Netflix's GLOW is a hit not just for wrestling fans!

My excitement for GLOW began the second I knew of its existence. The women’s wrestling scene has been off the scale in the last few years. But, the story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is one that needed to be told. 

Based on the promotion of the same name, the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling ran from 1986 to 1989. Most of the cast were actresses looking to break into the entertainment world. GLOW tells the story of those women who joined the promotion and although their character names are not used, some do have the same "gimmicks".

Alison Brie plays the title role of Ruth Wilder a struggling actress who is failing to land serious roles. Ruth is aware that only men get that kind of job and thus she sabotages one of her auditions by reading for the male lead.

As the series goes on and Ruth joins GLOW, you begin to learn more about her including a sexcapade she’s recently endeavoured in. Without giving too much away, it does not end well for her.

Ruth is supposed to be unlikable, we the viewers are meant to hate her and in the wrestling world, she would be known as a heel. So that's exactly what she becomes for the television show after some less than favourable conversations with the director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron) who later begins to accept Ruth.

Similar to Sam Sylvia, you eventually start to warm towards Ruth and realise that she isn't all that bad or at least not the 'monster' she's initially presented as. The word monster is used loosely, I don't wish to spoil it for any of you by using the term she's actually described as.

Every heel needs someone to face off with, someone good that they can battle it out against and no doubt loses to, they’re known as the babyface. For Ruth, that is Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin). Again without giving too much away, the pair have a history which makes their in-ring confrontations feel very real, something actual wrestling promotions strive for. 

The other women who are part of GLOW each have their own side-story and work towards one goal of getting GLOW off the ground. For example, although she isn't one of the main characters, Rhonda Richardson (Kate Nash) has one of the more prominent stories in the serious revolving around her developing relationship that started after she joined GLOW. 

With each episode only lasting between thirty to thirty-eight minutes each, the series is a breeze to get through, especially for anyone who has prior knowledge about wrestling. But, for anyone worried they won't be able to keep up with the lingo or don't understand exactly how it all works, don't worry! Episode five titled "Debbie Does Something" explains all you need to know about the storytelling that goes on beyond the chokeholds and bodyslams, including a nod to anyone who perhaps views wrestling as "silly". 

For those of us who do know some things about wrestling, there's also some subtle nods our way too. The biggest of which is the gym the women train in, it's named "Chavo's Boxing Gym". The person who trained all of the actresses to be able to wrestle for the scenes in GLOW is Chavo Guerrero. Or a scene that stars former WWE superstar Carlito who portrays one-half of a tag-team is seen eating an apple, a nod to his character in the wrestling world. There's even some shade towards the current WWE superstar Bayley in one episode that caught me off guard. 

Who knows, maybe in a future season we could see a guest role from Bayley and she can lock up with Ruth or Debbie. This is totally a hint and request all in one. 

GLOW does not shy away from the very real problems that hindered the original series it is based on either. During the documentary about the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, there's a joke about how cheap the production was, something that is highlighted in the Netflix version as their sound system is just one of the women playing a keyboard.

There are also multiple scenes filled with politically incorrect lines by specific characters, again, something that the original promotion did on purpose to offend people and get them interested in the show. The Netflix version does do a good job of highlighting how the television world has racist tendencies towards people of colour, including a scene where the head of the network informs Sam they can't show people portraying Klu Klux Klan members, but they're okay with two of the black characters portraying negative stereotypes of African Americans.

They also highlight how fans who deem wrestling to be "real" can often react towards certain characters in a manner that would be deemed offensive, even if that character being displayed is, in fact, racist and a negative stereotype about a collective group of people. 

This ten episode series is strong on the feminism front, has a diverse cast and dissects issues within the television world both during the eighties when it is set and still today. GLOW is much more than just a show about wrestling, it highlights many different struggles within the world whether it's chasing your dream, finding your family or overcoming stereotypes to make it work for you. 

I think GLOW has the potential to open people's minds towards the world of wrestling or at the very least help change some opinions about what women are capable, as it is unfortunate we still live in a time where people view female athletes or just women in general as inferior to men. A predominantly female series has worked previously for Jenji Kohen with Orange is the New Black, and this could end up being another hit series. 

