The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021-) is an American comedy-drama series created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble. The show premiered on HBO Max (now known as Max) on November 18, 2021. It follows four college freshmen at the fictional Essex College in Vermont navigating friendships, romantic relationships, academics, and personal struggles. The series has been praised for its sharp humor, diverse representation, and realistic portrayal of young adult experiences.
The story centers on four roommates from different backgrounds who are assigned to live together at Essex College: Kimberly Finkle, Bela Malhotra, Whitney Chase, and Leighton Murray. Their personalities clash as they all come from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Kimberly is a small-town working-class student on a scholarship, Bela is confident, sex-positive, and a bit crass, Whitney is an athletic soccer player and daughter of a U.S. Senator, and Leighton comes from a very wealthy “old-money” background and struggles to accept her sexuality.
One of the key arcs in the first season is Leighton’s. She secretly dates women while keeping her identity hidden from her friends. Eventually, she comes out to Kimberly, marking a pivotal moment in her journey toward self-acceptance. Meanwhile, Bela faces misogyny in the comedy world, which fuels her decision to start her all-female comedy group in the season finale “The Truth”.
The next season continues to build on the personal growth of its characters and expands on LGBT representation. Kimberly deals with the loss of her scholarship and struggles to find ways to pay for her tuition without her parents finding out. Whitney begins to explore college beyond soccer realizing that she wants more and looks toward science. Bela continues to run her new all-women comedy magazine facing setbacks, including keeping a steady relationship and self-doubts about her talents. And Leighton is finally out and openly dating other women.
This season also offers hints about Bela’s fluid sexuality. Although she has only dated men, certain interactions, like those in episode 8, “PreFrosh Weekend,” hint at her attraction to women and set up her journey of self-discovery.
In season 3, we get bi representation when Kimberly starts dating Eli, an openly bi student who sparks conversations about bi representation in straight relationships and opens Kimberly to talk about not falling back on stereotypes about bi people. Although the two end up not working out and breaking in the episode “Parents Weekend 2”, Eli provides a much-needed breath of fresh air regarding bi representation in relationships and opens the topic to conversation about being male and bi, trust, acceptance, and how stereotypes of bi people can be harmful to a relationship if their partners aren’t open to communicating.
In the season finale “Essex Strong”, Bela reflects on her attraction to her friend and colleague Hailey, and after kissing her in episode 9 “Pics”, she decides to come out to her friends and her mom, who comes for a surprise visit for the weekend. Although Bela is reluctant to come out, she decides to do so during Kacey’s performance. Bela and Haley hold hands, while Bela cries and looks towards her mom, who reaches over, holds both their hands, and smiles while moved to tears.
Bela’s coming-out arc is one of the most important in the series, as it helps reflect the path toward self-acceptance and realization that many young people go through. Her storyline provides an authentic depiction of bisexuality, that includes her internal and external struggles that come with realizing and embracing who she is. By showcasing her journey, introducing new bi characters, and tackling the nuances of dating bi folk, the series continues to challenge outdated stereotypes and provides authentic portrayals of various queer experiences. The exploration of Leighton’s growth as an out-and-proud lesbian woman, Kimberly’s relationship with a bi man, Bela’s bi discovery, and the introduction of other secondary characters at Essex further cements the show’s role as a progressive and inclusive college dramedy.
As the series goes forward with a fourth season, The Sex Lives of College Girls remains a refreshing and much-needed voice in television — one that celebrates the complexity of identity, sexuality, and self-discovery and explores it with humor, heart, and authenticity.