Girlboss (2017) User Reviews

So Real It Hurts

[scythertitus · 8/10 · 22 April 2017]

This show is so much deeper than it first appears, the most important thing is to stick with it. It starts by presenting itself as another 'quirky' girl comedy and within the first episode shatters that illusion, while still going back to it on occasion. As the series progresses it gets closer and closer to reality, with problems and issues coming up, sometimes being resolved, sometimes not, just like life.

You know the feeling when you are walking down the street and you think you look cool and everything is great, and then five minutes later something happens or you remember something and you feel rubbish and like everything is terrible, then five minutes later you are smiling and happy again? That is what this show comes close to capturing. In an effort to showcase real life even further it also has moments of the sheer mundane, like a joke you and your friends love but anyone listening would find stupid, it's not funny but you can appreciate it because you can relate.

Overall it is another case of a show that could never have been made if not for Netflix, it takes risks and at times really captures some great and insightful moments, sometimes it misses but at least it tries, unlike a lot of safe network shows that pretend to be progressive or 'edgy'. The only general complaint might be that the female lead is mostly annoying as a person, but she is meant to be, and she is called on it more often than not. She's not completely likable, but she is relatable, at least to a degree. Either way it shouldn't let you be put off a show that has a lot more thought and heart than it maybe first gives off.

Charming, inspiring and fun Netflix comedy show

[akcenat · 8/10 · 7 July 2020]

Netflix (2017) show "Girlboss" is inspired by the best-selling book #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion brand Nasty Gal. It has built a realistic mid-twenties character who still struggling with morality, sense of purpose, keeping up with technology and balancing a bank account. So, there are a lot of funny moments. Soundtrack is rock solid. The script is consistent. For a comedy, the cinematography was impressive. Cast wise, Britt Robertson as 23-year-old Sophie is amazing. While her character has many flaws - given her tendency to often be selfish, brash, inconsiderate and mindless of other people's feelings - Robertson is never insufferable and we are still able to support her even when she acts in a less than positive way. Obviously, Robertson has fun in the role. Despite some flaws, this comedy makes for a brisk binge. At the end, your enjoyment of "Girlboss" will come down to your ability to tolerate its protagonist's demeanor, but Sophie is on a learning curve because no one in her life had ever had faith in her. And that is why I really liked the show.

Rating: 7+/8-

Wait for it

[ericsanchez-15592 · 7/10 · 30 April 2017]

I almost gave up on this after the first 2-3 episodes. It didn't seem to have any direction or purpose but I figured since they are only 30 minutes each I would play em in the background while I do other things just to see how she does. They've turned out to be entertaining and funny. If you stick around I think you'll like it.

Wish there was a season 2

[picklesandcarlos · 9/10 · 21 October 2017]

I watched this show all within a day and enjoyed it.

In reading reviews I saw some critics described it as 'fraud feminism' because the main character was selfish. I disagree with this as I see the Grilboss as showing how a female created a business out of nothing, I see a strong, determined female character. I don't understand how a flawed character (who yes, was irrational and childish at many times) taints the feminist message? Feminism is inclusive of all women? Not only the perfect, altruistic characters. Frankly there is no perfect female. Personally I disagree with this 'fraud feminism'.

Sad to see the show is cancelled. Definitely would have continued to watch it, and will recommend it to my friends.

Wish it had lasted longer

[holcombes-87981 · 7/10 · 4 April 2018]

So, the show is awesome but not without its flaws. Aside from hating the main character most of the time, this show is absolutely amazing and Britt Robertson can literally excel as every type of character imaginable. The show ends on a good note but it would've been nice to see how her empire grows. Watch it. Totally recommend.

Hilarious - don't give up after a few episodes!

[agabel12 · 10/10 · 24 April 2017]

I am by no means going to state that this show is 'real' in ALL aspects. Some of the occurrences (especially in the first few episodes) are a biiiit over the top. However - if you stopped watching after 3 episodes, I think it's not necessarily fair to review an entire series. I'm on Episode 10 and I can already say this show has completely transformed since the beginning. You begin to see real sides of Sophia which helps explain the reason she is the way she is, and like all people there's more that meets the eye. Yes she can be selfish and annoying (but as someone that works with teenagers daily.... THIS IS what a lot of our youth are like!) - it doesn't mean they don't have hearts of gold and good intentions and are good people - they just can't help it! But I digress...

Basically, at first I was annoyed by her character but I have grown to love her andddd continue to love her best friend, Annie. Their relationship perfectly sums up true friendship and their dialogue is absolutely hilarious (well all the dialogue is hilarious really. Each relationship Sophia has with other characters is unique and genuine). If you enjoy the humour of shows like New Girl and Brooklyn 99 - you will enjoy the crude, inappropriate and brilliant writing this show has to offer.