So, whether you're a fan of wrestling or you just enjoy watching badass women on your television screen, GLOW is definitely for you. Go into it open minded, who knows, you may finish it as a fan. 

REVIEW: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Season 1, Episode 1 "Kimmy Goes Outside"

This is yet another series that I was practically forced to watch by a friend of mine, yet I'm so glad that I decided to listen to them and do it.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is an endearing, charming and awkward piece of television. You're viewing a woman who from the outside would be considered an adult, yet her personality and characteristics are still that of a child.

Ellie Kemper pulls off a fantastic job at capturing the heartwarming innocence of our main character Kimmy Schmidt yet also displays her underlying intelligence and wit as you get to know her.

After being trapped inside of a bunker for 15 years by a crazy reverend who lied about the world coming to an end, Kimmy and three other women are rescued by armed police.

You’re immediately treated to the kind of humour this show is all about as Kimmy declares that its fire monsters coming into the bunker, rather than someone coming to save them. There’s also a news crew televising the rescue outside with the headline “WHITE WOMEN FOUND” and underneath it in much smaller writing “Hispanic woman also found”.

Poking fun at the very real imbalance on how crimes are portrayed in the news is something I failed to laugh at on the first watch, but after binge-watching the entire show, it completely fits with how the character of Donna Maria Nuñez (Sol Miranda) is portrayed and is rather showing they're aware of the issue not making it just another joke. Speaking of Donna Maria, she’s become one of my favourites based on just the flashback scenes, she pretends to not know English to get out of certain horrible tasks in the bunker and makes fun of the other three women in Spanish, which none of them can understand.

Something else I originally wasn't keen on is the show opening or main title sequence. Most shows use a catchy theme song you can easily remember yet instead Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt uses a heavily autotuned remix of a character’s news interview, something that was popular on YouTube once upon a time. However, I now enjoy it and find myself singing along to it.

The "mole" women make an appearance on The Today Show to discuss their time in the bunker including how they ended up there, it's revealed that Gretchen Chalker (Lauren Adams) joined the cult willingly, something that comes up in a future episode. As the other women discuss their future plans, Kimmy realises she doesn't want to return to her life she had prior to the bunker and decides to stay in New York to figure out what she wants to do with her life.

A problem everyone faces every now and then of not knowing who they are or what they want to be, there’s just the added dramatic life event of Kimmy missing half of her life. It’s quite surprising how upbeat and confident our protagonist is despite the difficulties she has already faced, she's so certain that not going back to Durnsville, her hometown will solve the lost feeling she has.

Kimmy Schmidt is far from the victim you would assume she is and she doesn't want you to think she is, Kimmy wants to be more than just a mole woman.

Although Kimmy is an amazing character, you’d be wrong to think that she is the “star” of the show, that belongs to Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess). Titus at first comes across as the stereotypical chasing Hollywood actor who is actually getting nowhere in life, but he is far more than that. Titus is the main provider of comedic lines, Kimmy’s eventual best and sometimes only friend and someone easy to relate to for a number of different reasons. But, his most likeable trait is his confident exterior. Despite Titus really feeling like someone who is lost in the world similar to Kimmy, he only lets you know about it when he wants to and that is rare.

After some exploring around New York which included Kimmy setting a horse “free” from a carriage and proclaiming in the middle of a store that she’s having candy for dinner, she stops a young child from stealing, little does she realise who that child is.

It’s not realistic to sleep in the middle of a city you don’t know so in the first grown-up act of the episode, Kimmy looks for an apartment and meets Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane) who at first offers her drugs. Kimmy and Titus finally meet although the latter of the two isn’t so pleased about it as he was unaware Lillian placed the advertisement on his apartment. Kimmy is rejected by Titus at first as she doesn’t have a job, so that’s her next mission.

Lillian: But don't wear that yellow sweater because the Crips will think you're in the Banana Boys. It's a new gang. There weren't any good colours left.

Kimmy once again bumps into the thieving child as she attempts to gain employment in a candy shop and chases him out of there before he could take anything and before she could get a job. Despite the young child repeatedly shouting stranger danger, absolutely no one in the street where they react as if he’s in trouble and Kimmy decides to take him home rather than let him steal from elsewhere.

