The S*x Lives of College Girls
Synopsis
The S*x Lives of College Girls is an American teen comedy-drama series created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble. The basic premise of the show revolves around four 18-year old freshmen roommates in a fictional college in Vermont, as they try to navigate around their newfound freedom and s*xually active lifestyle. The four girls might seem like the conventional archetypes followed by every teen drama but they start to feel a lot real once the show writers start exploring their quirky and interesting personalities. Even though the premise seems like a done and dusted theme, Mindy Kaling’s latest production turned out to be a lot more than what I expected it to be. The title of the show might seem like a giveaway but you shouldn’t really judge a show by its title anymore I guess because the s*x lives is just a connecting factor for much deeper and relatable storylines.
Cast & Crew
I was drawn towards the show as soon as I saw Mindy Kaling’s name associated with it because I really admire her work and all that she has achieved. I was a huge fan of “The Mindy Project” primarily because of how unapologetic and flawed she was as Mindy and I guess I could see glimpses of her personality in all the female leads in this series as well. She’s definitely one of the most sought after actors, writers and showrunners in Hollywood. And even though her portrayal of the NRI community is a little over the top for me, I feel that her intentions are in the right place.
The writers and creators have done a fairly good job at making the series humorous and relatable. They have tried to incorporate topical and important content across the show but it does not really come across very naturally in some places and seems like they’re trying a little too hard to achieve what S*x Education did in the past. But even with its flaws the show is quite entertaining and honest in its portrayal of a wide range of characters and their stories
The heart and soul of this show are undoubtedly the four main leads – Kimberly, Bela, Leighton and Whitney played by Pauline Chalamet (Does the surname ring a bell?), Amrit Kaur, Renee Rapp and Alyah Chanelle Scott respectively. Even though I haven’t really seen any of their works prior to this show I felt that it kind of helped in setting up their characters because I didn’t really know what to expect from them and the roles they were portraying, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
The show also features a stunning supporting cast of equally well written standalone characters, ranging from college going teens to weirdly wacky adults. I wish some of these characters would have more detailed story arcs in this season but I guess the writers were saving it for the upcoming seasons and this season was more about setting context for the four main leads and their struggles.
My Take
I came across the show a few weeks back when one of my favourite film reviewers did a review about this show. The show was quickly “watchlisted” but also quickly forgotten. But a few days back I was looking to watch something new, quirky and lighthearted, and this particular show seemed to tick all the boxes. And then, I shamelessly binged the show in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop watching Kimberly, Bela, Leighton and Whitney deal with their newfound freedom and trying to balance their pre-college and post-college worlds.
The show took me back to the day when I decided to move to Mumbai as a 18-year old girl who had no practical experience of living alone in a completely new and unfamiliar city. But my ambition to attain freedom and make it on my own was so high that I forgot about all my fears and inhibitions. And in some way the girls from this series made me feel the same way with their plans,hopes and dreams to make it big and try out things that they haven’t had the opportunity to do before college.
The girls were fearless and honest with wildly different sensibilities. Even though the group starts off on a weird note and each one of them has a very different approach towards life, there’s a sense of intimacy that bonds them quickly. The girls give each other some very practical and empathetic advice while facing some very real and authentic issues. A lot of the issues shown in the series seem like a direct reflection of what Kaling might have faced as a female comedy writer back in her college days and I really liked how they were addressed. The kind of feminism portrayed in the show is what makes it so heartwarming. The show’s premise might not be very novel but the story and the girls’ friendship makes it feel such a fun and engaging watch.
Disclaimer: The above review solely illustrates the views of the writer.