‘The Bold Type’ Positions Itself As The Anti-‘Hills’ With Its Positive Depictions Of Professional Camaraderie Between Females

Last summer, The Bold Type was Freeform’s breakout, runaway hit. The series, which has received much critical acclaim, follows three Manhattan transplants trying to “make it” in New York City’s cutthroat publishing world. The Bold Type‘s first season wasn’t necessarily radical in its premise, but where the show stood out was in its heart, as it generously portrayed the young female leads as strong and driven but not immune to mistakes — a truly realistic look at what the young post-grad life looks like in one of the biggest cities in the world.

In the series premiere, we’re introduced to Kat (Aisha Dee), who manages the magazine’s digital presence; Jane (Katie Stevens), its star writer; and Sutton (Meghann Fahy), who has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work in the fashion department. The trio are best friends who work together, go out together, confide in each other, and occasionally (and honestly, inexplicably) have time to meet up in the mornings before work for some much-needed pep talks. While the girls are clearly at various stages in their careers (Kat runs an entire department while Sutton is a lowly assistant, a fact that isn’t glossed over in season two), they’re always ultra-supportive of each other. It’s a depiction of female friendship and young ambition that I wish I had while I was growing up.

In my millennial adolescence, I fell for teen-centric shows like Gossip Girl and The Hills — I was obsessed with their lavish lifestyles and parties and drama. But it wasn’t until watching The Bold Type that I realized how much those shows robbed me of a healthy idea of what young friendships and careers could look like. Sure, everything on The Hills was manufactured by producers and writers behind the scenes (as proven in the series finale) and Gossip Girl was meant to be soapy and unrealistic, but it still set the stage for what I thought my future and what young adulthood could look like.

In one of the most infamous episodes of The Hills, Lauren Conrad turns down a literal life-changing career opportunity in Paris in favor of staying in Los Angeles with her boyfriend at the time, Jason. The moment has been meme’d to death over the years, but it’s stuck with me for a reason: at the time, I was totally on Lauren’s side. I was (and still am) a hopeless romantic, but as a teen, I didn’t realize that an actual loving relationship should allow Lauren to put herself first, especially when an opportunity like this arises. The show didn’t necessarily paint her decision in a great light — Lauren’s coworker Whitney capitalized on the opportunity and their boss chided Lauren openly for her decision — but it didn’t exactly derail her career either (Lauren Conrad is doing just fine). But millions of young girls like me saw their female role model put a man before themselves.

In a similar vein, season two of The Bold Type puts Sutton in a position of choosing between her relationship and her career. She’s in a secret relationship with one of the board members of Scarlet’s parent company and, when confronted with the opportunity to go public after a policy change allows coworkers to date, Sutton chooses her career. The optics of someone with a lot of power dating an assistant isn’t lost on her and she’s motivated enough to realize that if she wants to make it in fashion, she needs to end the relationship. It’s heartbreaking but ultimately the “right” move, and I’m so glad that young girls today are seeing this version of the story play out.

The Bold Type is as “of the moment” as a show can be — the series has covered topical issues like LGBTQ+ rights, domestic violence, immigration, and body image issues without being heavy-handed in its delivery. The themes are woven intricately into plot lines: Kat is discovering her bisexuality, Jane writes a story about sexual assault, Kat’s girlfriend Adena faces the possibility of deportation, and Scarlet Magazine must decide its stance on plus size models. It’s not preachy but it’s still precise in its message, and I continue to be jealous that I didn’t get to see body positivity in my media as I grew up grappling with my large waist size; that the only showcases of creative careers that I had didn’t necessarily portray the financial struggles that come with it.

Season 2 has built upon the solid foundation of the first season and has stretched the show to even more impressive heights. Jane’s Season 1 decision to leave Scarlet was sure to end poorly, but I was impressed with the show’s insistence in letting that decision actually dip its toes into the realm of failure. That feeling of insecurity and fear is a huge part of creative careers, and I found myself relating to Jane’s freelance frustrations more than I’d like to admit. But The Bold Type didn’t just show Jane’s wallowing and struggle — the series elevated her story into one of growth and confidence that has honestly inspired me to push harder through adversity. The Bold Type has delved into emotions of self-worth, of religious faith and belief, and of infidelity throughout its run, but its perfect execution is why it’s being hailed as revolutionary.  

In this political climate, it’s important to humanize the issues and provide an easy access point to complicated topics. Young kids watching The Bold Type can put a face to the term “immigrant” and realize that these people are not dangerous; viewers who oppose equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community are shown that these relationships are just as real and important as heterosexual ones; sexual assault survivors can see themselves in powerhouse editor Jacqueline and know that life goes on, but that it’s okay if they’re still working through the pain.

The current young generation (dubbed “Gen Z”) has been characterized by their vocal involvement in current events and political movements, and it’s fitting that their entertainment is unafraid of swimming in those same waters. The Bold Type is perfect TV for Gen Z and I’m just sad that I didn’t have it when I was coming of age.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer living in New York City. Her work has appeared on The TV Addict, Brown Girl Magazine, Breadcrumbs Mag and Syndicated Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

Where to stream The Bold Type