I’ll be honest, I was not expecting to enjoy Twelve Forever as much as I have. Just the overall quality of each episode being so far above what I’ve grown accustomed to with a lot of modern cartoons. But there is one aspect of it that I can’t stop thinking about and that’s how the basic storyline of “Child who doesn’t want to grow up” that’s been done a million times is executed in such a way that I haven’t quite seen in a children’s show before, and I want to discuss it, specifically how it pertains to the character of Reggie. But before I get any further, this whole thing will contain spoilers for the entire first season of Twelve Forever so if you’re thinking of watching the show I highly recommend it. It is, to me, one of the best animated shows to come out in recent memory, with a delightfully weird art style, interesting characters, and stellar comedy. The entire first season is up on Netflix so any of you with an account should check it out.

So for those of you sticking around, as stated above I’m going to be focusing on how the plot of “Child refusing to grow up” is handled, specifically as it pertains to the main character Reggie. I might wanna make separate posts about the ways in which the characters of Todd and Esther pertain to this storyline but Reggie’s character is the one that interested me the most in this regard.

From the very first scene, it’s clear that Reggie is rather childish, being shown sloppily eating birthday cake while playing with action figures. And how the one thing she wants for her birthday is another doll. However, instead of any sort of toys, Reggie’s mom gives her a sweater.

All the other gifts Reggie receives (with the exception of the socks and deodorant) are representative of what exactly is expected of a young girl; that being, to perform traditional femininity. Reggie’s mom says that “this birthday was going to be different” since Reggie is now growing up and is supposed to become a woman. Right off the bat, the main conflict is given: Reggie’s resistance to growing up stems from the fundamental disconnect she feels towards the agreed upon signifiers of what it means to be a “grown women”. Basically she has no interest in following the traditional gender roles laid out for her. Now her desire to remain young does expand into another area, and that being not wanting to take on responsibility. This can best be seen in the episode “Reggie’s Dad Forever” where a direct comparison is drawn between Reggie and her father, who according to her mom couldn’t handle the responsibility of looking after others.

That is definitely an important part of Reggie’s refusal to “grow up” and I did want to acknowledge it. And I do feel this is quite an interesting approach to take, highlighting how the adults in a person’s life can shape the way they view maturity. But there’s a lot more to it than that, which is where we go back to Reggie’s failure to conform to society’s idea of what it means to be a grown woman.

I keep stressing her gender because that is a huge part of why Reggie seems so against growing up, because simply put, there is nothing about being a grown woman that appeals to her. Not the make up, or the fashion, or the romance. Reggie’s refusal to adhere to traditional feminine roles goes beyond her sense of style and self-expression. Reggie is established early on as being disinterested in romance. At first it would seem this is caused by her parents’ failed relationship, as that is what she makes it out to be in the episode “Mack & Beefhouse Forever”

But then by the end of the episode, in an effort to get Beefhouse to stop hurting Mack, she says this:

Now all the way back in the first episode, Reggie described Mack and Beefhouse as a great couple, and the fact that Reggie’s example of a healthy relationship (since Mack and Beefhouse are the direct products of her imagination) are two men. You know where I’m going with this.

A part of growing up means that you will eventually get married and have kids of your own, and the reason that this idea is so unappealing to Reggie is caused not only by her parent’s failed relationship, but by the fact that she herself cannot fit this heteronormative idea. Her aversion to romance in thrown in a completely different light when it’s clear that the reason Reggie isn’t interested isn’t because she’s incapable of romantic feelings, but how those feelings are portrayed is incongruent to her.

The episodes “Locked Out Forever: Part One & Two” are a major turning point in the season with the introduction of Connelly.

Reggie has always been confident and shameless of who she is, but once she meets Connelly she suddenly becomes a stuttering mess desperately trying to avoid Connelly at all costs because of this. Now it’s very clear that Reggie has a crush on Connelly, and that this is something entirely new to her. Reggie didn’t connect with the idea of romance before because all of the previous forms she had been exposed to (with the exception of Mack and Beefhouse) had been straight. Because of Connelly, Reggie ends up breaking her key to Endless, meaning she is cut off from the fantasy world that helps her cope with reality. She cannot run from these feelings as she has no idea how to process them.

There is also the fact that Connelly’s introduction is placed alongside the backstory as to how Reggie found Endless in the first place. How it has always served as an escape from the harsh reality that she is not compatible with her peers and how she cannot live up to her mother’s expectations of her. Reggie is alienated in her life, and Endless is a place where everything and everyone not only loves her but is as weird as she is.

By the end of “Locked Out Forever: Part Two”, however, despite actually hitting it off with Connelly as the two share a similar passion to create art, Reggie has successfully buried her feelings and can once again retreat into the safety of her imagination.

