PBS Kids’ live-action show The Odd Squad recently aired an episode in which the child protagonists must save the world from an evil villain—and step in to ensure that his plans don’t interrupt the wedding of two women!
In the episode “Monumental Oddness,” which premiered in the U.S. on July 5 (after airing in Canada last year), a villain is attempting to shrink all of the world’s famous monuments and turn them into keychains. The child agents of the Odd Squad, who use math to solve problems and save people, are hot on his trail. While in Paris to rescue the Eiffel Tower, the agents encounter two women in white wedding dresses, preparing for their ceremony. One agent tells everyone to clear the area because of the villain.
“But we’ve been waiting for this day for years,” one of the women responds. The other adds, “There’s no villain stronger than our love for each other.”
Another agent tries to problem solve, asking, “Could you get married fast?”
They could—except that their officiant, flower girl, and musicians aren’t there yet. The agents then swing into action, helping the brides with their outfits, tossing flower petals as they walk down the aisle, playing the harp, and even officiating.
An emergency phone call during the ceremony brings the news that the villain has struck again, but the brides ask the agent officiating to finish marrying them first. “I now declare you married. Have a wonderful life! Goodbye!” he says, before rushing off.
While it was a quick scene, it’s still great to see queer couples woven into storylines that aren’t “about” being queer. Yes, we need ongoing queer characters in kids’ shows as well (and this is slowly happening), but we also need these kinds of casual encounters that simply reflect the world we live in today (well, minus the monument-shrinking supervillains).
