logo
Girls gone bad

Girls gone bad

Bangkok Post17-07-2025
Remember the popular HBO series Girls from over a decade ago? The show was widely recognised for its postfeminist commentary on female sexuality and millennial angst and it ran for a surprisingly long six seasons. To this day, I still don't really understand the rave reviews. I only watched a few episodes here and there, so I won't pretend to be an expert on it, but what I saw never quite resonated with me.
Now comes Too Much, a new Netflix drama-comedy created by none other than Lena Dunham -- the same voice behind Girls. And after watching all 10 episodes, Too Much feels like a spiritual sequel to Girls. Whether that's a compliment or a criticism is open to interpretation.
But to me, it felt like Dunham took everything that was frustrating, cringe-inducing and painfully self-conscious about Girls, gave it a new coat of paint and dropped it into a different setting -- London.
The show follows Jessica (Megan Stalter), a New York-based workaholic in her mid-30s who is reeling from a heartbreak that she still hasn't emotionally recovered from. Her daily life in Manhattan is now haunted by the ghosts of her past missteps -- streets that remind her of arguments, restaurants that remind her of failed dates and friends she's slowly pushed away.
So what does she do? She takes a job in London with the plan of disappearing into a life of romantic solitude -- imagining herself as some kind of modern-day Brontë sister. But her grand vision is quickly interrupted when she meets Felix (Will Sharpe), a charming but clearly problematic Englishman with a laundry list of red flags. Their messy, chaotic and at times toxic relationship becomes the central thread of the series.
Genre-wise, Too Much is an odd and uneasy blend of romance, satire and character comedy. What makes the experience so uncomfortable is Megan Stalter's overbearing performance as Jessica. And it's not just the acting -- the entire show revolves around this character's emotional instability and poor decision-making, with very few moments that feel grounded or earned.
I've never had a problem with characters being annoying, selfish, or even downright insufferable. In fact, some of the most memorable TV characters are defined by their flaws. But if I'm meant to root for them -- or at the very least stay invested in their arc -- there has to be a sense of movement or growth. Jessica, however, is a challenge to connect with. She's whiny, theatrical, self-involved and awkward, but not in any way that feels endearing or funny.
The typical redemption arc requires that a character who starts off flawed begin to recognise their own shortcomings and, little by little, make meaningful changes. Jessica does eventually start to grow and become slightly more self-aware, but it takes far too long. The show waits until the final few episodes to kick this transformation into gear, which made much of the season feel like a frustrating loop of the same behaviour and poor choices over and over again.
Another major issue I had with Too Much is the dialogue. Simply put, it's not interesting. The conversations between characters are long-winded, self-indulgent, and, frankly, tedious. Maybe I'm past the age where this kind of millennial or post-millennial introspection feels relatable. But for me, watching these characters speak felt like being trapped in a room full of people having conversations I couldn't care less about. The show tries to capture the rhythm of modern emotional discourse, but ends up sounding like a parody of therapy-speak and TikTok oversharing.
Jessica and Felix, as leads, are both hard to like. I get that Dunham is going for realism, showing us flawed people who don't always say the right thing or act with grace. But their narcissism and lack of self-awareness become exhausting. I kept waiting for that one episode, or even one scene, where I'd finally connect with them -- or at least understand why I should care. But that moment never came.
Not all the humour misses. There are times when the show lands a decent laugh, particularly in some of the more absurd situations. I did find myself smirking occasionally, or shuffling awkwardly in my seat during especially cringey moments -- but more out of second-hand embarrassment than genuine comedy. Many of the awkward or "funny" situations are just the result of terrible decision-making and instead of being humorous, they end up feeling repetitive or needlessly exasperating.
That said, the show does have a few redeeming qualities. Visually, Too Much does a lovely job of capturing the feel of London. From the grey skies and cosy cafes to the urban corners and awkward social customs, the city almost becomes a character in itself. The "fish-out-of-water" jokes, while occasionally overused, do manage to add texture and contrast to Jessica's American sensibilities. There are a few chuckle-worthy moments drawn from culture clash and misunderstanding.
Another thing I genuinely appreciated is the show's refreshingly honest approach to sex and body image. Unlike many series that exclusively depict sex between perfectly toned, model-like bodies, Too Much offers scenes that feel more realistic, with characters who look like actual people. Jessica, who is plus-sized, is portrayed confidently and without apology, which adds a nice touch of authenticity and inclusivity to a genre that often lacks both.
Unfortunately, none of that is quite enough to rescue the show from its own indulgences. The writing feels like therapy sessions disguised as scripts and the performances, especially from Stalter, often cross the line from bold to grating. Even the celebrity cameos -- Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Stephen Fry and Kit Harington -- feel like distractions rather than meaningful contributions.
Even though I had my fair share of criticisms about Girls, at least I could acknowledge that it had a spark of originality and daring in its earlier seasons. The problem with Too Much is that it inherits all the same flaws as Girls -- the narcissism and the lack of accountability and self-involvement -- but offers even less in return. The show tries to say something about identity, self-worth, and healing, but those messages get buried under characters that are just too hard to care about. If you're older than 20 -- or just not in the mood for 10 episodes of performative vulnerability -- maybe skip this one.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wax lyrical: Taylor Swift gets lucky 13 Madame Tussauds statues
Wax lyrical: Taylor Swift gets lucky 13 Madame Tussauds statues

