I adore everything that Mindy Kaling writes and produces, but “The Sex Lives of College Girls” has got to be my all-time favorite so far. With so many well-written characters and storylines, I binge-watched the first season in a day, and my only regret is that I waited this long to turn it on. If you’re searching for a feel-good show with characters you can love, look no further.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” is a comedy-drama that follows four college freshmen roommates around Essex College in Vermont. It was released last year in November, and is already renewed for a second season (it’s that good). In short, this show is the most realistic depiction of college on television that I’ve seen so far. The emotions are high, the friendship bonds are real and sh*t gets tough.
Kimberly, Bela, Whitney and Leighton were strangers before moving into their shared dorm suite. Their first interactions on move-in day are awkward, down to the meeting of all four sets of parents. The girls are all different from one another, but they agree on one thing: They have each other’s backs this semester. This show is definitely nostalgic for me— I graduate in a few months, but I swear just last semester that I was moving into my freshman suite. I was just meeting all of my new roommates, and then four years passed by. Something about the girls’ initial bond with one another, as different as they all are, is wholesome beyond words. They navigate the nerve-wracking and most exciting first semester on campus together, which is a feeling that we all can recall in ourselves.
Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble wrote the characters on this show in such a refreshing manner. The characters actually seem like they’re fresh out of high school, eager to see what college is about. Kimberly is wholesomely naive, yet daring. Bela is an aspiring comedy writer whose bravery rubs off on everyone around her. Whitney is the praised star of the soccer team, and the daughter of a United States senator (though she fights hard not to let her mother’s career define her). And Leighton is the Girl Who Has it All, except she doesn’t. Without spoiling anything, each of the girls go through some stuff, as college freshmen do. They learn (and teach) a handful of good lessons throughout the season, and it’s impossible not to cheer them on.
For a moment there, this show made me want to go back to freshman year. It’s sweet, smart and in Mindy Kaling fashion, hilariously written. There were many times throughout my 24 hours of watching that I thought to myself, “This may be my new favorite show.” And I think it may.