Top 10 Elena Moments on One Day At A Time

While most young people enjoy engaging in the Halloween tradition of trick or treat, Elena and Syd have other plans for the evening - and their costumes are timely and perfect for the cause. Rather than pursuing candy, they plan on hitting unsuspecting door openers with the facts about the harmful impacts of manmade climate change. However, not only does no one get their costume, even offering some hilariously wrong guesses, but they also have no interest in listening either. Still, the night doesn’t completely go to waste - and with a bag full of candy, there’s always tomorrow to try again.

When Elena is disappointed to learn how the family treats another gay relative, she makes it her mission to “shepherd” her out of the closet like - as Alex says - “a Lesbian Jesus”. Delighted by the comparison, she relentlessly and not so subtly pursues cousin Pilar, overlooking the untimely occasion of a funeral and pretty much ignoring all social cues. Eventually, Pilar decides to offer Elena some advice on handling their family as well as not letting her sexuality completely define her. While Elena is left in complete awe, the next joke she makes proves that she’s still a work-in-progress.

Who wouldn’t want to live in a world without oppression? Well, apparently not Elena. During a family discussion about racism, Elena says she’s lucky to have never directly experienced any incidents. Cue the awkward silence. She is genuinely crushed to learn that she is “passing” as white person and could avoid racial discrimination, much to the confusion of everyone else. Schneider then reminds her that she is gay, causing her to light up with delight as she piles on that she’s a woman, too. While the whole exchange is hilariously perplexing, it’s only made funnier when she finally earns a nickname later on.

Lydia strives to make Elena’s Quinceañera a night to remember, starting with a show-stopping entrance. From the moment Elena hits that dance floor, it seems like all her reservations about having a Quinces melt away. Taking the routine from traditional to modern with an epic freestyle finale, it’s clear that she’s loving every moment. The joyous atmosphere serves as the perfect juxtaposition to the father-daughter dance, during which the family quickly rallies around her after her dad stands her up. However, with the right people by her side, she knows she can get through anything and the party goes on.

While Lydia grows suspicious of Elena and Carmen’s intensely close friendship, she never could have guessed what was actually going on. The friends create a ruse about an immigration project to cover up the fact that Carmen’s parents had been deported to Mexico. But the truth comes out when Carmen is caught sneaking into the apartment. We also see Elena’s dedication and loyalty to her friend, going above and beyond to support her in her time of need. Elena can barely hold it together until Lydia tells her she must be strong for Carmen. Still, it’s heartbreaking to watch their goodbyes.

Many of us will recognize the pangs of unrequited crushes. But when Elena experiences her first crush after coming out, on top of the usual awkwardness that she experiences, she worries about asking Dani out until she’s sure she’s gay. So when Dani announces that her girlfriend is waiting for her, Elena becomes visibly upset. But it doesn’t last long as Syd comes over to ask if she wants to split a cookie. As they stumble toward an understanding, we get the first glimpse of their budding romance. We totally love watching this adorkable couple develop, grow, and become even closer with every episode.

Elena never shies away from voicing her opinions, so an episode revolving around politics is her place to shine. While the family discusses how to avoid fighting with their conservative cousins during a week-long stay, Elena chimes in. She points out that in an ideal world, you could simply argue the facts. but these days people will discard facts that don’t align with their beliefs. Nevertheless, it’s also Elena who provides the most insightful path and leaves us with a positive and uplifting message: for change to happen, we need to be willing to have these conversations, however awkward they might be.

After Penelope discovers Alex has been posting sleazy photos on his secret Finsta account, the family sits down to a candid conversation about consent and harassment. When Penelope suggests that consent is tricky, Elena is quick to rebuke her by pointing out how even anti-rape campaigns target the victims rather than aggressors. This often puts the burden on women. When Alex and Elena start fighting, Elena reveals a terrifying ordeal that left her and Syd afraid to go outside. After this revelation, she finally gets the message through to her family that when it comes to consent, there are no grey areas.

We imagine that this scene resonated with numerous LGBTQ+ viewers. Seeing Elena courageously stand up to her dad hopefully gave them a glimmer of hope. Confronting Victor for the first time since he walked out on her Quinces, Elena gives an impassioned speech that will have you simultaneously reaching for the tissues and cheering her on. She focuses on what the experience taught her, while reminding us, and her dad, how strong, intelligent, and amazing she is. Her bravery has us in total awe as she radiates inner strength while showing that she will always and unapologetically be herself.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

When She Admits Why She Stopped Speaking Spanish, “Not Yet”
A Heart-Wrenching Moment Where Elena Confesses Her Regret

When She Got Excited Over a Tiara, “Quinces”
Proving You Can Be a Feminist & Still Rock Sparkly Accessories

When She Learned Make-Up Can Be Powerful, “Bobos and Mamitas”
It Might Not Have Lasted, But at Least She Tried

When She Give Syd a Non-Binary Valentine’s Day Card, “One Valentine’s Day at a Time”
A Gesture That Will Always Warm Our Hearts

When She Was Too Good at Debating, “This Is It”
In Fact, She Was So Good That She Won & Lost Simultaneously

Elena’s coming out story was applauded by GLAAD for being a “great example” that would “help real LGBTQ youth to recognize they aren’t alone”. Throughout season one, we follow Elena’s journey of self-discovery and coming out to her family. They all demonstrate realistic and mostly positive responses, even her devout Abuelita. When the writers told Isabella Gomez about this story-arc, she went away and did her research to create a realistic and relatable role model. The show avoids the usual tropes that follow many LGBTQ+ characters, giving young viewers stories that resonate and a character that they could look up to.