1. The Great Unknown Cast
WithThe Sex Lives of College Girlsbeing on HBO, you might think there would have been a studio note passed to the production team demanding well-known actors to take the leading roles.
Instead, what the creative team decided to do is hire four near-unknowns to helm the series. Pauline Chalamet (big sister to Timothee), Armrit Kaur, Alyah Chanelle Scott, and Reneé Rapp represent the four college girls and lead HBO’s newest comedy—and the decision paid off.
These leading actresses perform their roles with a robust dedication to the excellent material. They don’t allow themselves to fall into the trap of serving themselves and their characters more than the cast around them, thus allowing for a realistic tone that feels nuanced.
2. The Delicate Balance of Individual and Group Storylines
Balancing a narrative that involves four women—all of whom have their own individual storylines—against the show’s broadly overarching direction requires a deft touch.
Fortunately, in the case ofThe Sex Lives of College Girls, that balance is weighted perfectly. Each of the principal cast members has their own moments to shine individually as well as in the larger group.
College is an experience that’s inherently a social one, with young adults having their first tastes of true freedom from home and parental oversight. The series portrays that feeling accurately while also balancing the struggles of each girl during her first term.
Mindy Kaling, Justin Noble, and their team of writers handle the experience of sudden freedom with the same energy that teenagers have upon that experience: by allowing the characters to make mistakes and hide while discovering flaws they didn’t notice in themselves before.
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3. Deep Character Growth Beneath Its Comedy Veneer
On its surface,The Sex Lives of College Girlsis a comedy TV series. It has all the traits of a comedy show and is guided by comedy-veteran Mindy Kaling at the helm. However, underneath the series' hilarious surface, it longs for more than transient laughs.
When the girls aren’t finding themselves in ridiculously mundane situations (like trying to cheat on exams to avoid failing classes), they’re starting to realize the kind of people they are within.
College is where many youngsters finally burgeon into the adults they’re going to be for the rest of their lives. During these years, the success or failure of who they become rests entirely on their own decisions.
The Sex Lives of College Girlstonally matches the comedic and exaggerated elements needed to entertain the audience with each girl’s quest for personal fulfillment. That’s what gives it staying power.
Each chapter is important because of the girls' learning curves and personal growth. As an adult viewer, you know which paths are right and wrong through the benefit of hindsight—but much like any parent, you can do nothing but allow them to make their own mistakes.
4. Unflinching Exploration of Societal Issues
With the recent births of many cultural movements and changing societal tastes, several issues once buried by hegemonic power have come to public consciousness—particularly challenges faced by young women.
WithThe Sex Lives of College Girls, many of those issues are tackled by the storylines, but never in a way that feels forced, pandering, or shoved in for the sake of mere relevance.
As it forms its core around the four main characters, the series gives the girls a platform they can always rely on to discuss their struggles. As a result, it can gently make points about toxic masculinity and dramatic shifts in cultural acceptance without going overboard.
In dealing with topics like sexual assault, the objectification of young women, and emotional manipulation, Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble’s series finds itself in a place that feels familiar yet new all the same, making it all that much more intriguing to watch.
