Girlboss

I all fairness, this could have been a very good inspirational show. But it fails due to its connection to reality...

The big problem is that main character Sophia is a deeply troubled, "nasty" (this doesn't come from nowhere), and foremost very narcissistic character, which in my eyes makes her extremely unlikeable. This alone would not make the series bad, but it is the fact that obviously there isn't much psychological insight. (If you want to know how to do this: "My crazy ex-girlfriend" manages far better to present a questionable character then deconstructing her by means of real psychology, or a little more earnest Judd Apatow's "Love".). Instead, we get to see behavior that if it really inspired young girls would lead to hell on earth. If this girl were a young man, the whole series would be branded "glorifying a sociopathic entrepreneur".

Apart from that, I really liked everything else, the pacing, the music, the cinematography, so that's where some stars are earned. If you can abstract from the horrible personality of Sophia, you might enjoy it as one would enjoy watching "Scarface".

And as a side note: Reality caught up to the real "Sophia" - she went bankrupt due to her own hybris. So please don't try this at home.

This show is so much deeper than it first appears, the most important thing is to stick with it. It starts by presenting itself as another 'quirky' girl comedy and within the first episode shatters that illusion, while still going back to it on occasion. As the series progresses it gets closer and closer to reality, with problems and issues coming up, sometimes being resolved, sometimes not, just like life.

You know the feeling when you are walking down the street and you think you look cool and everything is great, and then five minutes later something happens or you remember something and you feel rubbish and like everything is terrible, then five minutes later you are smiling and happy again? That is what this show comes close to capturing. In an effort to showcase real life even further it also has moments of the sheer mundane, like a joke you and your friends love but anyone listening would find stupid, it's not funny but you can appreciate it because you can relate.

Overall it is another case of a show that could never have been made if not for Netflix, it takes risks and at times really captures some great and insightful moments, sometimes it misses but at least it tries, unlike a lot of safe network shows that pretend to be progressive or 'edgy'. The only general complaint might be that the female lead is mostly annoying as a person, but she is meant to be, and she is called on it more often than not. She's not completely likable, but she is relatable, at least to a degree. Either way it shouldn't let you be put off a show that has a lot more thought and heart than it maybe first gives off.

Seems that most of the reviews are bashing the character flaws of "Sophia", but nobody seems to be crediting the actress (Britt Robertson) for giving such a great performance that her portrayal of this character is capable of sparking such a reaction of contempt.

I admit, I really enjoyed another of her earlier shows: "Life Unexpected"

In both cases, Britt is fun to watch. As an actress, she finds the sweet spot between being lovable and having an old-school punk rocker attitude.. like some adorable cross between Patti Smith and Joan Jett.

PS: did they ever actually say who the story is (very loosely) based on?

update: apparently, the "inspiration" isn't very inspirational..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/real-girlboss-rise-fall-nasty-gal- founder-sophia-amoruso/

I almost gave up on this after the first 2-3 episodes. It didn't seem to have any direction or purpose but I figured since they are only 30 minutes each I would play em in the background while I do other things just to see how she does. They've turned out to be entertaining and funny. If you stick around I think you'll like it.

Adulthood is where dreams go to die, bankruptcy is where companies go to die. It's unfortunate that whilst this series fanatically praises Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amuroso (here, she is called Sophia Marlowe)as a business success, in life Amuroso has stepped down as CEO and the company is bankrupt.

Sass alone does not make success but fictional Sophia seems to get by simply on being a sassy millenial. She starts the series as a twenty-three year old shoplifting drifter, who is stuck in teenager mood (where she basically remains throughout the whole series)and ends up a girlboss (the kind of patronising term you might use on marketing a Barbie doll).

Though the first three or four episodes are unbearably smug, Britt Robertson does a good job as little-girl-lost Sophia, seller of vintage fashion. Ellie Reed is fine enough as Sophia's hanger-on/best buddy Annie.

It's not so much the acting that's the problem as the whole concept being flawed. It's free publicity for the Nasty Gal business and no amount of dramatic license will disguise the fact that this is a six and a half hour commercial.

The reality is sanitised in the show. For starters, there is whitewashing (Sophia Amuroso is of Greek, Italian and Portuguese descent). Secondly, in this version Sophia is still in contact with her dad, with a relationship no more strained than any young daughter. When we know that he can bail her out financially, her decision to shoplift is bratty rebellion rather than financial problems.

The material was pretty thin anyway so unsurprisingly it did not get a second season.