenagers, especially teenage girls, get written off a lot in film and television just because they’re so dramatic, and everything’s about them. They get a negative connotation. I don’t think that’s the case in a lot of it. I think teenagers, especially when it comes to sexuality, teenagers have sex. They don’t have to be this precious, untouched little nymphs. At least that was my experience in high school, the girls that I was friends with and who I interacted with in high school,” Barr added.

The frank way Casual approaches sex surprisingly has the effect of making the show’s sex scenes and conversations about the topic feel more revolutionary. “Because [the show is] frank but not over-the-top about it, it almost feels more racey because it is a slice of life rather than done-up sexuality — especially when it comes to teenagers. Even just the fact that Laura masturbates on camera. It’s not graphic, just the principle of the matter, that they’re depicting her as a sexual person without actively sexualizing her,” Barr said.

“I think [the show’s portrayal of sex] really, really empowering and I think it’s almost political in a way. They don’t preach at you, but they are saying ‘Hey, she’s a teenage girl, she has sex, she’s safe about it and she’s not ashamed of her sexuality,’” she added.

Casual is a show that relies on parallels. Val’s newfound dating life is constantly being compared and contrasted to her brother’s formerly very vibrant sex life, and Val’s search for friendship and new relationships is mirrored by Laura’s transition to a new school system. In a way, comparing Laura’s teenage relationship with Val’s mature ones legitimizes Laura’s relationships and feelings.

“It’s all done in a very grounded, realistic way,” Barr said. “But I think featuring Laura and her sexual journey, not as the young person storyline or the teenage storyline, but just as a storyline in the scope of our show — even just treating her not as a teenage girl but as a human being — is a step in the right direction.”

This is especially important in the show’s second season. “Laura’s storyline this season can play any age, any gender. I feel like it’s really, really encouraging. I’m just so grateful I got the opportunity to play it.There are so few storylines for teenage girls that I feel like allow them to be so complicated and so sad, but I am very grateful that they gave so much time and perspective on Laura on her own journey,” she said.

Laura is far from faultless. In Season One, especially when it came to her photography teacher, the character proved herself to be manipulative and borderline cruel. When asked how she keeps Laura from drifting too far into bratty teenager land, Barr credited the writers for creating a character who surpasses typical teenage stereotypes. “The reality is teenage girls are often really dramatic and frustrating and confused because being a teenager is dramatic and frustrating and confusing. But, I think, instead of leaning into the brattiness, I almost kept in the back of my mind the fact that Laura, the reason why she puts up with this … is to mask something that is deeper within her — like unhappiness, feeling of inadequacy, or not feeling worthy.”

“In this season in particular, she still has that rye sort of slapstick humor,” Barr said. “But she’s sort of struggling internally because she’s asking these big questions about herself, trying to figure out a purpose, trying to figure out her sexual identity,” she said. “I think there’s a lot more of that this season when it comes to Laura.”

Speaking of Season Two, Decider asked the actress how Laura’s character has changed in this new season. “This season, after everything sort of crumbles and falls apart, we’re all trying to pick up the pieces and make friends,” she said. “We’re sort of actively trying to make friends and better ourselves and find a purpose, and meaning, and a sense of worth outside the home. For Laura, that means leaving her old school that’s a very toxic and humiliating place for her, and she goes and joins the homeschool co-op.”

“I think that’s probably what the biggest difference is. I feel like we dive a lot deeper. Laura’s more spicy and we learn really what makes her tick. The awesome thing about why she’s so detached when it comes to sex, and is actually sort of afraid of being intimate with another person,” Barr added. “I’m actually really looking forward to people seeing that storyline because it’s really telling and I think it’s really beautiful and our writers did a stand-up job in that department.”

New episodes of Casual Season Two premiere on Tuesdays on Hulu. 

[Where to watch Casual]

Photos: Hulu