Need a new show to binge-watch? The Bold Type is the one
There is a scene in the season one finale of The Bold Type that is one of the most captivating TV moments I’ve ever had the honour of watching. That one scene proved to me that this show is going to make a massive difference for women everywhere.
The empowering show is set at Scarlet magazine and follows the lives of three employees- Jane, Kat and Sutton.
Complicated love lives, financial struggles and health woes, the show is full of gripping content, quite like the magazine the girls work at.
In the past, the magazine world has been portrayed as bitchy and competitive. In the Devil Wears Prada Andie has to put up with the catty and dismissive assistant Emily, as well as her awfully harsh editor Miranda.
In 13 Going on 30, Jennifer Garner’s character Jenna works alongside her supposed ‘best friend’ who ends up sabotaging her and sending her work to a rival publication, just so she can get to the top.
Sex and the City exaggerates the glamour of being a journalist. Carrie writes one column a week, yet manages to afford a lavish apartment in New York, mountains of designer shoes and gallons of cocktails.
The great thing about The Bold Type is it shows the industry in a positive yet honest light. The editor of Scarlet magazine is attentive and caring, but constructive and strong at the same time. She isn’t cruel to her employees or controlling, but supportive in her critique.
The girls' friendship itself is one of the most uplifting things about the show. Forget about the days of catfights and competitiveness, because this show is all about just how wonderful female friendships are. Jane, Kat and Sutton are there for one another come rain or shine. Forever meeting in the fashion closet to discuss their latest dilemmas, the trio’s friendship is a breath of fresh air.
The storylines are serious. They’re problems many of us have faced at some point in our lives. In a mere ten episodes, they managed to highlight topics including getting checked for breast cancer, sexual identity confusion, forbidden love, online trolls, immigration laws, racial abuse, sexual assault and online dating.
The way the show's creators treat their female characters says a lot about how far we’ve come in recent years. The likes of the Me Too movement proved to Hollywood that it is time to listen to women, it is time to respect women and it is time to portray their lives in a truthful way.
The female characters make mistakes, they express their feelings and are ambitious in their careers. They’re real women. They’re you, your best friend, your sister, your work wife. They’re the female characters we’ve needed on our screens for longer than we even realised, until now.
You can watch The Bold Type on Amazon Prime.