DON'T give up after the first few episodes. Make it to at least Episode 5 where we find out how Annie and Sophia became friends. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Hated the leads behavior..

[ts-0000 · 11 May 2021]

It improved some as episodes went on,but still overly entitled to her way of life.

Casting was ok,as was cinematography too.

Nothing special or unique,just something to watch.. That's about it!

Good series but very questionable ethics and with a deeply flawed main character

[AristarchosTheArchivist · 6/10 · 9 February 2019]

I all fairness, this could have been a very good inspirational show. But it fails due to its connection to reality...

The big problem is that main character Sophia is a deeply troubled, "nasty" (this doesn't come from nowhere), and foremost very narcissistic character, which in my eyes makes her extremely unlikeable. This alone would not make the series bad, but it is the fact that obviously there isn't much psychological insight. (If you want to know how to do this: "My crazy ex-girlfriend" manages far better to present a questionable character then deconstructing her by means of real psychology, or a little more earnest Judd Apatow's "Love".). Instead, we get to see behavior that if it really inspired young girls would lead to hell on earth. If this girl were a young man, the whole series would be branded "glorifying a sociopathic entrepreneur".

Apart from that, I really liked everything else, the pacing, the music, the cinematography, so that's where some stars are earned. If you can abstract from the horrible personality of Sophia, you might enjoy it as one would enjoy watching "Scarface".

And as a side note: Reality caught up to the real "Sophia" - she went bankrupt due to her own hybris. So please don't try this at home.

First impressions can be tough...

[TVstudentNL · 8/10 · 21 April 2017]

But this show is nailing it!

In episode 1 of 'Girlboss', we are introduced to Sophia. She's not necessarily likable. She definitely beats to her own drum, but that particular drum isn't one that the audience will necessarily appreciate for its rhythm and timbre. She is rude to her boss, demanding to her not-one-night-stand, and obstinate to her father who is reasonably worried about her future. Regardless, the show makes the audience care for Sophia because we get a look at her when she thinks no one is watching. After she angrily 'quits' her job at a shoe store and she is on the phone with a friend, she tells her friend to hold on because an ambulance is raging by, when in fact she uses the break to allow a tear to escape. She knows she's an asshole. She knows she's impossible. The audience will know the struggle, because we were all impossible assholes in some measure at some point in our lives.

The show's brilliance lies not, however, in the troubled young adult that is our lead. We've seen troubled young adults in many a show and movie, they are an old and bored trope. No, the show thrives when it shows us the moments in which Sophia is letting her true self speak. In fact, when Sophia says 'I know I don't know anything. And I know I am supposed to, so I'm going to figure it out, I will.', I personally felt relieved. Finally a young adult who admits to not knowing anything at the beginning of a narrative, as opposed to one acting like they know everything only to find out that they don't know crap the hard way, 2/3 into the story-line. As she stands in front of a vintage shop's mirror, checking out a top and considering whether to take it, the reflection in the mirror shows us she is imagining an over the top, wonderfully fashionable and dramatic look, fur coat and all. It is casually edited into the shot, and no special attention is paid to it, because this is just how Sophia's brain works. I, personally, can't wait where else Sophia's brain is going to take the show when the story allows it to come out more often.

The show is not perfect. Running out of gas at the top of a hill with no one coming to help is not realistic, and stealing a rug with the shopkeeper's comment as 'oh, okay' being the only objection even less so. They try a little too hard to claim the 'own drum' characteristic that shapes our protagonist, and take away from the empathy that is needed for the audience to really want Sophia to succeed.

But I do still want Sophia to succeed. The mirror-image trick is repeated at the end of the first episode, when an idea strikes Sophia and she makes her first move to become a 'girlboss'. (Much as I like the first episode of this show, I hate the 'cutesy' title.). Her mirror image is bathed in golden lighting, but not until the camera turns do we see it is not just her imagination this time. She has seen the light, and darn it if that doesn't spur her to immediately take action in an attempt to get her act together. Now let's just wait and see if the rest of the season answers our want to see Sophia succeed and actually get that act together.

Great idea except the protagonist isn't very likable

[forthesky · 6/10 · 14 July 2017]

This is a great idea for a show and it has got its entertainment value but you never want to root for the protagonist Sophia because of how she is portrayed.