She still is completely against the idea of romance, and cuts off Connelly as a result since she cannot handle her romantic feelings towards her.

Even though Reggie is not at all interested in conforming to the idea of what it means to be mature that is presented to her, she also cannot conceive of any other alternative ways of growing up that are better suited to her, which is why she continues to avoid Connelly and begins to feel even more alienated from her peers and her friends.

After “Locked Out Forever”, there is a noticeable shift in the dynamic of the main trio, mainly that Todd and Esther become more open and excited towards the idea of growing up as Reggie becomes more resistant to it. In “Brown Roger Forever”, Reggie’s immaturity and refusal to take responsibility for those in her care causes a rift in her relationship with Todd, who has already had to take on a lot of responsibility at home due to his brother’s absence and his father’s new relationship.

However, the point of no return so to speak, when it becomes clear that Reggie’s refusal to grow up is ultimately toxic is in the very next episode “Spring Break Forever”, as when Todd and Esther stay in Endless for several days, they begin to lose their memories. Endless is an escape, but not a place where one can thrive mentally. The loss of memory basically means that maturity in Endless is impossible, as one can not learn and grow from their past experiences there. The episode is rather grim, as it ends with Reggie unknowingly relinquishing herself to this rather toxic environment.

Now I say toxic, but really Endless itself is not a dangerous place to be in (for the most part). Endless is rather akin to a child’s imaginary friend: while it can be helpful in allowing a child to cope with difficult social situations, a refusal to let go of it and using it as a crutch is detrimental to a person’s development. The creatures on Endless mean no harm to any of the kids, because they cannot grasp that their actions are in anyway harmful.

So why does Reggie feel that Endless is the only place she can be herself? Because as we’ve established, she does not fit within the social confines of her world. In the episode “Dance Forever”, Todd and Esther are both able to find a romantic partner, while Reggie is left alone with no one she connects with.

But when the one person who she could make a romantic connection with does show up, Reggie is still resistant to this part of herself. She still is not at a point where she can process her feelings towards Connelly, and not wanting to face her complex emotions, Reggie opts to leave the dance.

Reggie could handle feeling left out, what pushed her over the edge was the reminder in the form of Connelly of just how much she doesn’t fit in with her friends. She is simply not compatible with the form of romance they so clearly are, and on some level she recognizes this and is left feeling alone with no one she can rely on.

In one of the following episodes, “Stranger Forever”, not only is it the clearest idea we’ve ever gotten as to how exactly Endless works but also serves as a grim tale as to the fate that Reggie could succumb to if she chooses to remain on Endless.

Her friends now fully grasp the dangers of remaining in a childlike mindset, but Reggie refuses to listen to their warnings or learn from Elmer the dangers of refusing to learn from your mistakes and abiding by the immature logic of a child. Ultimately, Reggie will end up hurting those she cares about because of her refusal to grow up.

Twelve Forever could’ve done what so many other books, shows, and movies have done before it and go the easy route with Reggie’s storyline. The show could’ve just said “You can’t stay a kid forever, you have to grow up because everybody does”. Instead it offers solid reasoning as to why it’s important to grow up. How refusing to do so will ultimately lead to isolation and stagnation that leaves a person unhappy. Not only does the show offer actual explanations as to why it is dangerous to try and remain a kid forever with the fantasy land of Endless Island, but also explains the other side of the issue as to why a kid wouldn’t want to grow up in the first place in the more grounded and mundane aspects of Reggie’s life.

Reggie’s failure to conform to traditional gender roles in every sense of the word, and the adults in her life (with the exception of Mr. Fleming) being unable to help her navigate the adult world in a way that fits who she is allows her moments of immaturity to be more relatable and sympathetic to those who grew up just like Reggie, unable to fit the role that society has told you is what’s right. That’s why I feel those who make out Reggie’s mom to be a villain are missing the point. Judy genuinely believes all the pressure she puts on Reggie to conform is what’s best for her, as Judy has not been taught anything different. I think that’s part of why Reggie’s story really struck a cord with me, as growing up I dreaded adulthood as it didn’t seem like there was a place for someone like me.

The 2010s has brought us a new wave of lgbt rep in children’s shows, but to me Twelve Forever stands out in it’s depiction of its gay characters as not only does it portray gay relationships as healthy but also portrays what its like growing up gay and how it can often make you feel alienated from the experiences of your peers. And it never feels the need to spell any of this out since it doesn’t have to, because it wouldn’t fit within the story since Reggie herself still hasn’t fully grasped who she is.

Twelve Forever is a fantastic show, and I can only hope that it not only is given a second season but that it can pave the way for creators to explore the ideas of gender, identity, and sexuality within children’s media in a way that can benefit kids into feeling like they do have a place in this world.