Spoiler alert: This article will discuss spoilers for season three of “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
Many feared “The Sex Lives of College Girls” would struggle to find its footing following the departure of Renée Rapp’s beloved character Leighton. But in its third season, the titular girls close out the start of sophomore year with no loose ends while introducing new characters and storylines to fill the Leighton-sized hole in the show’s heart.
The HBO series follows roommates Bela (Amrit Kaur), Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) as they navigate their college years at Essex University, a fictional Ivy League school. The show’s conflict is driven by the melodrama one might experience in their own college career, making its comedy even more relatable.
The show struggled for a moment with Reneé Rapp’s departure in the second episode. Leighton transfers to pursue math at MIT while also following her girlfriend to stay together. The show has to take more time to introduce new characters in her absence. The new status quo is not cemented until halfway through the season, leaving a bad taste with those who adore the old relationships between characters.
The show replaces Leighton’s departure with another roommate Kacey (Gracie Lawrence) and new “freshthem” Taylor (Mia Rodgers). In the simplest terms, the two fill in for Leighton’s superficial taste and queer experience, respectively. These archetypes are not turned into fully fledged characters until episode five, already halfway into the 10-episode season.
Kacey is introduced as a passive-aggressive roommate replacement who is obsessed with her long-term boyfriend, whom she is saving herself for. Her mother’s arrival for the parent’s day episode at the season’s midpoint provides background information that expands her character, as the influence of her mother is revealed to be the reason why she places such high importance on appearance and presentation.
Taylor, an outspoken British student who struggles with alcoholism, starts out as a member of Bela’s social circle when Bela becomes a resident assistant. Taylor mostly interacts with the other roommates because Bela lets her hang around their suite due to roommate conflicts. Taylor feels like a one-for-one swap for Leighton until the audience is shown glimpses of poignant storylines of her own in the back half of the season.
After the midpoint of the season, both Taylor and Kacey become beloved parts of the group and lead stories of their own. Taylor finds a queer relationship worth her time and makes progress fighting her alcoholism thanks to Bela’s guidance. Kacey navigates what it means to develop meaningful romantic and platonic relationships.
The messaging of the final episode is so clear that a single quote from each character could summarize their season long character arcs. Whether that be understanding that superficial validation doesn’t determine your worth as a person or that you do not need to “hustle” at the expense of your mental health, the finale brings about a satisfying end to the season.
The season finale ends with Kacey performing a beautiful rendition of “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman” during the university’s musical. The scene not only shows Kacey admitting the struggle she felt about feeling ready to lose her virginity, but it also serves as a backdrop for other key moments.
Bela comes out to her mother as bisexual, Whitney faces the Essex athletic board about mental health, Taylor calls her estranged mother and Kimberly reconnects with a past love interest. Although scenes are cut together a little too quickly in order to fit in so many resolutions, it is welcome for a show to not drag out too many storylines.
With every character resolving all their conflicts, what happens now? Showrunner Justin Noble provided hope for a future season when he told TV Insider the crew “didn’t build [season three] to be the final season.”
The show stays true to the college experience. It provides a comedic reflection of what students go through while growing social and professional relationships. It also does not shy away from the very real difficult parts of being on your own as a young adult. Here’s to hoping a fourth season of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” will be added to the pantheon of great television comedies.