I mean they Hollywoodized her so much making her the typical "girl against the world" that they ended up making her extremely unlikable to the point you never want to relate to her at all. It would be better if they were to keep it more real and instead of "loosely basing it" it actually showed us the real Sophia and her more human side.

Anyway, it's a one time watch.

Terrible

[samhamilton-56421 · 1/10 · 3 May 2017]

I actually created an IMDb account just to review this show (I know, super dramatic).

I was so hoping for an exciting, witty, stylish, inspirational, motivating show about a woman who's struggling to find her place in life (because let's face it, I spent my 20s doing the same thing - it's super relatable) and beats the odds and comes out strong by building an empire she's created from the ground up. Who doesn't love a story you can root for?

Yeah, this is not what you'll get.

Let me first say this. I love shows, movies and books with flawed characters. They make the most interesting and exciting protagonists - I'm totally on board with a flawed main character. BUT, Sophia is detestable. I love Britt Roberson, and I think she does well with the material she's given, but the way they've written her character is infuriating. So much so that you don't root for Sophia and you hope she fails. But at the same time, the writing is so disjointed that you kind of just want to stop watching all together because it certainly did not hold my attention. I was half bored out of my mind and half trying to conjure up some voodoo to give this girl an actual reality check.

What really upsets me, though, is that Sophia is supposed to be flawed, right? You're kind of supposed to not like her. But, she has no redeeming quality. At all. She steals, she's entitled, she's selfish, she's lazy, she has no work ethic, she can't connect with people and everyone is the world is in a huge conspiracy to make her fail. I'm a Millennial, but this brings it to a whole other level, and kind of offends me. We should NOT be glorifying this kind of behavior. I feel like the actual Sophia this show is based on should be horrified and embarrassed (I kind of hope she is). The real Sophia is probably also flawed and unique and spunky, but I would hope that she also has redeeming qualities like passion and hard-working. The way she's written in the series, it's like a caricature version of herself, which just works against the whole point of the show.

Also, I think it's hilarious that this cute guy in a band, who's super nice and cool, would be attracted to the TV show version of Sophia. It was so forced and contrived that I actually laughed out loud. But he seems to be head over heels for her, and it's just so far fetched and unbelievable.

I tried so hard to like this show. I gave it three episodes, and I feel like after three, if it's not grabbing you, then it's a stinker. And this one was a huge, disappointing stinker. I can't believe is has a 7/10 on IMDb. Each episode was torture.

Just give it a chance

[Huealreadyknow · 9/10 · 30 July 2017]

Most people seem to be hating on this show after watching only three episodes. They didn't give it a chance to see any character development. I could not stop watching it, and was even disappointed to find out that there's only one season out at the moment. I love the quirkiness about Sophia, even though she can come off as annoying at first. Also, I love the director's shots in this show! The lighting in some scenes are just magical. Soundtrack is awesome too, and I have to point out how beautiful San Francisco is.

its a good TV show for young people

[lenceviciuter · 7/10 · 28 April 2017]

I read most reviews with many different opinions. In my point of view this show perfectly shows young person confusion. When time to times person feels angry and times to times super active and time to time happy. Mood swings. Show shows how girl find her life way and her passion and she develops it. She had doubts about starting her own business, she is unhappy with her life, she has n problems, not best family but she solves and find her happiness. I like it though there are way more serious and more useful TV shows but this one just show how young people can feel in their life in funny way which is fascinated.

Good premise, bad delivery.

[nicolenicole-74901 · 3/10 · 22 April 2017]

The synopsis for this show led me to believe I was going to watch a riveting show about the ups and downs a woman goes through as she builds her own fashion business. Welp, I was completely wrong. Sophia, the main character is a crude, careless person who engages in very self indulgent behavior.

After Sophia gets fired from her job(trust me she deserved it), she decides to spend what little money she has on a vintage jacket at a thrift store. Somehow the vintage jacket makes her feel so good, she ends up dumpster diving for food, stealing a rug, and sleeping in a park, only to get kicked out by security. BUT WAIT, why sleep in a park when you have this amazing apartment? Yes, Sophia goes home to her amazing apartment. At her apartment, Sophia takes a picture of herself in her new vintage jacket so she can sell it on Ebay. Sophia starts off the bid a $0.00, which quickly climbs up to $600. This sparks an idea in Sophia to buy and resale vintage clothing. In order to help get her 'business' off the ground, Sophia goes to a book store and steals a book about selling on Ebay. Sophia gets caught by loss prevention, and I will admit I was a bit happy because finally she will have to see consequences to her continuous crude behavior, but nope she ends up getting away thanks to flashing the loss prevention guy a boil growing next to her vagina.

