After nearly two long years, class is back in session at Essex, with our four favorite roommates — Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), and Leighton (Reneé Rapp) — reuniting for their sophomore year. For a short time, at least. While the third season brings many changes, including a cast shakeup, the sharp humor and big heart that defined the first two outings are still front and center this time around.

What Is ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Season 3 About?
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The start of the season sees the girls dealing with the fallout of the previous school year. Bela’s GPA is catastrophically low, so she decides she’s going to take a break from comedy and sex to get serious about school and work on transforming herself — which includes becoming a mentor to the incoming freshmen alongside the kind-hearted Arvind (Nabeel Muscatwalla). Leighton, on the other hand, is doing academically excellent, though her relationship struggles after Alicia (Midori Francis) drops a piece of news that could change everything.

Kimberly and Whitney are still at odds after the revelation that Kimberly broke major girl code by getting together with Whitney’s ex-boyfriend Canaan (Christopher Meyer). And that’s not all that Whitney is dealing with. Of all the girls, she has the most on her plate as she attempts to juggle her sorority, soccer team, and STEM classes — not to mention an African American studies class, potential feelings for a new boy, and her mounting anxiety.

Is Reneé Rapp In ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Season 3?
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Many people were nervous when it was announced that Rapp would only be returning for a few episodes of The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3. Would Leighton get a proper ending? Would the dynamics still work without her? Would her absence be too big a hole to fill? I’m happy to report that — while Rapp is undeniably missed after her exit — the show manages to give her a proper sendoff and remains compelling even after her departure. Leighton’s arc is wrapped up nicely, with a happy ending (something refreshingly rare for sapphic characters) that pays tribute to the impact she had on her roommates’ lives and vice versa. The series defies stereotypes until the very end, underscoring Leighton’s intelligence and ambition in her decision to leave Essex.

Leighton and Rapp are irreplaceable, and the show smartly doesn’t try to fill her shoes exactly, though it does introduce two new characters that definitely have Leighton elements. Our now-trio gets a new roommate in the form of Kacey (Gracie Lawrence), a preppy, pure transfer student who came to Essex to be with her long-term high school boyfriend. Kacey fills the blunt, frequently vain void Leighton left, albeit with a twist. Considering how beloved Leighton is, this couldn’t be an easy position to step into, but Lawrence and the writers do a great job carving out a unique character that still gives the show the elements it’s missing without Rapp. The parents’ weekend episode, which was one of the highlights of Season 1, is one of the best parts of Season 3 as well, partially because it gives us more insight into Kacey’s roots and helps us understand why she is the way she is.

The same can be said for Taylor (Mia Rodgers), an outspoken and snarky queer British blonde who initially butts heads with Bela after she’s assigned to be in her FAF group. It’s fun to watch the two play off each other, with the unflappable Bela finally meeting her match and eventually bringing out the layers and insecurities under Taylor’s cocky confidence. Taylor’s addition also allows for LGBTQ+ characters to still be prominently featured — and still featured as popular cool girls, no less. The Sex Lives of College Girls has always done a nice job making its queer characters three-dimensional and have personalities beyond their sexuality, though unfortunately, it does fall into the trap that many shows do when it comes to its disappointing handling of bisexuality. While it’s not as egregious as erasing the identity or making it a punchline, its depiction feels rather odd and elementary. After Kimberly sees the guy she’s vibing with getting cozy with another man, she automatically assumes she’s misread the situation and that he must be gay. It does make the most sense for Kimberly, of all the girls, to jump to that conclusion, but the fact that Whitney and Bela follow suit doesn’t feel like it tracks for their characters. That Leighton has to be the one to suggest he may be pan or bi feels old-fashioned and inauthentic for this show. It’s admirable that the series shines a light on the wild assumptions people make about bi people, but the way the show continuously treats bisexuality like a mystery these characters have never encountered after being on campus for a year feels dated.

Related ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Cast and Character Guide: Who’s Playing Who in The Teen Comedy Series Check out the talented cast behind the hit HBO Max series.

‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ Season 3 Dives Deeper Into the OGs
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The show has always faced criticism for its short episode runtimes, creating pacing issues and not allowing us to dig deeply enough into certain plot points — something that it seems the network has taken note of. Almost all the seven episodes given out for review sit at over 30 minutes compared to previous seasons, which average just below the half-hour mark. It may not seem like a huge change, but the extra five-to-ten minutes devoted to each installment gives things more room to breathe. While certain stories still feel wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly, and the show is clearly still juggling a lot, it’s a marked improvement.

I found myself missing Bela’s comedy storyline this season — an aspect of her character that was so central in the first two seasons that all but disappears this time around — but it is a delight to see the excellent Kaur explore a different, more nurturing side of Bela. There’s something so charming and natural about her performance. She’s one of the most comedically gifted of the bunch, along with Ilia Isorelýs Paulino’s Lila, who is this show’s secret weapon. Her larger-than-life personality and razor-sharp comic delivery are irresistible. It’s an absolute treat seeing her get more and more screen time, and I hope she gets a well-deserved leading role in the near future.

This season allows Scott to bring more depth and nuance to Whitney than we’ve gotten a chance to see before, giving the show some weight without ever sacrificing its comedic touch. The show shines a light on what it’s like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white sorority and field like STEM, as well as the specific challenges student-athletes face. The writing for Kimberly doesn’t feel quite as meaty as the others this season, but she still gets her moments to shine, and Chalamet is as charmingly awkward and hilarious as ever. Seeing her eccentricities bounce off of a professor played with deliciously deadpan dryness by Tig Notaro is an unexpected highlight and does dive into an interesting discussion about how to succeed in a male-dominated field.

Despite a few small stumbles here and there, the writers continue to do an excellent job capturing the way Gen Z really acts and talks. The group texting about their parents’ problematic comments during family weekend, for instance, feels especially relevant and true to life. The authenticity is further highlighted by other departments, including costume design and music supervision. The clothes feel like things these students would actually wear, and peppering some Chappell Roan into the soundtrack keeps the show feeling current and relatable, snapshotting this specific moment in time.

The romance parts are fun, with a revolving door of love interests coming and going, but the focus remains on friendship — and it’s all the better for it. While “sex lives” may be in the title of the show, everyone knows the real magic lies in the “college girls” part and their messy but endlessly supportive relationships with one another. This is one friend group you’ll want to follow into sophomore year and long after graduation day.

The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3 premieres November 21 on Max.

The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 3 gives a lovely swan song to Reneé Rapp while diving more deeply into the other Essex OGs.ProsSeason 3 manages to send Reneé Rapp’s Leighton out on a high note while introducing compelling new characters.Amrit Kaur and Ilia Isorelýs Paulino are comedy standouts, while Alyah Chanelle Scott infuses Whitney with impressive depth.The writing works well with the costumes and music to make the characters and their college experience feel authentic. ConsThe show’s pacing issues are minimal this season, though it’s still toeing the line of biting off more than it can chew.The show’s bisexuality storyline feels dated.

Release Date November 18, 2021 Creator Mindy Kaling, Justin Noble Cast Pauline Chalamet , Amrit Kaur , Reneé Rapp , Alyah Chanelle Scott , Gavin Leatherwood , Christopher Meyer , Ilia Isorelýs Paulino , Renika Williams , Lauren Spencer , Midori Francis , Mekki Leeper , Mitchell Slaggert Main Genre Comedy Seasons 3 Expand

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