Girlboss Review: More Discount Than Designer

I had high hopes for GirlBoss, with the series having a strong female lead in Britt Robertson as Sophia Amoruso, as well as, being created by Kay Cannon. While the series does have some great and genuinely funny moments – mostly thanks to Ellie Reed as Sophia’s best friend, Annie – it can be as flat as a worn out pair of shoes. Below, I dissect the highs and lows of this unique – yet at times puzzling – female driven series.

I may or may not have had high expectations when GirlBoss announced Britt Robertson as its star. This talented young actress has always had the acting chops to lead a series, but unfortunately this series doesn’t use Robertson to her full potential. There are many moments throughout its freshman season where Robertson is relegated to sitting, and at times lying still, and, looking deeply off into the distance. She spends the final episode doing mostly this, when it’s supposed to be Sophia’s “big moment”. She also gets to throw quite a few temper tantrums and angrily trashes her room/workspace, not exactly showcasing the subtle notions that make Robertson one to watch. That’s not to say there aren’t moments where she shines, particular in the scenes opposite Reed as Annie, Sophia’s kind, witty, and downright lovable best friend. These scenes allow us to see Sophia’s vulnerability and look past her childish and angsty exterior. Unfortunately these scenes are few and far between. While Robertson has been acting in the industry for years, she just can’t seem to find the right role that properly displays her acting talents.

Speaking of Ellie Reed, she truly is the bright spot of the series and steals the spotlight as Annie. Not only is Annie completely relatable and someone we could all see ourselves being friends with, she is one of the more – if not most – fleshed out characters on Girlboss. While the supporting characters are all recognizable actors and actresses, they are relegated to being one dimensional or the punchline. If only the series took as much time and care as they did with crafting Annie, maybe the general consensus would have been different.

My biggest gripe with the series – minus Sophia being very much a anti-hero and at times intolerable – is the pacing. Despite the episodes only being anywhere from 24 minutes to 29 minutes in length, I found myself wishing they were more condensed. I felt as if thirteen episodes was too long and the series would have benefited from a shorter season, as some of the episodes felt like “filler episodes”. I think we all could have done without the hernia storyline, as well as most of Sophia’s romantic drama. I found myself caring very little about Sophia’s boyfriend Shane, played in a paint by the numbers fashion by Johnny Simmons, and cherished the scenes where Sophia was building her empire instead of pondering her relationship with wannabe rockstar Shane.

If Girlboss gets picked up for a second season, and I think that’s a pretty big IF, we hope it will spend more time on Sophia’s developing business and less time on needless drama among the people who surround her. It wouldn’t hurt either if they allowed Britt Robertson to delve more into the vulnerable, less selfish side of Sophia so we actually want her to succeed. While anti-heroes can be fun and enjoyable, as of now this show and its lead character are neither. Time to live up to the fancy vintage clothing Sophia Amoruso is trying to pawn on others, GirlBoss!

Girlboss is now available to stream on Netflix

Photo Credit: Netflix