NASTY WOMEN

Joining a host of intriguing women-centric shows, Netflix’s Girlboss, released as a full season this April, is sharp and snazzy. Loosely based on the autobiography of Sophia Amoruso, founder of the apparel brand Nasty Gal, it’s a rags-to-riches self-discovery story. For the first three episodes, which establish her bad behaviour and foul mouth, 23-year-old Sophia’s slang is incomprehensible. Once that is settled, viewers can start to enjoy Sophia (Britt Robertson) and Annie’s (Ellie Reed) friendship, Sophia’s self-confident-bordering-on-narcissistic business instincts, and some excellent costume design.

Sophia discovers that she can flip vintage clothing that she scavenges from thrift stores online when she sells a jacket at more than 60 times its price on eBay. This is the beginning of Nasty Gal, a name she picks up from an old Betty Davis song after a whole day of dragging her drummer boyfriend Shane (Johnny Simmons) around San Francisco looking for inspiration. (Shane is one of the handful of characters Girlboss uses as a foil for Sophia’s nastiness.) Sophia is engaging enough to justify a weekend binge, but creator Kay Cannon does little to actually invest in Sophia the businesswoman—perhaps one reason

Girlboss is not coming back for a second season. Critics also did not find Sophia likeable, though that has not stopped repellent male characters such as Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) in House of Cards.