By Grace Hogsten
Copy Editor
With its first two seasons streaming, season three of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” promises to continue the comical yet heartfelt tone established by the first two, despite the departure of one of its core four characters.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” is a Max original series created by Mindy Kaling and Justine Noble. Season three premiered on Nov. 21, with a new episode available every Thursday at 9 P.M. EST through Jan. 23.
The show’s first two seasons follow the exploits of college roommates Bela Malhotra (Amrit Kaur), Whitney Chase (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Kimberly Finkle (Pauline Chalamet), and Leighton Murray (Reneé Rapp) over the course of their freshman year. At the end of season two, the girls head home for the summer, leaving burnt bridges and broken hearts in their wake.
The first episode of season three, “Welcome Back to Essex,” quickly reverses many of the dramatic consequences of season two. While its action-packed 37 minutes restore the roommates’ bond, the episode feels rushed and renders elements of the season two finale unsatisfyingly irrelevant.
Nevertheless, the season’s second episode, “Lila by Lila,” brings the show’s pace back to normal and renews the charms of previous seasons; the girls enter sophomore year ready to pursue new partners and expand their horizons, with plenty of one-liners and heartwarming moments to go around.
Bela takes on a new leadership role to help new freshmen avoid her mistakes but clashes with a particularly headstrong student, Whitney swears off dating and tries to best a new teammate on the field, and Kimberly encounters a new love interest on her quest to solve last season’s mistakes.
Much to fans’ chagrin, however, Leighton’s plotline throughout these episodes follows her decision to leave Essex.
In July of 2023, Rapp was announced as a guest star rather than a series regular for season three, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While Rapp returned for the first two episodes of the season to create an ending for her character, she is leaving the show to pursue her music career, according to ELLE.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Noble said that it was important to devote enough time to Leighton’s sendoff and to give her an ending that showcased her personal growth, particularly in terms of her sexuality.
“I came to Essex thinking that I was going to date men and I would be in Kappa. And I would have done those things, and I would have been miserable. Then I met you three, and it gave me strength to be myself,” Leighton tells her friends during one of her final scenes.
While season three episode two marks the departure of one central queer character, the show’s third season offers “a new opportunity to introduce other types of queer characters,” Noble said.
Already, Bela’s freshman rival, Taylor (Mia Rodgers), has joined the cast as another queer character, and side character Trish (Betti) returns to the show having undertaken a transition mirroring that of the actress who portrays her.
Although no one can replace Rapp’s bitingly funny and fiercely loyal Leighton, the show offers a host of side characters new and old to keep Bela, Whitney, and Kimberly on their toes.
Episode two’s ending teases the introduction of the girls’ replacement roommate, Kacey (Gracie Lawrence), and several additional actors including “Bottoms”’s Ruby Cruz are set to join the show as the season progresses.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” may have had some changes the fans do not agree with, but it retains the playful and exploratory yet heartfelt charm that initially hooked its fans.