Girlboss: If you hate your job, just quit and open an eBay shop [SPOILERS]

After all, making money off of the internet is easy, right? Recently, a show based on a book was released on Netflix. It’s about a, supposedly, quirky, relatable young woman who’s trying to figure out life and starting a store on eBay called Nasty Gal (Vintage). One thing is for sure: she is figuring something out. Whether she is relatable is another thing, but I’ll let you decide for yourselves. After watching season 1, containing 13 episodes with a duration of around 30 minutes each, it’s only fair I give you my honest opinion about this new Netflix-original show. Of course I’m talking about “Girlboss”.

As I said, the show is based on a book. The book, written by Sophia Amoruso, is about her own life and her clothing brand Nasty Gal and how she started her store on eBay. The show, however, has a disclaimer in the beginning of each episode: “What follows is a retelling of true event.. real loose.” Personally, I have not read the book, but I hope Amoruso isn’t like our narcissistic Sophia on the show.

Our lead Sophia Marlowe, is played  by Britt Robertson. She was not new to me on the screen and it surprised me how well she portrayed the drama queen. However, the character Sophia was not my favourite. I know it’s part of the show, but sometimes she’s so arrogant, mean and just too much to handle. I like how determined she is, but she does everything she wants and doesn’t listen (like, ever) and she expects everyone to act the opposite way. Also, it’s like she’s testing how many times she can get away with shoplifting (which is somewhat amusing). She does portray so many millennials and I wish I could say I didn’t recognize myself in Sophia sometimes.

Another actor I will be keeping in mind is Alphonso McAuley, who played the economics student Dax. Dax is probably my favourite character because he’s relatable and puts Sophia in her place when needed to. He’s the character we all didn’t know we needed but makes the show ten times better. Not forget to mention Cole Escola, who played the artist friend Nathan. He’s the best. With his failed art and acts of randomness, like buying a snicker in line because he was hungry, gave the show that extra spark.

Society just wants to put everyone in a box. Well, guess what society: there is no box.

For the people on the edge of watching or not, here is episode one in a nutshell. In the first episode, Sophia’s car ran out of gas and, to my amusement, she had to push her car to the gas station nearby. I liked the part where she sat next to an old lady on a bench, talking about society: “Society just wants to put everyone in a box. Well, guess what society: there is no box.” Next she goes to a bar, has sex, quits her job (which isn’t going to be the last time), steals a carpet, falls asleep on the carpet and forgets her dinner with her dad, basically: the usual life stuff, right?

(…)

The first episode is filled with quirky humour, but at the same time introduces Sophia and her life perfectly. What I thought was really clever is that they presented Sophia as very bad employee right from the start (just putting that out there), because then you see her lack of care (and respect but that’s beside the point) before later finding her passion.

As the show goes, her stubbornness (and probably her lack of respect also) ruins things for her. She keeps yelling at everyone who tries to help her and eventually loses her best friend and her dad (as if their relationship wasn’t bad enough already). Sophia is very dramatic, I mean over the top Mean Girls dramatic, but – luckily – she changes (relatively) throughout the show.

One thing I really disliked is the unnecessary cursing and inappropriate use of language. In the first episode, they kept that to a minimum but it started to get really noticeable. Not that I’m a nun, but they use “fuck” in every sentence and I know it’s supposed to give of this ‘badass’ vibe, but every single character in the show did it. It distracted me from the actual funny, quirky, jokes because I started counting all the “fucks”. So if you don’t like people cursing, I don’t think you’d appreciate this show very much. I also want to address the fact that the show makes it look like starting your own (online) store is relatively easy. In real life, you can’t just quit your job every time you want to. I mean, we did see Sophia struggle sometimes but I can’t help but think she had a little too much luck with certain things (or maybe I’m just a pessimistic person like my friends say I am).

My favourite episode is episode 4: “ladyshopper99”. Let’s just say she ran into some difficulties in this one. Also, Nathan is introduced and Sophia actually becomes likeable. I’d definitely say this episode was the highlight of the show and even if you dislike it after episode one, I suggest you watch episode 4 anyways. I also liked the parts where a bunch of vintage lovers united on a forum to talk about Sophia and Nasty Gal and how the writers made it interesting to watch. Not forget to mention the “Love you in case I die” thing that Sophia and her best friend Annie say every time they say goodbye.

I want to share so much more about this show, about Shane, Annie, Mobias and Gail and just everyone but I think I should round it up.

If you’d like to read more, leave a comment and I’ll gladly talk with you in the comment section or make a new blogpost rant since I do realize you can’t talk about an entire show in just one blogpost.

So to round it all up: “Girlboss” has some golden moments that’ll really make you laugh, but there are some improvements to be made as well.

So what do you think? Is the show worth it?

Love you all (in case I die),