This child, Buckley Voorhees (Tanner Flood) turns out to be more important than you’d first think. His mother is Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski) who is a rich socialite that mistakes Kimmy for her dog masseuse. Jacqueline is filled with hilarious moments throughout this show as she often only cares about her own needs and disregards anything that is going on with the various other characters and forces them to only pay attention to her and her problems.

Kimmy mistakenly believes Jacqueline is being kept inside of her home unwillingly and asks her if she needs help, to which Jacqueline confuses with Kimmy offering to work for her as a nanny resulting in her giving Kimmy a job. All is somehow right.

I may have stated earlier that Titus is the star of the show, which I still stand by, but Jacqueline has the greatest introduction as you immediately know a tonne about her from just two minutes of her being on screen. She asks Kimmy to braid her horses’ hair, asks if she wants a water and when Kimmy says no, rather than placing it back in the fridge she throws it in the trash and then leaves Kimmy in her home unattended as she sleeps. This one scene sums up everything you need to know about Jacqueline and the kind of traits she possesses.

Kimmy returns to Titus and Lillian to tell them she has a job, Titus agrees that she can move in but only because Lillian threatened to have him removed from the apartment. Kimmy immediately causes Titus to raise an eyebrow at her as she asks if his Iron Man suit is a real robot, measures out her new room based on the body sizes of her fellow mole women and gets a little too excited over a window. The room she’s staying in is tiny and no one would get excited about it other than Kimmy Schmidt.

Titus believes Kimmy has a secret but just as she’s about to tell him that she spent most of her life inside of a bunker, he cuts her off after she tells him she’s from Indiana, declaring that’s why she’s basic. He’s quite lucky in a sense that Kimmy has zero clue how the world works as he then scams her into believing that they both owe Lillian two months rent plus the upcoming month and a security deposit. He tries to get money for his lamp too but unfortunately, Kimmy knows what a bulb is and notices there isn’t one in it. 

Our two main protagonists have only been together for a few brief moments and yet already you can feel that they’re going to end up friends even if they are paired together for reasons that aren’t exactly positive.

Kimmy and Titus head out to celebrate but also because Kimmy offered to pay. Titus should have really known better than to take a white woman who he has already called basic to a club where she is going to no doubt dance very awkwardly. Kimmy is offered drugs for the second time but mistakes “molly” for a doll.

The backpack that Kimmy has kept her money in throughout the episode is clutching onto her shoulders like there’s no tomorrow until she sets it down on the ground and it’s stolen leaving both her and Titus without any money.

After searching for the backpack thief all night, Kimmy is late for work the next day and as I’m sure you can guess based on the description I gave earlier of Jacqueline, she fires her on the spot.

Kimmy tells Titus about the stolen backpack but also lets slip about the reverend who held her captive in the bunker, and then word vomit hits and the entire story is out. Titus is naturally concerned about having to live with a mole woman and asks her to pack up her items and leave the apartment as New York isn’t for her.

If you thought the secrets stopped there, you’re wrong. Titus tells Kimmy that his name is not, in fact, Titus and that it’s Ronald Wilkerson explaining to her that he is originally from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. He changed his name upon moving to New York and auditioned for The Lion King on Broadway twenty times in fifteen years being rejected every time as he “couldn’t pass for a straight giraffe”.

Titus: I am very scared to ask you this.

Kimmy: Yes, there was weird sex stuff in the bunker.

Titus: Let me finish.

Despite his initial exterior being one similar to Jacqueline in that they only care about themselves, Titus willingly hands Kimmy the money back she had given him for rent so she can return home, even though that means he will be kicked out and thus homeless. This side of Titus doesn’t often come up but his caring nature towards Kimmy is one that is always meaningful.

As Kimmy is about the head back to Durnsville, she has a flashback to the bunker after seeing a rat in a trash can. The flashback reminds her of when the reverend had previously told the women in the bunker that all life outside of it had died, but Kimmy knew that wasn’t true as she had found a rat. The reverend tells Kimmy he will break her but she tells him that he won’t, leading her to realise she can’t leave New York.

