Girlboss: Season 1/ Episode 13 “The Launch” [Season Finale] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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And so the season comes to an end with Sophia’s career at a high and her personal life at a low.

The Launch (Sophia, Annie, and Nathan)

On the day of the launch, all of Sophia’s dear old friends who guided her to this path, sans Gail and her mom, arrive. We see Rick again, Nathan, who joins the Nasty Gal team, and of course the model whose name is Bettina (Amanda Rea). However, after pressing that magical publishing button, nothing happens.

I mean, the site launches but, as usual, Sophia is expecting something instant. Which, when she doesn’t get it, she can’t use work to distract her from her personal life struggles she’d love to forget. Something which weighs on her mind so much that even after seeing, hours later, Nasty Gal completely sold out its inventory, it keeps her from really enjoying the celebration.

Commentary

Who said you could have it all? Well, on this show, no one. Yet, you gotta admit, if this show only lasted one season, her becoming a local success would be a good ending to it. For really, where can we go from here? Us learning she didn’t do her taxes right and we watch as the IRS come after her? See Nasty Gal expanding to other territories? Maybe taking on a full staff? Heck, reconciling with her dad and building a real relationship with her mom maybe? I mean, could Robertson make that interesting? Yeah. However, this show is just as much about her attitude screwing things up and how Annie has to clean up her mistakes as it is about showing how good she often is at business.

And just a note on Nathan, I kind of feel bad for him. Reason being, as much as you can see he comes from a loving household and can be used to contrast Sophia’s upbringing, look where it kind of left him. While Teresa isn’t overbearing as a mom, she has placated him and coddled him. Thus making it where he is sort of wandering through life sort of doe-eyed and vulnerable. There was no toughening him up it seems. Not in terms of “Crying is for girls” but having some type of endurance and fortitude so that when Teresa isn’t around anymore, Nathan won’t be reliant on his friends or partner to keep on the up and up when times are hard.

Which perhaps is the one gift Jay did give Sophia. Though it wasn’t the best way to get the job done, Jay ultimately did raise her to be independent and seek to have something that is all her own. He, alongside the mom to a certain point, made her out to be someone who does the proverbial, pull up her bootstraps and get to work. I mean, from stealing a book about starting an e-store to even trying to build her own website, you have to really acknowledge how much effort she put in. All based off her own initiative and a bit off what she might have picked up from her dad.

Why’d You Do It? (Sophia and Shane)

Rosie (Louise Fletcher) returns to smack some sense into Sophia. Well, smack her on request anyway. For Sophia is in this odd place. She can’t forgive, can’t forget, but really did grow attached to Shane over their two years of dating [note]Meaning these 13 episodes took us on a roughly two-year journey.[/note]. Making it so she doesn’t really want to dump him. However, what else can she do? The trust is gone, he forewarned her he has a problem with cheating, and the person he cheated with wasn’t some groupie, it was a member of his band.

So, after telling him off in the studio, while the girl was there, later on they have a real conversation. For that cathartic release in the studio wasn’t enough. Sophia needed real answers for the situation was dampening her ability to enjoy her professional success. Leading to, in perhaps her rare adulthood moments, a real conversation about what happened. Which, afterwards, there is this attempt to follow her usual pattern of going off, conversation, and making up, but she can’t do it. She realizes what they had is utterly broken and so while he doesn’t want to go, she makes it clear they can’t return to what they once used to be.

Commentary

Can I just say it was frustrating as hell that all the reasons why he cheated were completely brushed over – in terms of us actually getting to hear the reasons? Sophia was allowed to go off but we weren’t allowed to hear him defend himself. Now, true, we saw him getting head, he is guilty, but it does feel like the male love interests on this show didn’t really get much time to become more than just that really. We never got to see Dax’s family and see Annie try to charm them, and then with Shane? While we get to see him work one episode and play drums sporadically and learned he is from Chicago and came to San Francisco following a woman, that’s it. Details about who he is can be described as sparse, at best.

Which only bothers me for it made it so hard to care about this breakup. For, as noted in the last episode, the relationship just wasn’t built up that well. There were cute moments but it largely seemed like a relationship of convenience. Which is perhaps why Shane needed labels and wanted to take meeting Jay seriously. For, otherwise, he had to question if he was in a real relationship or not.

But from my perspective, their relationship seemed more about the writers believing the female lead needed a love interest vs. it adding onto her layers or showing a different side to her. One way to look at it is maybe Shane’s purpose was to flirt with the idea of women having it all, or at least being capable of it. I mean, Annie noted that she feared having a career before being married since she thought it would hurt her chances. So maybe the point of Shane was to show you could find your career, your passion, and still have some semblance of a relationship? But, in the long run, Shane probably was just slapped onto her character so that there wouldn’t be questions about her sexuality or any hopes for a Sophia x Annie shipping.

Season Overall: Mixed (Stick Around)

While the show definitely grew on me, I can’t fathom a second season and I wouldn’t really ask for one. For even though Robertson proved herself as an actress, and that she shouldn’t just be regulated to a supporting role or the female lead through being a love interest, this show doesn’t seem it can go the distance. I mean, as noted, what could really be next? Growing the business, learning about taxes, a new boyfriend, meeting Dax’s parents? Yeah, there are ideas which could be explored, but none of them illicit excitement or a need to clamor for a new season in 2018.

Hence why the season overall receives a Mixed label. To me, this isn’t the type of show which has broad appeal and even for those who learn to like it, it isn’t going to be consistently appealing to you. It takes some time to learn to like Sophia, for Annie to not seem self-absorbed and for you to deal with Sophia going off on everyone and quickly recovering her relationships. So even though RuPaul is hilarious and some characters may help give Sophia layers and create touching moments, honestly they may not seem like enough at times.

So, I’d say check it out if you have the time. Just beware it will not sell you on its potential until episode 4.