The Sex Lives of College Girls: Season 1

November 28, 2021 10:40 AM - Season 1 (Full Season)

The new HBO Max comedy from Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project, The Morning Show, A Wrinkle In Time) and Justin Noble (Never Have I Ever, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) follows four suitemates from their first day at leafy Essex College, an elite Vermont liberal arts school. Currently 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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posted by rogerroger (5 comments total)

I see there are more episodes coming (so the season should wrap up by Dec. 9) but I've liked what I've seen so far. It's so kind! Maybe too much? I love all these young women trying to figure out who they are and navigate a world that's often hostile to them.

I don't really love Whitney's relationship with her soccer coach (although I allow the show lets it be uncomfortable for everyone, while still giving Whitney agency). I like how awkward Kimberly is because that feels weird. Bela works for me (mostly because Amrit Kaur is great and sells that character so well). Leighton feels like ... not so much like a cliche, but I don't know. As much as I get it, the "poor rich closeted white girl" bit feels tiresome (although I think Reneé Rapp does a great job of making Leighton complicated).

I'll be curious to see where the rest of this season goes and I will be happy to follow these women in another season. It was better and more fun than I expected. I'm glad it's not laughing at any of them.
posted by edencosmic at 4:49 PM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

edencosmic, I agree that Leighton seems to be the least real. Before playing Leighton, Renée Rapp played Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway and this seems to be a continuation of that character.

I adore Amrit Kaur as Bela, I literally could watch a whole show about her character's exploits.

Agree that the Whitney-coach relationship is a downer but I appreciate that it's being shown as such -- him pulling her away from her teammates, lying to her, etc. We're seeing her miss out on her college experience and rooting for her to leave him. I recently watched Pretty Little Liars (ok so I like teen dramas...) and there was a similar relationship that was portrayed as "romantic" which was literally one of the main plot points of the entire show (yuck).

I like that this show is a comedy about friendship and resilience, even though many of the plotlines involve actual trauma that could be at home on Lifetime. It's more true to life in that aspect, at least true to my own college experience in the early 2000's. Loving the show and hope it continues in this vein.
posted by rogerroger at 1:45 PM on November 30, 2021

I'm enjoying this! I'm enjoying consequences ripple out from their decisions, and I'm liking all the characters so far.
posted by gaspode at 8:02 PM on December 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wow, Leighton’s actress really did a great job.
posted by sixswitch at 9:23 PM on December 16, 2021

I was late getting around to this, but really enjoyed it. Glad to see it's getting a second season, although I'm not sure there's a fun but even slightly realistic outcome to the "lost my scholarship and need to find $23,000 in funding a semester" cliff hanger.

I love the cast, both the main cast and the their classmates and parents. Lots of fun stuff here.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:39 PM on January 22, 2022