Running through Times Square, Kimmy heads straight for Titus who is in his Iron Man suit to tell him she isn’t giving up and that she won’t let him do it either. In her first of many inspirational speeches, Kimmy vows to pay the rent, get her job back and kiss a boy, while she tells Titus he will sing at the Grammys with Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, both of whom are no longer alive. The pair sing “Circle of Life” together which no one can hear due to the traffic. ]

And that’s it for episode one of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

It isn’t explored or rather a focal point in this episode but Kimmy displays a variety of character traits that fit with someone who has been exposed to a horrific event in their life. While in the club with Titus she assaults a man trying to flirt with her, a security guard and later gets angry at the blinds in her room for not working. This trait contradicts her upbeat manner and is somewhat used as a hint that perhaps she is harbouring some feelings that she hasn’t realised she has.

The comedic timing of every character even if it’s just a certain facial expression is perfect. I had reservations at first about Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt but it’s a series that has such a heartwarming feeling to it you can’t help but be drawn into the antics Kimmy and Titus get themselves into. By far one of my favourite Netflix shows and it should be one of yours too.

REVIEW: Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 1, Episode 1 "Pilot"

Per request, I have been summoned to review this show, please don't ask me about which evils have forced me into this as I'd rather not discuss it.

I’m a comedy person. If I'm scrolling through Netflix or wherever to find myself a movie or a TV show, nine times out of ten I’m going to choose the comedy genre. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a brilliant attempt at an immature style of comedy set within a serious environment. But unfortunately, you wouldn't know this based on the pilot episode of the series.

Although like every first episode it does qualify for doing what they're supposed to do, for example, illuminating how every episode is going to work or introducing your main characters and displaying their personality traits.

The show follows a different case per episode format like most police or detective shows do rather than just one long ongoing case throughout the season.
We’re immediately introduced to Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) who one could consider the main character. He's childish, doesn't take anything seriously but is the 99th precinct’s best detective.

He's joined by a whole host of fellow characters who each display their own identities, the best part of all this? The cast is fully immersed in the drama and not just used as side characters to Peralta. Each is eclectic and easy to relate to.

Rosa: Maybe it was just, like, that old person gunk. You know the way they’re always covered in gunk? Oldies are gross.

A personal favourite of mine is Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). She’s tough, sarcastic and mysterious. If there’s any character you desperately need to know the backstory to just to solve some of the grey areas around them, it's Rosa, so hopefully, that comes up.

This is one thing that Brooklyn Nine-Nine manages to achieve with their pilot episode. However, they didn't capture the full essence of what it is all about, instead, it feels very run of the mill comedy show.

The pilot creates tension between Jake and his new Captain, Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) and then dissolves the conflict between the two over the importance of a uniform by the end of it. It's a minor plot point at first until you realise how key it is to the character of Holt by the end who opens up to Jake about how he was an outcast for years due to him being openly gay.

Amy: I'd also like to apologise for my partner. His parents didn't give him enough attention.

It force feeds you clues towards a potential romantic storyline between Jake and his fellow detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) with numerous hints at sexual tension between the two, mostly from Jake, including competitiveness with an ongoing bet over who can accumulate the most arrests.

All the while they're capturing a murderer who killed a luxurious food importer over $6,000 worth of ham. Yes, really.

Yet throughout I feel as if I've seen all of these things previously, nothing feels new. I understand the limited time frame as each episode is only at a maximum 23 minutes long, but come on. I need more than just relatable characters to be interested in a show and it just isn't here at first.

You'd assume that surely the comedy would be top notch if the plot is lacking then, right? Wrong. In fact, the only point I found humorous was the encounter between Detective Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) and the office administrator Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) as she gives him advice on taking Rosa on a date.

Gina: Oh yeah, just go on the internet and search for the phrase "I want to buy two movie tickets for a girl who doesn't like me"

Charles and Gina are two of the best characters as far comedic content goes which is obvious immediately. If the entire episode was filled with a back and forth of those two conversing, there would be a lot more laughs in this pilot.

