Class is back in session in Season 3 of The Sex Lives of College Girls on Max, where our favorite incoming sophomores Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Bela (Amrit Kaur), and Leighton (Reneé Rapp) are back — well, sort of.
Fans know that Rapp’s appearance this season would be brief, though will her devastating departure mess with the ensemble dynamic that we have come to know and love?
**Warning: Light spoilers ahead for The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2. **
THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS SEASON 3: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Bela approaches a statue she believes to be of John Essex, and issues a confessional as she prepares to transfer schools — or so she thinks. After lamenting that she “came here to revolutionize comedy and become the first BIPOC sex-positive Mark Twain, but instead all [she] did was skip class and tap ass,” she eventually highlights that she “needs to work on [her] hardest project yet: [her]self.”
Of course, she can’t help but point out the statue’s “thick neck,” noting that she “would’ve been all over” him had they been attending college at the same time. That’s when she is approached by an administrator who reveals that she can’t transfer schools due to her low GPA — in fact, she claims that “a girl in a coma did better” than her.
She also breaks the news that the statue is not of Essex, but of Jacob Meyer Yates, a “bad man” who “froze to death on the Oregon Trail after eating his family.” Whoops!
The Gist: From the first two episodes of this new season, it seems our girls are all about making right what was wrong. Bela aspires to transform herself from who she was the previous year, and takes her first steps toward said transformation by becoming an FAF (Faculty Advisor and Friend). We also meet Taylor (Mia Rodgers), a queer freshman student from London in Bela’s FAF group who initially appears to be a handful, though later realizes she can learn from Bela.
Kimberly sets out to clear things up with Whitney after going against girl code and pursuing her feelings for her co-worker and Whitney’s ex, Canaan (Christopher Meyer). Meanwhile, Whitney is navigating the balance between her academics, athletics, and social life, while also attempting to adjust to sorority house living, which, despite its luxurious shower toiletries and intense amounts of sisterhood, proves to be more difficult than she thought. Fortunately, this living situation does not last long.
As for Leighton, she learns that her Algebraic and Differential Topology course — say what? — has been cancelled, as she was the only one who passed the placement exam. She enrolls in courses at the University of Vermont, requiring her to take the bus over three times a week. Her distaste for these rides perfectly paves the way for her exit, though…
Not only is she motivated by her academic pursuits and the rather raucous bus rides, but also by her girlfriend Alicia (Midori Francis), who reveals her move to Boston to work for the mayor of the city. The stars seem to align when Leighton’s professor offers to reach out to a colleague at MIT about a potential transfer.
Episode 2 sees Leighton struggle to break the news of her transfer to her roommates, while Kimberly works to secure them a quad suite. After they learn the tragic news, they issue her a proper goodbye, fit with one of the show’s signature pregame sequences in their old dorm.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The Sex Lives of College Girls‘ central female ensemble may be reminiscent of Girls and Scream Queens.
Our Take: As someone who was blessed to have binged the first two seasons of The Sex Lives of College Girls alongside my college roommates, tuning into this season as a post-grad felt incredibly disheartening — not to mention, I was dreading losing a member of the show’s core four cast members. Nonetheless, I was immediately brought back to the zany antics of Bela, Kimberly, Whitney, and (briefly) Leighton, who as I mentioned before, are clearly trying to not only find themselves, but better themselves.
Rapp’s exit is certainly a huge loss, though Chalamet, Kaur, and Scott ground the series with their own unique characters, as well as the chemistry between each other and their new love interests throughout the season. Just like college, this installment features a ton of change, and the girls are embracing it, just like fans should in this new season.
Sex and Skin: While you can definitely expect some sex and skin — hence the title of the show — the majority of that in the first two episodes arrives in the form of Lila’s (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino) fashion line, primarily showcasing male underwear.
Parting Shot: Episode 2 ends with a heartfelt farewell to Leighton, where Kimberly, Bela, and Whitney embrace and wave to her as they send her off. However, the sweet moment is soon turned silly once Bela calls shots on the fridge that Leighton left behind, and the three race back to their dorm to claim Leighton’s left goods.
Once they arrive, they find the belongings of new roommate with the initials “KB” monogrammed on a towel, though you will have to wait until Episode 3 to meet her…
Sleeper Star: First introduced in Season 1 as Kimberly’s manager at Sips, Paulino nails every one-liner and brings the belly laughs as Lila. Kaur pours a lovable exuberance into Bela once again, dominating this season. After a rather rough go in Season 2, this is honestly what Bela deserves.
Most Pilot-y Line: “It’s sophomore year. It’s time for us to be able to take shots without making a face.” – Bela (Hate to break it to you, but it doesn’t get any easier).
Our Call: STREAM IT. The Sex Lives of College Girls remains a cheeky and amusing ode to the modern-day college experience and female friendships, despite fan-favorite Leighton’s (Rapp) impending transfer.
The post Stream It or Skip It: ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Season 3 on Max, The One Where Reneé Rapp’s Leighton Leaves appeared first on Decider.
