12 Bisexual TV Characters Who Never Identified as Bi

Bisexual representation on television is at an all-time high, but with that comes a growing trend of including characters who act bisexually but never use the word "bisexual."

It may seem nitpicky, because of course, in real life, not labeling oneself is a completely valid way to go. However, TV is another matter. We take cues from TV and learn from TV. In many cases, the first time people hear the word "bisexual" is on TV. Characters need to say it and validate it so that real-world people can hear it.

The sad fact remains that the trend of not using the word "bisexual" has gotten so popular that it's become almost an inside joke among bisexuals. To air our frustration, we've created a list of a few such characters, some new and some old. Some of them never had a chance to use the word. Some still do.

The beginning of season 2 brought many twists with it, including a visit from Annalise's ex-girlfriend.

With Annalise being shown previously as only romancing men, her newly revealed sexual fluidity came as a welcome surprise. But will she ever take on a bisexual/pansexual label for herself? We shall see.

While many have argued that use of the word "bisexual" would be "historically inaccurate for the time period," it's worth pointing out that the show takes place in a made-up country, in a made-up world full of magic, dragons, and shadows that are birthed for the sole purpose of murder. So someone using the word "bisexual" wouldn't be the most far-fetched thing we fans have seen.

After a meaningful college relationship with a man, a marriage to a woman, an affair with a woman, a threesome with a man and a woman, and a flirtation with a man, it's probably safe to say that Frank is on Team Bi. Then again, he's never told us, so...

Ilana has shown support for bi people, praising a bisexual male lover for being "truly evolved," and talking about how humanity is headed in a direction where everyone is going to be "queer." While displaying fluidity in her own sexuality, Ilana has never taken the bisexual label for herself.

Happy Endings was a gem of a show taken from us before its time. On the show, Jane was married to a man but was portrayed as having had experiences with women. These experiences were presented as both casual and serious relationships. Since the show is no longer with us and Jane never labeled herself, fans must decide for ourselves.

Over the years, Karen was clearly presented as sexually fluid, yet she remained the only main cast member without a solid identifier.

Generally a fantastic portrayal of bisexuality, Nolan only ever identified himself as "about a 3 on the Kinsey scale." This was the closest we ever got to a label. 

Peggy's sexual identity has not thoroughly been explored in the show and was only recently confirmed by the actress who plays her, Hayley Atwell. When asked by a fan about Peggy's relationships with Angie Martinelli and Steve Rogers, and if they pointed to Carter being bisexual, Atwell simply answered, "I don't see why not. She's a modern-day woman."

With season 2 coming in early 2016, here's hoping our favorite agent gets the chance to declare herself. Of course, this could be another example of the word "bisexual" being historically inaccurate, but Peggy has always been a woman far ahead of her time. We can dream, right?

It's been three seasons of us yelling at our laptop screens every time Piper is mistakenly identified as "the straight girl" or "the lesbian."

Piper is an excellent example of bisexuality, but a maddening representation for bisexuals everywhere. She's talked about being somewhere on the Kinsey Scale, and liking "hot people" of all genders, but still has not used the word "bisexual." Come on, Pipe. Just once. That's all we need.

First appearing in BBC hit Doctor Who, Captain Jack has often been described as pansexual, flirting with basically everyone, regardless of gender or even species. When Jack received his own spin-off, Torchwood, audiences were quickly surprised to see that every member of the main cast could be considered bisexual. They all have attractions and experiences with multiple genders, ranging from one-night stands to serious, heartbreaking partnerships.

That being said, the number of times the word "bisexual" or "pansexual" was used: You guessed it. Zero.

Nomi Marks (bottom, center) is one in a main cast of eight on the Netflix original. She is portrayed as having a serious relationship with a woman, but she also took part in a cross-continental orgy that included her and several others, mostly men. That infamous orgy scene sparked many questions about not only her sexuality but also the identities of the other seven in the cast. With all eight of the characters sharing one consciousness, it seems impossible that any of them could identify as one thing without everyone else in the group also identifying that way.

Cast member Brian J. Smith (Will) revealed on Twitter that the cast members and writers think of all the characters as pansexual, but it has yet to be mentioned on the show itself.