This episode is a bad first impression for a good show. I'm fortunate enough to possess the knowledge that Brooklyn Nine-Nine picks up the pace after roughly episode four, but anyone who has only watched the pilot and nothing more would likely deem this show to be pretty bad which is unfortunate because it's not.

If you're one of the above people who has only watched episode one, do yourself a favour and give it another chance. I promise it does get better.

REVIEW: Girlboss - Season 1, Episode 1 "Sophia"

Britt Robertson as Sophia Marlowe.

Life is looking grim for 20-something Sophia when she gets an eviction notice and loses her job--until an awesome thrift store find gives her a brilliant idea.

Netflix has been dishing out some quality television series as of late from the heart-wrenching 13 Reasons Why to the second instalment of a personal favourite of mine, The Get Down. But every now and then there’ll be a show that isn't really up to standard with everything else that they're releasing and right now, it's Girlboss.

You see, Girlboss sounds like it would be an upbeat success story with characters you can invest in and feel a genuine need for them to triumph. However, it's just not that.

Girlboss is based "loosely" on the life of Sophia Amoruso the founder of Nasty Gal. The beginning of the episode tells us this, I had no idea. After becoming intrigued by the company, I learned that they have filed for bankruptcy and been taken over by BooHoo. They have also had some rather controversial moments which include it being called a "toxic work environment" and firing employees for becoming pregnant. Awesome.

If the story you're attempting to present to me in real life sounds awful, it's likely that the show will be too. I'm sure the creators of the show will somehow, unfortunately, forget to depict those things mentioned above about Nasty Gal, but a simple Google search by anyone interested in it will make viewers realise that the story isn’t all that truthful. It should be noted that Amoruso is an executive producer for the show despite no longer being linked with Nasty Gal, as she stepped down as executive chairwoman in 2016. I’ll let you think of that what you will.

The show is set in San Francisco back in 2006, not only because this is when the real-life events took place, but also because Netflix may want to pursue further seasons of it, I'm praying that they don't.

Despite all of this, I watched the first episode twice. The first time was with two friends, the second time I was alone to take in everything the show was offering. Just for context so you can understand what my first experience watching Girlboss was like, my two friends and I couldn't even remember the main character’s name, any significant moments or the main plot of the show. Yeah, pretty bad.

My second viewing was slightly different. I picked up on character traits, small plot points (very small) and learned a few things along the way.

The first thing I learned is that our main character, Sophia Marlowe (Britt Robertson), is similar to another Netflix original main character, Piper Chapman of Orange is the New Black. Now, I love me some Orange but one thing I've always been sure of is that Piper is annoying. She sucks the life out of every scene she's in and has very few likeable characteristics. Sophia is the same.

During the very first scene, Sophia’s car breaks down and a tram ends up stuck behind her. The tram driver asks if she would like some help with her car. Instead of accepting this help that she did need, she gave the tram driver the middle finger. Immature.

Sophia: Adulthood is where dreams go to die.

The only positive point of the episode comes when we’re introduced to Rosie (Louise Fletcher), who doesn’t give Sophia her name, I just looked it up so I didn’t have to refer to her as an old lady. Rosie is by far the best character of the first episode and to be honest, likely the entire series. She slaps Sophia, tells her that whining about the world is stupid and that she’s glad she’ll be dead soon due to Sophia being part of the new generation. I love Rosie.

But, this whole scene is an attempt to be symbolic to how part of the current generation relate their problems whether big or small to be the end of the world, whereas generations prior just view it as a dramatic overdose of self-pity because times were tougher back in the day. It's also pandering to an older demographic that I'm sure is not sitting down to watch this show, meaning it’s pointless.

If I were the creator of this show, I’d just scrap the Sophia idea and stick with an entire season that just follows Rosie during her daily life. I imagine it would be a lot more interesting than listening to Sophia bitch and moan constantly.

Everything goes downhill from here I’m afraid as we become acquainted with Sophia’s friends.

First up is Annie (Ellie Reed). I had to look up what her name is because I started to zone out and wonder why I’m bothering with this show a second time round. After watching her on screen for roughly three minutes, I already know she’s asinine, seems rather dimwitted and is getting on my nerves.

