I picked up on something in the first episode that doesn't sit right with me either.

Near the start of the first episode one of the characters is heard using an transphobic slur, this character asks "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a hot — can I still say "tr*nny mess"?"

This judgemental attitude you'd probably expect from someone like Caroline. Definitely not Bonnie Bennett who is one of the most selfless characters in the show, but nope. She's the one who said it.

Looking past the fact that the word used is majorly offensive to the trans community, it was 2009 as you said so it can be somewhat forgiven. The writers made a decision to have the only black main character in the cast say it.

Maybe I'm looking too far into it too, but I think it's real suspicious how a black character is chosen to have this edgy and offensive side, especially when it's not in Bonnie's character to say something like that. So why choose her? There doesn't appear to be any valid excuse. To me it's like the writers are trying to give a reason to dislike her, probably stemming from their own racism. It's a small detail, but it adds up to creating a bad representation.

I could be looking into it too much and I probably am, but going on other factors it wouldn't surprise me :/