On season one of One Day at a Time, Elena's friend Carmen (Ariela Barer) was a mild-mannered teen whose parents unexpectedly get deported back to Mexico, leaving her to rely on friends like Elena for support before eventually having to move in with family in another state. In the years since then, the immigration crisis in the United States has gotten much worse, and One Day at a Time has been busy exploring other plot points besides immigration, leaving the door wide open for an update on Carmen in the show's upcoming season. Bringing Carmen back for a guest appearance would allow the show to humanize the very real tragedy of family separation for many viewers, all in the name of Latinx empowerment that the show is built on.