L Is for Love (The Loud House)

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"L Is for Love"
The Loud House episode
L Is for Love (The Loud House) Title Card.png
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 29
Directed by Chris Savino
Written byKevin Sullivan
Story byDarin McGowan
Production code212B
Original air dateJune 15, 2017 (2017-06-15)
Running time11
Episode chronology
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"L Is for Love" is the 75th overall episode of The Loud House , being the twenty-ninth episode of the second season in broadcast order and the second segment of the twelfth episode of the second season in production order. It first aired on June 15, 2017, and was directed by series creator Chris Savino and written by Kevin Sullivan, from a story by Darin McGowan. In this episode, the Loud siblings track down a secret admirer who has written several love letters addressed to a mysterious person labeled "L. Loud" in order to determine who the letters were for.

Contents

This episode is particularly notable for introducing the character of Sam Sharp, whom Luna is revealed to be attracted to, thereby making it the second episode of the series overall to establish an LGBTQ character, after the previous season's "Overnight Success".

Plot

After finding a love letter addressed to "L. Loud" in the mail, Lincoln calls an emergency sibling meeting. Upon finding out that the person who sent the love letter wishes to remain anonymous, addressing themself as "your secret admirer," Lucy suggests that since the secret admirer is clearly shy, the siblings, who know that "L. Loud" could refer to any of them, should send a signal to each of their respective love interests. After the siblings all send a signal to their crushes, a second love letter comes in the mail. The provided detail that the intended recipient has brown hair narrows the search down to Luna, Luan, Lynn, and Lisa, who are the only brunettes in the family. Lucy then advises that the siblings give a token of affection to each of their love interests, which they promptly do the next day. When the final love letter comes in, the secret admirer mentions that they are attracted to the intended recipient's love for British culture, narrowing the result down to the resident Anglophile, Luna. The siblings then leave for the local British restaurant Banger's & Mosh, where the secret admirer told their love interest to meet up. While searching for Luna's crush, Sam, the siblings discover that the love letters were actually sent by their mother, Rita, and intended for their father, Lynn Sr., as they were celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their first date by recreating the process of Rita sending love letters to Lynn. Despite not having been the intended recipient the whole time, Luna is moved by the way her mother asked her father out on a date and, having been too shy to express her feelings for Sam the entire time, not only feels more confident to express her romantic attraction to Sam, but also advises that her siblings should do the same. The following day, the siblings all send love letters to their respective crushes. Sam, who turns out to be Luna's blonde female bandmate, reads her love letter and accepts it, leaving Luna proud that her crush has accepted her.

Production

Following the introduction of the series' first LGBTQ couple, Howard and Harold McBride, the writing staff discussed the possibility of establishing one of Lincoln's sisters as LGBTQ. Michael Rubiner, who was a story editor at the time but later became the showrunner following Savino's termination from Nickelodeon, has gone on to say that "with 10 girls in the family, it seemed natural to explore one of them being LGBTQ." [1] Kevin Sullivan, who had previously written the episode "Overnight Success" that introduced the McBride parents, was tasked with writing the episode. In order to effectively establish that Luna is a member of the LGBTQ community in the positive way, the writers laid out three principles for her and Sam's characterization: to give Luna's crush a gender-neutral name, to include a male musician (who was later revealed to be named Sully) [2] in all shots featuring Sam to hide the surprise that she was female until the end of the episode, and that whenever Luna mentions Sam to her family, they know that she is referring to a girl and do not have any issues with it whatsoever. Sam was originally named Max in earlier drafts of the script before being finalized. [3] Nickelodeon did not bar Sullivan from using the term "lesbian" in the dialogue while writing the script for the episode, but he said that "we just can't say those words because of how young our audience can skew, but the joy of the episode, that I was proud of, was that it wasn't a 'coming out' episode. The entire family accepted her, there was no having to come out." [4] Sullivan has stated that the ending of the episode is his favorite moment from any series that he has ever worked on. [5]

Release and reception

"L is for Love" garnered 1.89 million viewers upon its initial premiere, [6] a slight uptick from the 1.81 million viewers that the previous episode, "Potty Mouth", garnered when it first aired. [7]

The initial airing of the episode sparked a theory among fans that Luna is bisexual [8] [9] [10] [11] due to a previous episode, "Study Muffin", depicting her as attracted to a young man named Hugh. [12] However, Sullivan, who heavily implied that Luna had initially been conceived as a lesbian, responded by saying that he refused to push LGBTQ-specific terminology into the dialogue because Luna has become representative of many young people who were struggling with their identity. [4] With Luna not having an explicit label mentioned in the episode's dialogue, other viewers have simply refused to definitely label her as bisexual or lesbian, regardless of the implications held by this episode and others. [13] [14]