Sounds like a comedy right? Well I'm not sure if its a comedy(because I did not laugh) or what the point of this show is. I am on episode 4 and so far all I see is a crude girl who has no control over her attitude or her life and is far from a "girlboss".

VERY UPSET THIS WAS CANCELLED.

[mmaakk-25168 · 10/10 · 24 May 2019]

This dram/com is honestly really witty. Had dry humor so if you aren't into that type of humor DONT BOTHER WATCHING. This show could have at least made one more season. I get that this show seems like it ends with a pretty satisfying ending, but something hints at the show having more on the plate than what it provided in the first season (probably hoping for a second season). I'm pretty upset that they weren't renewed at least to close off the story.

Sad there will be no season 2.

[pantonepeach · 7/10 · 16 September 2019]

I like it, I liked the cast, it was a cozy show, funny, nice content. When the model talked about dating with a millionaire, first thing that came to my mind haring this word, was a man. Also, when they hired a web developer to make the site, my default was to think of a man. Surprised both times, so it's good to remember that you can always learn something new, even when you didn't think you were thinking streotypically.

Britt Robertson makes the show..

[warrenb-21210 · 8/10 · 24 April 2017]

Seems that most of the reviews are bashing the character flaws of "Sophia", but nobody seems to be crediting the actress (Britt Robertson) for giving such a great performance that her portrayal of this character is capable of sparking such a reaction of contempt.

I admit, I really enjoyed another of her earlier shows: "Life Unexpected"

In both cases, Britt is fun to watch. As an actress, she finds the sweet spot between being lovable and having an old-school punk rocker attitude.. like some adorable cross between Patti Smith and Joan Jett.

PS: did they ever actually say who the story is (very loosely) based on?

update: apparently, the "inspiration" isn't very inspirational..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/real-girlboss-rise-fall-nasty-gal- founder-sophia-amoruso/

Britt Robertson puts spark into 'GirlBoss', a misfit comedy.

[TxMike · 25 April 2017]

Netflix recently added this 13-part series to their site and I finished it tonight. In theme it has many similarities to several current and recent TV series where a misfit female or two try to navigate through life, trying to find their 'thing', which is NOT a 9 to 5 job with a traditional employer. As is stated each episode "what follows is a loose retelling of true events." Whether it really is I don't know.

So, did I enjoy it? Was it worth my time? The answer is "YES", and all because of Britt Robertson. The show succeeds or fails on her performance and in my view it succeeds. She has a definite fearless flair to her portrayal of Sophia, a 23-yr-old living in San Francisco who, as she says, "Would prefer to stay in her apartment in her underwear and make a living online."

Sophia is not a model daughter or citizen. She doesn't take her work seriously and gets fired often, if she wants a rug to go sit in the park she just steals it, if she wants a book on how to start an Ebay business she steals it. She is very tactless when dealing with her friends. She seems to be very morally loose and is in love with using the F-word and other obscenities in general conversation.

If we were to judge the TV series on how much we approve of the character and how she gets what she wants then for most the grade will be a big F. But if we instead judge by the interesting story lines and what her character arc might be, her learning to run a business and gradually become a more honest person, to better juggle relationships, then it gets a much higher grade.

Sophia had a difficult time growing up, her mother left when she was just 12, she never understood why, and a meeting with her mother only clarified that she needed to figure it all out herself. Being banned from Ebay for a rules infraction related to links to 3rd-party sites, she had to start from scratch, she had to rely on the help of others, she finally learned the value of friends and cooperation. Sophia learned to be a businesswoman.

Not very funny but entertaining

[tovec · 6/10 · 26 July 2018]

So this is supposed to be a comedy but I didn't find it funny at all. It's a great show to watch when you don't have anything else to watch just to pass time. Entertaining enough but not at all a masterpiece. A little silly sometimes, like they tried too hard to make it funny but overall decent.

Don't stop after a few episodes

[thuytienbui-77949 · 9/10 · 17 July 2018]

Yes, Sophia's character is annoying and eccentric, but after watching halfway through the season and especially at the end, you can see why she is like that and how deep and humorous this show actually is. In one of the last episodes, Sophia visits her mom who left her when she was twelve. It was kind of confusing how they acted like they were just friends that haven't seen each other in a while, and this kind of just happened without any explanation, but in this episode you see what sophia's mother is like and instantly see her resemblence to sophia. Her mother has a big ego and bad temper just like sophia and even sophia admits that she really is her mother's daughter. Sophia is portayed as heartless mainly becuase she doesn't express any emotion besides anger. Overtime, you see her character grow as a person. She even flies all the way to a former nemesis to make ammends. Yes, at first she is selfish and egocentric and acts like a child, but she learns to swallow her pride or lack there of and build strong connections with people and admit her faults. Despite what others say, this show was actually inspiring and not like I thought it would be. It is extremely hilarious and the casting was done extremely well. Britt Robertson does an amazing job. Even though her acting may seem forced at first, it gets better. I'm sad Girlboss didn't get renewed for another season but I encourage everyone to give it a chance because it has a very inspiring underlying message.

