‘Sex and the City,’ but Make It for Gen Z

Do you ever start watching a TV show and immediately feel like it was written just for you? The characters, the plot, the setting, everything just grabs you and pulls you into their world. I’m fairly convinced that The Bold Type was written and produced just for me. (Side note: I’m only one season in, and I refuse to wait three more seasons to write about this fantastic show.)

I think of it as Sex and the City, but for young professionals today who are looking to go against the grain, question what is “normal,” and create change. It follows three millennial women who work for Scarlet magazine company in New York City. In the opening episode, Jane Sloan has just been promoted to a writer position; Sutton Brady is an assistant to one of the head editors but has an eye for fashion; and Kat Edison is the social media director for the magazine. 

Unlike other shows, these three women support one another through thick and thin. There’s no backstabbing or attempting to sabotage each other. And one of the most refreshing aspects of the show is how the editor-in-chief Jacqueline Carlyle is not a cold-hearted bitch (I’m looking at you, Miranda Priestly). Jacqueline actively supports her staff both during and after work hours, and even bails one of the main characters out of jail during the first season. 

The show organically covers a myriad of topics: romantic relationships, friendships, sex, politics, feminism, equality, the professional working environment, and much more. Two different episodes in the first season talk openly about breast cancer and sexual assault. There is fantastic LGBTQ+ and Black representation as well. (And I also have to mention that the music throughout the show is kickass, with a majority of the music from women artists.)

I started this show back in early June and quickly devoured the first season within a few days. By this time, I had been home in Ohio for two and a half months as I finished out the semester. I dearly missed New York, and I was feeling depressed because this year has turned into something that no one could have ever predicted. The Bold Type was a way for me to escape into New York without leaving my couch, and it allowed me to fantasize about my life post-Hofstra. I could be as unrealistic as I wanted to be, but it also motivated me to do things to add value to my personal and professional life (i.e., this blog!).  I think the aspect of the show that I love the most is how I can see myself in Jane, Sutton, and Kat throughout each episode. I want to be an amazing writer like Jane, a motivated go-getter like Sutton, and a fearless woman like Kat. They each inspire me to be a better person.

Now that I’m back in New York for the fall semester, I almost don’t want to watch the next season of The Bold Type. Maybe I should leave it for when I’m away from my favorite city, and I need a reminder of where I belong. Curled up on the couch with a cat in my lap, I can picture myself walking through Central Park or down Fifth Avenue as I watch Jane, Sutton, and Kat conquer their problems and look amazing while doing it. 

Have I convinced you to watch an episode or two of The Bold Type? You can stream it through Hulu! Still skeptical? Watch a trailer for season one here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!