Next is Dax (Alphonso McAuley), he’s Annie’s new lover who works in the bar they’re currently stood in. He’s the first person of colour to be shown and of course, instead of this being a positive character, instead, he’s subjected to Annie almost blurting out something that was going to be mildly racist. I so badly wanted him to stand right there in the bar and educate her on why what she was about to say is wrong, instead, they suck on each other’s faces. Sigh.

Finally, we have Shane (Johnny Simmons). Now, get ready because things get intense pretty quickly here. Shane is a drummer in a band that is playing in the bar where Dax works. He is also Dax’s new roommate because the only way to intertwine these four characters beyond the confines of said bar is if Shane is inserted into Dax’s life, who is suddenly in Annie’s life, who is in Sophia’s life. Got all that? Yeah, terrible storytelling.

Introducing your main characters is such an important part of any first episode, yet here everything was rushed, we bounce from one character to the next, none of whom show you anything of substance or redeeming qualities, including Sophia. There’s an incredible lack of responsibility for anything or anyone from all of them, which isn’t necessarily bad, but coupled with Sophia’s immaturity and inability to accept help when she’s down makes her come across as a brat.

Did I forget to mention that Sophia is being evicted? Probably because it’s brought up in a joking manner and not in a super serious “I’m about to be homeless” way. I understand this show is a very weak attempt at comedy, but please, look up the statistics of homelessness in America. It’s not a funny subject.

After saying hello to Shane, Sophia ends up in his bed. They don’t have sex as she stops that dead in its tracks, but she does force him to make ocean noises so she can fall asleep. I think they were trying to do something funny here, but I didn’t laugh.

Before they can have the awkward “morning after we didn’t have sex” talk, Sophia dashes out the door to work. This is the smartest decision she has made thus far and it’s so minor. Once at the shoe store where she works, we are offered a small hint at what the point of this whole thing is as Sophia looks up vintage clothes on eBay. FINALLY, AN ACTUAL PLOT POINT.

To be fair to the actual human this is based on, selling items in order to make money when you’re broke and having an eye for things that are worth more than they seem is a pretty decent skill to have.

Just as I thought things were starting to pick up and Sophia was actually trying to be an okay human for five seconds, she ends up getting herself fired from her job after taking a personal phone call from her father who was inviting her to dinner, instead of dealing with a customer. She’s also super rude to her boss so she completely deserved it.

If you think this scene couldn’t possibly get any worse than Sophia acting like a five-year-old, you’re wrong. There’s even an attempt at menstrual humour as her boss claims that the behaviour in which Sophia has displayed has caused her period to start early. Right in the middle of their conversation. Just there for no reason. I’ve never wanted to pull my eyeballs out of their sockets more in my life.

The dialogue is a big issue for the first episode as a lot of the conversations have very little believability about them. Do I really think Sophia’s boss would just blurt out this unneeded comment as she’s about to relinquish her of her duties? No. Would Dax ignore the obviously racist implications his new girlfriend was about to bestow upon him? Absolutely not.

After walking out of the shoe store, Sophia immediately texts her best friend Annie that she quit, she didn’t, she was fired. But, as she’s speaking to Annie about what just happened, there’s a moment of self-realisation as Sophia calls herself an “asshole” and ponders why she is one. It’s pretty redeeming for a small amount of time because maybe she realises how deep she’s in now as she is soon to have no home, now has no job and her car is broke down somewhere.

It’s weird, watching the main character cry and come to terms with the fact they’re not the best person in the world is what this episode needed. Without it, all I’ve done is watched someone act immature and do things to further create chaos in their own life.

Store Owner: Okay, we have to check all donated clothes for mouse turds.
Cashier: Is that a problem?

Store Owner: Uh, it's the number one reason why people give us their clothes. It's like, "Hey, white people, you think you'd never worn a shirt with mouse turds? Think again.”

Second plot point incoming. Sophia visits what appears to be a vintage clothing store to I assume make herself feel better about what has just transpired. She finds a jacket, that honestly isn’t that appealing, but I guess that’s the point. She offers the store owner nine dollars for it and some free business advice, which is weird because the store owner accepts it despite him not knowing a single thing about Sophia. How does he know she knows anything about business?

