There is finally a lesbian reality tv show, and boy, do I have opinions about it, so let’s talk about Tampa Baes.
Tampa Baes is an Amazon Prime Original that follows a close-knit group of lesbian friends in the Tampa Bay area. Through the show, we can experience parties, fights, makeups and everything in between with the 12 women of the group. Although tensions build as the show goes on, there is a pronounced split of the groups as everyone is forced to pick sides.
But before we get into that, let’s meet the Tampa Baes themselves:
Cuppie Bragg:
Cuppie is a bartender who, as the show begins, is returning to the Tampa Bay area to reunite with her girls. Cuppie is what one might call the life of the party—always trying to keep the group from ruining a night out and planning outings, hoping that they can set aside their differences and have some fun. When not partying, Cuppie can be seen simply spending time with her two best friends of the group, Marissa and Summer.
Marissa Gialousis:
Marissa is a nurse and one-half of the show’s three power couples. When not battling it out with Murphy and Haley, Marissa is level-headed but stressed. The stress is warranted as she and her girlfriend Summer are in the process of building their own home but keep running into issues not only prolonging their stay in Marissa’s mother’s house but also readying herself to propose to Summer when things finally settle down.
Summer Mitchell:
Summer is an accountant, and the other half of the first power couple of the show, being the girlfriend of Marissa. Summer is also shown to be level-headed and straightforward, clearly drawing her boundaries when tensions begin to tear the group apart. She is also a lover of makeup and always serves face, making it obvious Marissa is a lucky lady.
Jordan Whitley:
Jordan is a traveling ICU nurse and fits the description of a mom friend. She is shown to support her friends while also knowing when boundaries need to be drawn and certain things need to be done, making her one of my personal favorites.
Haley Grable:
Haley is another half of one of the show’s power couples in a long-term relationship with her girlfriend, Brianna. She is shown to be a person who loves to host her friends from the very beginning, loving to throw parties for her friends to celebrate them. It is demonstrated that her family and friends are essential to her. She is fiercely loyal to them, which is reciprocated despite her problems when coming out.
Brianna Murphy:
Murphy is an entrepreneur and Haley’s girlfriend. She is shown to be the more hot-headed of the two. She takes no shit and is very secure in her relationship with Haley despite others doubting it because of her reluctance to get married.
Shiva Pishdad:
Shiva is a business analyst and a first-gen Iranian American. She loves a good party but is also down to go on sober adventures with her friends as she loves to have fun. Before finding out about the show, I found Shiva on Tik Tok. She is once again a favorite of mine despite often being treated as the emotional punching bag of the group. Stemming from her aversion to confrontation.
Olivia Mullins:
Is the baby and designated wild child of the group. Like everyone else, she loves a good party but often has trouble reigning it in and gets into a spot of trouble due to these habits. However, she is diligently working to fix these mistakes and is highly remorseful. She also meets someone who seems to be very good for her during the show, and they’re just adorable.
The next few girls have the least screen time, so their descriptions are much shorter.
- Mack McKenzie (Sarah): Sarah is shown the least in the show, usually only appearing with Murphy and Haley as their closest friend.
- Ali Myers: Ali is one half of the last power couple of the show and dating Nelly. They are so cute and sweet but severely lacking screen time, most likely because they have the least drama, and that makes for lousy reality tv, but still, it’s always refreshing to see them on the screen.
- Nelly Ramirez: Nelly is the other half of the final power couple with Ali and has been for four years now.
- Melanie Posner: Last, but certainly not least, is the group’s resident artist Melanie. She is shown to be a sensitive and artistic soul who also is good friends with Olivia, often being the first one she calls when things go south. Not only is she a kind soul who knows when to set boundaries, but her art is also beautiful. I highly recommend checking it out, mainly since she painted Marissa and Summer for pride.
Now that we’ve got all of the characters out the way, you may be wondering is it worth the watch, and my answer is sure.
While it is not for everyone, it shows many different perspectives on lesbian relationships and stories that aren’t typically established in the media. Sure it’s amped up and unrealistic, but in these exaggerations, you can see bits and pieces of your own story or stories of people you might know.
It gives lesbians a space to not be perfect and to see that simply because you love women doesn’t mean you always get along or it can’t be difficult. So even if I wouldn’t give it five stars, I did binge-watch it and enjoy some great moments of friendship and representation that I haven’t gotten anywhere else.
Don’t just take my word for it, check it out yourself and form your own opinions, pick your sides or turn your tv off two minutes in and go, good God, I’m glad my life isn’t this crazy.
HCXO