Trinkets

Is it a teen show? Yes. Is it a little cliche? Yes. Does it cover a lot of teen issues now a days? Yes. But the acting is good and the main actresses really have great chemistry together. It really has kind of an 80s movie kind of vibe and the music is excellent. All around a really cute show.

There is absolutely no measure in which I fit the target demographic for this (too old, too white, too straight), yet I enjoyed every minute of it. That's mostly down to the three leads who reached far beyond the slightly stereotypical characterisation and filled their roles with wit, charm and empathy.

The supporting cast were all excellent, with a special shout out to Chloe Levine for her delightful channelling of a young Amber Benson. That brought the S4 and S5 Buffy chills right back.

What could have been a very slight drama became a really well drawn rite of passage tale, and thoroughly watchable, in the best sense.

Netflix has been in the habit of making some questionable shows lately (see What/If). This show, however, really isn't a bad watch.

The screenwriting and acting is good. It feels very "believable. It's probably the first show I've seen in a long time that is about teens and has characters that feel and act like typical teenagers. There's no doubt that it's well written and the three main characters in the show have good chemistry together.

I also really enjoyed the 30 minute/episode format and felt that it worked well.

My biggest problem really was that I felt the show was too abstract and there really wasn't much going on. Moreover, the premise of the show (shoplifting, it's how the three girls meet, connect and become friends) doesn't really add much to the plot lines. They could've really met anywhere and under any circumstances and so the decision to use shoplifting seems a tiny bit random.

All in all it's a good show however and definitely a step in the right direction for Netflix.

Trinkets at least shines a light on addiction from a teenage perspective. It's a compulsion. A coping mechanism formed by different walks of people for all very different reasons. I applaud Netflix for creating a less glamorous + dramatic story of teen trauma (euphoria, 13 reasons why, etc) that is digestible and enjoyable to watch.

This is one of those shows that could have been more.

The premise of three young women united by their involvement in shoplifting was very good. The show revolves around the lives of these three characters, in a normal teen drama style exposition. The characters are likeable, and the performances were reasonable, but the story ebbs and flows in the personal relationships, without much strong plot points to make a real impact. Its watchable, but it could have been unique, focussing more on their criminal skills, and less on their personal dramas. Deserving of a second season, to see where it goes. But the second season will make or break this show.