The Girlfriend Experience

When I first came across 'The Girlfriend Experience' I didn't know what to expect, I hadn't seen the movie, and reviews were very mixed, some calling it a great show, others commenting on its apparent blandness and cold feel.

When i finally came around to watching it, it really intrigued me, I really enjoyed shows like house of cards, and I thought Paul sparks (who was also in HoC) was great is his role, his cold, more absent way of presenting himself was in my opinion great for his role.

The same goes for Riley Keough, while a lot of others seem to dislike her cold, detached personality as Christine, I found it rather fitting. Someone who gets extremely intimate with strangers would have to be like this in my opinion. Because of this the show is quite realistic, and the admittedly rather lacking story, (there is one, but its not as well developed as it could be) fits with this genre. It really isn't a regular TV- show story, but a look at a life, a life that ís cold and impersonal.

The grey-ish lighting and set design also really works with this detached feel, and the music (or lack thereof) really helps sell the seriousness and loveless acts and conversations.

I really enjoyed watching the show, and although I haven't seen the ending yet, thus far I have really enjoyed the realistic approach to this girls life.

It gave me a feeling comparable to the later seasons of house of cards, or maybe even Mr. Robot, the same dawning, almost depressing, but realistic approach, that, although not everything goes well and ends positively, creates a situation where one can really understand and feel the position the character is in.

Very interesting series, well crafted, thought-provoking, both intriguing and depressing to watch... As I see it, it's very much about being obsessed about material wealth and the independence in having money and how that can be a very addictive substitute for real intimacy and trust in one's life. And it's about being addicted to different sorts of short-term pleasures, arising from as well as creating more loneliness. And it's about power, having control and protect oneself in an environment, where everyone are objects or means to an end for each other... The world of lawyers, corporates etc. And it's about a modern society, where basic human needs for connection, sharing our whole being including our sexuality, are capitalised... A society where friendship and love often are substituted by professional relations... The series main focus is on sexual relations and the sex business - but the same dynamics also applies to how therapists, coaches and other professionals can be substitutes, when there's a lack of trust in friends and family...

I loved season 1 but I have no idea what they were thinking this season. It is boring as hell and I want the story line from season 1 back please. Season 2 is a mess.....it is uncomfortable and just plain boring to watch. Riley Keough in season 1 was so good. She is beautiful, dark, and mischievous. She really carried this show. Louisa Krause in season 2 is not suited for a part like this. I am so mad this show has been ruined.

It's not going to be for everyone. Challenging viewing at times, probably easier to watch alone, as it pushes ones voyeuristic spectrum to the max. I hope that there is a little more story development in future seasons as if it was more of the same I'd probably be switching off but I enjoyed season 1. If you like the movie Shame it's very similar in terms of tone and pace. So it's now up to where they decide to take this.. is there going to be more point or is it just going to be a through the looking glass exercise. Let's see.

While many may hate this series for politically correct reasons or because they are not used to adult pacing (as opposed to juvenile comic book-style movies full of flashy editing), I was taken in by it ... but mostly because of Riley Keough, who is a very natural, subtle actress. The series features a little titillation here and there, but it's tasteful, artfully photographed, and looks great.

The show works in that -- even though the protagonist is a person of questionable moral values, she's surrounded by all these far more horrible, reptilian people (lawyers and other wretched/inhuman scum). So, by comparison, she comes off as the most empathetic person on the whole show; you end up bonding with her because you hate everyone else. (As Robert McKee often says: "Empathy ... is absolute, while sympathy is optional." Meaning empathy is enough ... to keep us engaged. We empathize with the main character, but we don't necessarily sympathize with her. )

I also like the protagonist's rebellious streak and admired her discipline and focus. As the actress herself said about the character: "she's driven." (Driven to a fault, actually.) There's also something terribly sad about her too. We can sense her loneliness as, obviously, she has no friends. In fact, there's an existential quality about the whole show, which is emphasized with the Cliff Martinez-like ambient music underscoring many scenes.

But this show is all about the actress, Riley Keough. Having said this, I didn't care for the final show of the season, which was a bit much (maybe a bad idea stretched out for the whole episode). I would love to see this show continue -- but only with same actress. I've already watched some episodes more than once, and I'm sure I'll watch the whole season again. It's worth owning.

Bottom line: Check it out. And kudos to Riley Keough for her sophisticated, subtle performance.