Turns out she does, however, as that jacket she just purchased is a “1970’s original East-West calfskin motorcycle jacket in perfect condition” - her words, not mine and tells the store owner he should “know what your shit is worth” and walks out. Again, impressive skill to have.

That mind-numbing feels quickly returns as Sophia climbs into a dumpster to retrieve a half-eaten bagel and then steals a rug. This woman is so confusing, one second she’s making smart decisions to help better her future by finding bargains in clothing, the next she’s eating food from the trash. I feel conflicted. The mind-boggling part of all this is that the rug store owner didn’t even call the police. Either they’re loaded and don’t mind losing one rug from their inventory, or he’s incapable of remembering the phone number for the cops, whatever the case, it’s unrealistic.

Remember earlier when I mentioned Sophia is about to be homeless? I guess she wanted to test out what that feeling is like as she falls asleep on her stolen rug in a park until she’s woken up by the park ranger who wants her to get out of the park. I don’t blame him. After asking for the time, she realises she’s late to dinner with her father (Dean Norris), so she rushes off with her rug in tow to get a real meal, not one from the actual trash.

They sit and dine in one of the fanciest restaurants I’ve ever seen in my life, which is what makes it so difficult to believe any of Sophia’s struggles because clearly, she has family members who would be willing to help her out if she would just let them. Which leads me to the main issue of this whole episode.

I completely understand the feeling of wanting to be independent and steer clear of your parents once you’ve passed a certain age as no one wants to rely on them forever. But, Sophia’s father genuinely comes across caring towards the position in which his daughter is clearly in. You can be an independent person but also understand and realise when you need help, it’s part of the growing up stage.

Even though her father is being kind towards her, he’s also a little bit too laid back throughout this scene, especially as Sophia explains to him what her day has been like so far. She yet again rejects help, only this time from her father instead of a tram driver and leaves the restaurant to head home because she thinks he doesn’t believe in her, even though he has zero reasons to believe in her so far.

For someone who is seemingly broke and about to be kicked out of her apartment, Sophia sure does have a lot of stuff she could get rid of in order to make money to stop her situation escalating even further.

Third plot point. Sophia realises that the reason people aren’t bidding on certain clothing items on Ebay is due to the way in which they’re presented. If she wants to make money from the jacket from earlier, she’s going to have to do better than just put it on a clothing hanger. So, she uses the stolen rug to create a backdrop, sets up a light and puts on some makeup. She then photographs herself wearing the jacket as if she were a clothing model and puts the picture on Ebay in order to sell the item. It’s genius, really.

As she showers to get rid of the smell of the dumpster she was in earlier, the bids must have been flying in as once she gets out and checks how things are going, the bids are up to $185. The episode then ends off with Sophia finding her driving license, ignoring a call from her father and exclaiming “bring on adulthood motherfucker”. The very thing she has been avoiding all episode.

This first episode goes through many ups and downs with multiple different conflicting character traits from Sophia. On the one hand, she’s a smart and independent woman who knows a lot about fashion or at least enough to centre her future around it. On the other hand, however, she’s immature, inconsiderate and lacking the ability to be responsible for her actions.

The recurring people in her life all seem to be no better either. Her best friend Annie so far has only enabled her bad decision making and coupled it with crass, childish forms of humour. While her father, although caring, was slightly too nonchalant about the fact his daughter admitted to committing crimes and losing her job.

Independence and avoiding adulthood kick off the episode, yet as we journey further into the seriously messed up life of Sophia, she has her moments of realisation where she notices how dire her situation is, so she tries to improve it and it finally reaches a full circle with the last sentence of the episode.

It’s no easy feat to introduce a character that has very few good qualities about her, yet Girlboss attempts to do so. I’m not sure if I’ll continue to watch the show based on what I have watched so far, but I imagine there are people out there who thoroughly enjoy this due to how much it panders to a specific audience, one that I don’t feel I personally fit into even if I share some of the details such as age range with the main demographic it is aimed at.

This is one Netflix series that I don’t think I’ll be recommending to anyone anytime soon.