Millenial sass pit

[miss_lady_ice-853-608700 · 6/10 · 9 October 2017]

Adulthood is where dreams go to die, bankruptcy is where companies go to die. It's unfortunate that whilst this series fanatically praises Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amuroso (here, she is called Sophia Marlowe)as a business success, in life Amuroso has stepped down as CEO and the company is bankrupt.

Sass alone does not make success but fictional Sophia seems to get by simply on being a sassy millenial. She starts the series as a twenty-three year old shoplifting drifter, who is stuck in teenager mood (where she basically remains throughout the whole series)and ends up a girlboss (the kind of patronising term you might use on marketing a Barbie doll).

Though the first three or four episodes are unbearably smug, Britt Robertson does a good job as little-girl-lost Sophia, seller of vintage fashion. Ellie Reed is fine enough as Sophia's hanger-on/best buddy Annie.

It's not so much the acting that's the problem as the whole concept being flawed. It's free publicity for the Nasty Gal business and no amount of dramatic license will disguise the fact that this is a six and a half hour commercial.

The reality is sanitised in the show. For starters, there is whitewashing (Sophia Amuroso is of Greek, Italian and Portuguese descent). Secondly, in this version Sophia is still in contact with her dad, with a relationship no more strained than any young daughter. When we know that he can bail her out financially, her decision to shoplift is bratty rebellion rather than financial problems.

The material was pretty thin anyway so unsurprisingly it did not get a second season.

Awful! Don't waste your time.

[MaryHammad · 1/10 · 27 August 2019]

I don't even know where to begin with this. The main character is a horrible, horrible person. She's incredibly selfish, disrespectful, entitled, and the list goes on and on. She's also a thief. She stole a book, a rug, stole drinks at the theater, stole a cable car ride, etc. I found myself rooting against her the whole time. What a joke!

light hearted and full of charm

[rosazhyan · 8/10 · 31 May 2018]

I am not sure why I am reading so many bad reviews. This show was very entertaining and easy to watch. Yes Sophia was a brat and all that, regardless she was just trying to make sense of everything, herself, her parents and her career (when she had always been told that she was most likely to fail at everything). The most charming part was how she always admitted how badly she had behaved. Her friendship with Annie was truly great to watch, and the break up scene, oh it just felt so real. How many times have I and I am sure many many girls have had similar conversations. I am so sad that I wont see any more of this.

Good show for a frantic premise!

[FilmBrit · 7/10 · 17 September 2017]

Girlboss tries a lot to prevents making the show predictable, especially as show is a true story. After the first set few episodes, it feels like there's little reason to see everything else and it's very easy to ignore the future episodes because that were most of the good moments in almost every department where this show was making despite it's low budget. The first episode sees the lead character and main focus Sophia as someone who's seen as bratty and rather juvenile yet struggling in life and trying to survive in the extremely beautiful charming streets of San Francisco. She has dreams and ends up encountering what she find she's good at. She starts pursuing her success as a business making loads of money by exploring and selling vintage clothing.

Production wise, the production is reasonably good and there are moments where some of the episodes were they looked really fun with what they've made. Maybe a bit dated but it works. The shows does place to lead all the characters into an adventurous and spaceful world where she has to think and try to achieve the goals and what they want. There's no storage of that in Girlboss. The writing and dialogue was great, if not good. The show however, since it set alittle over 10 years ago, feels like it's occurring today to the point where it feels like it was set yesterday to the point where it feels eerie but it feels that way because the show is set in a location that hasn't changed a bit.

The episodes are 30 minutes long so it's easy to watch unlike many of the other shows on the website it originated made for the service, makes it more desirable to watch compared to many of the other shows I wanted to show.

Jeez

[ozolas · 3/10 · 28 April 2017]

This was really, really hard to watch. The main character is so annoying, and I think the choice of an actress was not right, the acting is so forced and fake.

after watching this it made me really dislike Sophia. And that comes from a person that has really looked up to Nasty Gal when it was running full on ( now that it is under a new ownership it lost it's spirit ).

It left me non inspired rather than otherwise. After watching this, i just want to be anything but like Sophia.