Sweet/Vicious

MTV doesn't have the best track record for making good scripted television but Sweet/Vicious is very enjoyable and refreshing regarding the heavy topic matter. Sexual violence is an extremely serious issue and currently there is no show portrays what victims feel - rather only the legal aspects of the crime and maybe the psychology of the abuser. Sweet/Vicious brings a whole new dynamic to the topic and I personally enjoy that the show doesn't feel cold and matter-of-fact - you really understand the effects and most importantly, you actually want to root for the main characters, who are the campus vigilantes. The show does have it faults - the writing can sometimes be a little off and certain things can be set up better in terms of story development but I overall think the show is a fun time; it doesn't take itself too seriously - there are funny moments, dramatic moments, relatable characters and importantly, strong female characters that show their strength in various different ways. Sweet/Vicious is definitely something to look out for and possibly empowering to anyone who has ever been assaulted. Please don't dismiss this show in fear that it is only about misandry because that is far from the truth.

This show was the shiz! Two unsuspecting college girls are actually vigilantes for fellow students who have been assaulted!? Who wouldn't want to watch this? Eliza Bennet does a good job as seemingly innocent sorority girl Jules but its Taylor Dearden in my opinion that steals the show. She plays the green haired Ophelia (awesome) - pot smoker/seller, record store employee, computer hacker and borderline genius out for revenge against the scummy men who have gotten away with nonconsensual behavior towards women. I thought now more than ever that this would be relevant topic to explore but it was canceled after only one season so shows like Jersey Shore and fifteen different versions of Teen Mom could keep going! Not judging anyones taste in reality tv (u b u) but this was such a heartfelt and entertaining show- it was truly gone way too soon. Just like Hindsight from 2015- that show was a blast! Silver lining- *Writer/Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is currently in post for her first feature "Someone Great" with Rosario Dawson and Gina Rodriguez that sounds fun AND *Taylor Dearden will be in "Search and Destroy" which is based on Carrie Brownstein's book "Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl"- can't wait!

Bring this genius series back! There are soooo few relatable yet entertaining shows for young people. Go get em MTV!

I know a lot of manly men are going to hate this, it shows sympathetic female characters being effective at physically punishing males who deserve it, just wrong, right? This reminds me of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and also Xena Warrior Princess. Not as grown up as the former, not as much a cartoon as the latter. I like the Clark Kent-ish identity of the sorority girls, and I like their often imperfect executions of revenge. I like the balance of humor, realism of a taboo subject (campus rape) from an unusual but needed POV, and of course I adore the violence and gore and action that doesn't require a magic lasso for a girl to prevail.

If I had to nitpick, I'd wish the battle scenes were a bit more realistic, use a stunt actor or something; I know she's a sorority girl, but if she's going to be effective against a larger male, her street fighter skills need to appear better executed.

For future character development, I'm hoping for more darkness and anger and lack of cultural normality from the hacker character; green hair does not alone make an alienated outsider nonconformist hero. And of course I'm looking for an end to the apparent need for straightness or bisexuality (as opposed to exclusive lesbianism) to make these girls sympathetic.

But I'm hooked.

On the surface, Jules Thomas (Eliza Bennett) is a sweet popular sorority girl at Darlington College. She is secretly haunted by a rape perpetrated by her best friend Kennedy (Aisha Dee)'s boyfriend Nate Griffin (Dylan McTee). She takes on a disguise to fight abusers on campus. Ophelia Mayer (Taylor Dearden) is a hacker, weed dealing student. She happens upon Jules beating up a guy and later becomes Robin to her Batman. Ophelia works in a record store run by her law student best friend Harris James (Brandon Mychal Smith). Tyler Finn (Nick Fink) is a nice guy who takes a liking to Jules but he turns out to be the brother of an abuser killed by the girls.

I really like the relationships between the four protagonists and I really like the four actors in those roles. Eliza is great as the sweet girl and Taylor is great as the wacky alternative girl. The girls are great together and their relationships with their best friend are also great. The dialogue has a little snap. It would great to push harder. This MTV show garnered some complaints about SJW but that can be said about most comics. It's a fun show with compelling characters that reminds me a little of Buffy. It never got an audience and was canceled after a 10 episode first season. It may be unfair but I'm deducting a point for its short run.