The episode's closing scene where Luna was revealed to be queer was met with highly positive response. The series' crew has considered the overall positive response to Luna and Sam as a couple to be emotional to them. [15] Valerie Anne of AutoStraddle , who is herself queer, praised the episode for how the episode's ending depicted Luna and Sam as a casual pair of same-sex people with crushes on each other, and used Luna's firm establishment as LGBTQ to identify herself as a similar person. [16] For similar reasons, Heather Hogan (also from AutoStraddle) marked the episode as one of the top 30 best episodes of animated programs that deal with LGBTQ themes. [17] Alex Bonilla of Overly Animated marked the episode off as the potential to take the show in a new direction since Luna and Sam were one of the youngest animated fictional LGBTQ couples at the time of airing (with Luna being fifteen years old), citing how most LGBTQ representation in children's media is either relegated to the background or characteristic of a side character (using the series' pre-established Howard and Harold McBride, who are part of the supporting cast, as an example, along with EJ and Sue Randell of Clarence , who are likewise infrequently occurring characters in their series), and if it's visible among the main cast, it's usually done in a subtle manner (such as how Korra and Asami of The Legend of Korra had their homosexual relationship built up slowly over the course of their series) or with the use of fantastical elements (such as how Quartz, Pearl, Ruby, and Sapphire of Steven Universe are all homosexual, but are ultimately not humans.) [18] AJ Frost of Comics Beat has praised the episode for how Luna's LGBTQ orientation was not treated as an issue, further deducing that "Savino was emphatic that the sexuality of the character is less important tha[n] what viewers might think" because the primary focus was placed on Luna slowly becoming more open to expressing her feelings for her crush, rather than potential angst that her orientation may be incompatible with Sam's. [14] Mamaputle Boikanyo of Batswadi used the episode as one of the bases for defining the series as one of several children's animated series that portrays queer relationships in a positive light. [19]

This episode, along with several others featuring Howard and Harold, played a role in the series getting nominated at the 29th GLAAD Media Awards. [20]

Home media

The episode was first released as one of the episodes included on the A Very Loud Christmas DVD in the United Kingdom and Australia in 2018. [21] [22] In the series' native United States, it was released on the Relative Chaos DVD, which packages the first half of the second season, in 2019, [23] and later on the The Complete Second Season [24] and The Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 3 [25] DVDs in 2021 and 2024, respectively, which both package the entire second season. It was also included on the Chaos familial DVD in France, which compiles the second quarter of the second season, and on the Intégrale de la saison 2 DVD that compiles the entire season, both released in 2019. [26] [27]

