Last month, Joe Locke spilled some insider tea on how he helped shape the set design of Agatha All Along, particularly his character Billy’s bedroom. In the show, the bedroom’s walls are covered with Pride merchandise and posters from TV and movies, which Locke revealed he had some say in. Specifically, he mentioned having two pieces of set dressing removed or replaced: one, a rainbow sticker of the phases of the moon and the words “not a phase”; and two, a movie poster, though Locke wouldn’t say which film he objected to being on Billy’s walls.
Now, behind-the-scenes images of the set and eagle-eyed fans have put together which movie poster got the chop.
Speaking to The Wrap in October, Locke said, “There were a few film posters up there that I didn’t necessarily think that he would have watched. I’m not going to name the films of those film. Like, very good representation for that time, but we’ve moved on from that sort of thing. And so we replaced one of them with the ‘Trans Lives Matter’ flag.”
That’s where new images shared by the series’ art director Drew Monahan come into play. Monahan’s photos of the set (which were reshared by the popular X account Scarlet Witch Updates) show what Billy’s bedroom looked like before Locke’s input. Fans looked to where the “Trans Lives Matter” flag hangs in the show, and instead found a poster for the 2018 rom-com Love, Simon, which never appeared in the actual series.
Entertainment with an edge
Whether you’re into indie comics, groundbreaking music, or queer cinema, we’re here to keep you in the loop.
Billy's room. pic.twitter.com/Q4yyErVlQ7
— Scarlet Witch Updates (@ScarletWitchUpd) November 19, 2024
Related
“I was just like, ‘Oh, such a shame, everyone. I’ve just got too big of a bum,'” Locke recalled in a new interview.
What do Taylor Swift, Boygenius, Haim, and Björk have in common? Inspiring Marvel’s gayest project to date, apparently.
When it came out, Love, Simon was praised as a milestone for queer representation, being the first major studio film to center on gay teenage romance. But unfortunately, for many gay viewers, it didn’t hit the right tone: Its protagonist Simon opened the movie by professing that he’s just like any straight person, just with “one huge-ass secret,” presenting a very narrow view of what queer teenagers can look and act like. To many, it felt like a gay story for straight audiences, rather than something made for LGBTQ+ folks. Do stories and characters like Love, Simon’s have place in Hollywood? Absolutely — but they’re not the revolution in queer storytelling that their marketing would have you believe.
That’s why Locke’s advice to remove the poster from Billy’s bedroom makes perfect sense. In Agatha All Along, Billy is presented as a goth, femme teenager, the kind of queer person who likely watched Love, Simon and didn’t feel represented by the story on screen. Having a Love, Simon poster wouldn’t make sense from a character standpoint, and featuring a “Trans Lives Matter” flag more prominently in his room feels much more in line with the Billy fans have come to know and love.
Now that fans have made the connection, they’re doubling down on the praise for Locke’s input. “GOOD lmao he would hate that movie,” one fan quipped on social media.
Real ones know that movie was awful and the real “gay content for straight people”
— Fernando Mora Palazzo (@FerMPalazzo) November 19, 2024
I certainly agree that it doesn’t fit Billy. Like it just doesn’t go with the room.
— LitWitch (@LitWitch7) November 19, 2024
Everyone say ty Joe Locke pic.twitter.com/wsYif8s1X2
— Y (@Just_45_fun) November 19, 2024
All episodes of Agatha All Along are now streaming on Disney+. Check out the trailer below.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
