This article was written by Anna, the Everly Mag Social Media Intern, who runs our Twitter page where she’ll be live-tweeting shows and sharing Everly Mag content. Follow @everlymag on Twitter to keep up!
The Bold Type first aired in the summer of 2017 on Freeform and was immediately seen as an important show for its teen and young adult audience. The show follows the lives of three best friends who work at Scarlet, which is based on the real-life magazine, Cosmopolitan. Jane is a writer who is finding her voice and wants to write about political issues facing women. Kat is Scarlet’s social media director and wants to have a meaningful impact. And Sutton is a fashion assistant who is struggling to find direction in her career.
Although the whole “young professional women working in New York” trope has been used over and over again for decades, The Bold Type is different, and here’s why:
Female friendships are the main focus.
Today is National Best Friends Day, but in The Bold Type, every day is! Sutton, Jane, and Kat all met at Scarlet when they were first hired as assistants and they have stayed besties ever since, despite pursing their own paths. They even have their own “fashion closet” at work where they meet and discuss all their personal problems with each other. The three women are the definition of #squadgoals.
The characters have fun and successful careers, but the success doesn’t come easy.
The women on the show are all smart, hardworking, and dedicated. They live in New York City, but the show portrays working for a magazine in Manhattan much more realistically than many other shows and movies. For example, Sutton is a fashion assistant and struggles to find what she would like to do with her career, something I’m sure a lot of us can relate to. She has to take risks, such as deciding to take on a lower-paying job to work in fashion and negotiating her salary benefits with her boss.
Relationships definitely happen, but they’re not the center of any episode.
One complaint I have with a lot of TV shows I watch is that romantic story lines seem forced. Everyone always has a crush on someone, girls fight over guys, and being single is usually very temporary. For The Bold Type, the women have so much more to offer than being someone’s girlfriend, but, as women living in New York in their 20’s, relationships are still a part of their lives, and only part of the show’s screen time.
The relationships that are featured face certain problems that go beyond simple storylines. For example, Sutton has a secret relationship with Richard, a lawyer on the executive board at Scarlet. Although they have a great connection, Sutton, being very dedicated to her career, knows she can’t pursue the relationship further if she wants to be respected in her field. This season-long issue continues into Tuesday’s premiere where Sutton decides what she finds more important.
Kat also navigates her first relationship with a woman, Adena, a Muslim artist from Iran. With this storyline, Kat comes to terms with her sexuality and she and Adena face problems that are very relevant in today’s society, such as immigration policy and judgement from others based on sexual orientation, religion, and race, which brings us to the next point…
The show isn’t afraid to tackle important issues.
More often than not, TV shows try to avoid talking about certain issues so they don’t either alienate a part of their audience or risk approaching the issues incorrectly. The Bold Type, as the title implies, is bold about starting conversations that are relevant in today’s society and political climate. Just in the first season, feminism, sexual assault, breast cancer, politics, and independence are thoroughly addressed and discussed. I, for one, can’t wait to see how else The Bold Type will push the envelope in its second season.
The women embody the #beEVERLYyou mentality.
As a member of the Everly Mag family, you’re probably passionate about being positive, empowering, and the best that you can be. The main characters serve as great role models because they’re women who are constantly trying to better themselves, both in their personal and professional lives, but they want to do it through hard work and kindness. There’s no backstabbing or toxic competition between the friends; They love and support each other, no matter what life throws at them!
One thing that definitely needs to be mentioned is that The Bold Type is meant for an older teen audience. The TV rating is TV-14 due to suggestive language, crude language, and sexual situations included, so be mindful of what is age appropriate, especially if you are under 14 years old.
Do you think you’d like to start watching? Luckily, the first season is available on Hulu and the Freeform website. If you have a free weekend, take up the challenge to binge watch all ten episodes before the two-hour season two premiere this Tuesday, June 12 at 8/7c!
Also, be sure to join me at @everlymag on Twitter where I’ll be live-tweeting my reactions to everything in the season premiere and every Tuesday night showing afterwards!
Do you love The Bold Type? What do you hope happens in season two? Let us know in the comments!
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