References

  1. ↑ Romano, Nick (August 22, 2018). "From 'Steven Universe' to 'Voltron': The fight to bring LGBTQ characters to kids' shows". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  2. ↑ Entzminger, Angela; Fridolfs, Derek; Brooks, Andrew; Smith, Brian; Savino, Chris; Sakas Shropshire, Karla; et al. (The Loud House Creative Team) (2019-08-20). Whitman, Jeff; Antunes, Karr; Hilty, Joan; Salicrup, Jim (eds.). The Struggle Is Real. The Loud House. Vol. 7. Art by Angela Entzminger, Angela Zhang, Gizelle Obrino, Lee-Roy Lahey, Zazo Aguiar, Andrew Brooks, Melissa Kleynowski, Erin Hyde, Brian Smith, Colton Davis, Daniela Rodriguez, Miguel Puga, Jared Morgan, Chris Savino, and Jordan Rosato. Color by Ronda Pattison, Gizelle Obrino, Zazo Aguiar, Andrew Brooks, Erin Hyde, Brian Smith, Gabrielle Dolbey, and Amanda Rynda. Lettering by Wilson Ramos Jr., Gizelle Obrino, Miguel Puga, Jared Morgan, Chris Savino, and Jordan Rosato. Papercutz. p. 8. ISBN   978-1629917962.
  3. ↑ Sullivan, Kevin (2025-05-27). Introduction. The Loud House: Loudest and Proudest. By Falco, Phil; Calamia, Kat; Sullivan, Kevin; Sjursen-Lien, Kiernan; Fein, Caitlin; Watanabe-Rocco, Hannah; Uribe, Paloma; Fein, Amanda; Fein, Kara; et al. (The Loud House Creative Team). Brooks, Stephanie; Whitman, Jeff; Harper, Benjamin; Marts, Mike (eds.). The Loud House (seasonal/holiday series). Art by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Lee-Roy Lahe, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Karolyn Rocha, Joel Zamudio, and Alexia Valentine. Color by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Hallie Lal, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Joel Zamudio, and Erin Rodriguez. Lettering by Lucas Gattoni, Jordan Koch, Wilson Ramos Jr., and Ida Hem. Papercutz. p. 5. ISBN   978-1545818473.
  4. 1 2 White, Abbey; Chik, Kalai (June 15, 2021). "TV animators were forced to scrap LGBTQ-inclusive storylines due to a culture of fear. Experts say fans are changing that". Business Insider . Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Sullivan, Kevin (2025-05-27). Introduction. The Loud House: Loudest and Proudest. By Falco, Phil; Calamia, Kat; Sullivan, Kevin; Sjursen-Lien, Kiernan; Fein, Caitlin; Watanabe-Rocco, Hannah; Uribe, Paloma; Fein, Amanda; Fein, Kara; et al. (The Loud House Creative Team). Brooks, Stephanie; Whitman, Jeff; Harper, Benjamin; Marts, Mike (eds.). The Loud House (seasonal/holiday series). Art by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Lee-Roy Lahe, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Karolyn Rocha, Joel Zamudio, and Alexia Valentine. Color by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Hallie Lal, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Joel Zamudio, and Erin Rodriguez. Lettering by Lucas Gattoni, Jordan Koch, Wilson Ramos Jr., and Ida Hem. Papercutz. p. 5. ISBN   978-1545818473.
  6. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.15.2017 | Showbuzz Daily". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.14.2017 | Showbuzz Daily". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 18, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ "5 Best LGBTQ+ Characters On Kids TV And Why They Matter". Curve . September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  9. ↑ Van Winkle, Dan (March 6, 2019). "We Need to Raise the Bar for LGBTQ+ Animated Shows". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  10. ↑ Bruncati, Danielle (August 5, 2021). "10 Best Kids' Shows With LGBTQ+ Representation". Screen Rant . Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  11. ↑ https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-loud-house
  12. ↑ "Study Muffin". The Loud House. Season 1. Episode 44. 2016-10-20. Nickelodeon.
  13. ↑ "259 LGBTQ characters in cartoons that bust the myth that kids can't handle inclusion". Business Insider .
  14. 1 2 Frost, A. J. (July 26, 2017). "SDCC '17 – The Quiet Introspection of The Loud House". Comics Beat.
  15. ↑ Falco, Phil; Calamia, Kat; Sullivan, Kevin; Sjursen-Lien, Kiernan; Fein, Caitlin; Watanabe-Rocco, Hannah; Uribe, Paloma; Fein, Amanda; Fein, Kara; et al. (The Loud House Creative Team) (2025-05-27). "Introduction". In Brooks, Stephanie (ed.). The Loud House: Loudest and Proudest. The Loud House (seasonal/holiday series). Art by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Lee-Roy Lahe, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Karolyn Rocha, Joel Zamudio, and Alexia Valentine. Color by Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, Jordan Koch, Izzy Boyce-Blanchard, Erin Hyde, Hallie Lal, Ron Bradley, Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, Lex Hobson, Olivia Walden, Zazo Aguiar, Joel Zamudio, and Erin Rodriguez. Lettering by Lucas Gattoni, Jordan Koch, Wilson Ramos Jr., and Ida Hem. Papercutz. p. 5. ISBN   978-1545818473.
  16. ↑ Anne, Valerie (June 16, 2017). "I Have a Lesbian Crush on This "Loud House" Storyline About Girls Having Crushes on Girls".
  17. ↑ Hogan, Heather (September 9, 2021). "30 of the Best Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Animated TV Episodes".
  18. ↑ Bonilla, Alex (2017-06-16). "Luna on "The Loud House" Sends a Love Letter to a Girl | Overly Animated Podcast". Overly Animated. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  19. ↑ https://batswadi.co.za/queer-friendly-animations-for-your-child/#:~:text=The%20series%20features%20interracial%20gay%20couple%20Howard,an%20episode%20titled%2C%20%E2%80%9CL%20is%20for%20Love%E2%80%9D.
  20. ↑ Chuba, Kirsten (January 19, 2018). "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees: Full List". Variety.
  21. ↑ "The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas: Amazon.co.uk: DVD & Blu-ray". www.amazon.co.uk. 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  22. ↑ Marshall, Kyle; Savino, Chris (Director) (14 November 2018). "NIckelodeon's The Loud House - A Very Loud Christmas DVD | NON-USA Format | Region 4 Import - Australia". Amazon. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  23. ↑ The Loud House: Relative Chaos - Season 2, Volume 1: Loud House: Relative Chaos - Season 2 - Vol 1: Gateway. 2019-05-21. ASIN   631777109X.
  24. ↑ "The Loud House: The Complete Second Season". Amazon. October 19, 2021. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  25. ↑ "The Loud House: The Complete Seasons 1, 2, & 3 (DVD)". Amazon. 2024-06-16. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  26. ↑ Savino, Chris; Marshall, Kyle (2019-12-04). "Bienvenue chez Les Loud-Intégrale de la Saison 2" . Retrieved September 27, 2025– via Amazon.
  27. ↑ Savino, Chris; Marshall, Kyle (2019-12-04). "Bienvenue chez Les Loud-Saison 2, Vol. 2" . Retrieved September 27, 2025– via Amazon.
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