The return of Broad City last Monday had fans across the country shouting “Yas queeen!” as they tuned in to see what trials and tribulations season three would have in store for their beloved heroines, Ilana and Abbi.
Less pretentious than HBO’s Girls, and more authentic than Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars, Broad City has emerged as the best depiction of female friendship on television at the moment. Although it was originally marketed as the female version of Workaholics, another popular Comedy Central show, the series has grown to be something much bigger than that. Traditionally shows starring women have been written by men and intended for female audiences; Broad City has set itself apart by being a show written by women and intended for audiences across the gender spectrum.
Perhaps what makes Broad City so appealing is just how relatable it is. Yes, the plots are often exaggerated, outlandish, or even surreal, but the characters are so genuine that you find yourself being drawn into their universe. The show is reminiscent of Seinfeld in its ability to endow characters with enough quirk to make them distinctive, but not so much that it makes them unrealistic. Viewers love picking up on the protagonists’ odd personality traits, like Abbi’s past as a chocolate covered mushroom dealer, or Ilana’s strange email domain, mindmyvagina.com.
The first scene of the new season took place in a setting that we’re all quite familiar with, the bathroom. The montage of the various activities taking place over the course of a year in Abbi and Ilana’s bathrooms gave us a peek into the girls’ intimate lives. From taking bong hits, to hooking up, and even sleeping, the scene brought to shed a light on how much can be accomplished in the bathroom, and even more importantly how much time we spend in there.
Devices like this montage help to bring the characters to life. They don’t seem like television show personas, they seem like real people you may come across on the streets of New York. That may be another reason viewers are drawn to the show, because they feel like they know the characters personally.
Whether you watch the show for the one liners, the glimpses of all too real NYC life, or to see your two television besties every week, it will be interesting to see how Abbi and Ilana’s universe continues to develop during season three.