Bangkok Post

timea day ago

  • Bangkok Post

Wax lyrical: Taylor Swift gets lucky 13 Madame Tussauds statues

LONDON — US pop megastar Taylor Swift will be honoured with 13 waxworks of her at Madame Tussauds venues around the globe, the museum said on Wednesday. In honour of Swift's lucky number, 13 of the waxwork museum's 22 branches will each receive a statue of the " Love Story" and " Blank Space" singer, in what it called the "most ambitious project" of its 250-year history. The statues were inspired by some of the 35-year-old songwriting sensation's looks from her record-shattering "Eras Tour" from 2023 to 2024. With 149 shows across the world over nearly two years, the tour raked in US$2 billion, making it the most lucrative in music history to date. More than 40 artists worked for more than a year on the statues of Swift, one of the most acclaimed artists of her generation with 14 Grammy Awards. "This is the most ambitious project in Madame Tussauds' 250-year history, which only feels right to reflect the stratospheric status of Taylor Swift," said Danielle Cullen, the museum's senior figure stylist. UK-based Swifties are well served, with one waxwork slated for London and another for the northern seaside resort town of Blackpool. Another 10 will find a permanent home at the branches of Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York, Orlando and Sydney. The thirteenth statue, which will travel around the remaining museums, will begin its worldwide walkabout with a residency at Madame Tussauds Shanghai.

Don't miss Netflix's chart-topping love letter to K-pop
Don't miss Netflix's chart-topping love letter to K-pop

Bangkok Post

time3 days ago

  • Bangkok Post

Don't miss Netflix's chart-topping love letter to K-pop

Netflix recently released the animated musical fantasy film KPop Demon Hunters, which was met by an overwhelmingly positive response by viewers worldwide. KPop Demon Hunters follows Huntr/x, a K-pop girl group composed of three talented performers -- Rumi, Zoey and Mira -- hiding a secret (when they're not performing onstage for fans, they're ruthlessly hunting soul-stealing demons). However, the girls meet a roadblock when demon ruler Gwi-ma grows frustrated at his subjects' failures. With the help of one of his most tortured demons, Jinu, they create Saja Boys: a K-pop boy group to rival Huntr/x, consisting of Jinu and four other demons, in an attempt to steal Huntr/x's fans and their souls. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the studio that animated Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Wish Dragon, KPop Demon Hunters is a love letter to the world of K-pop and draws inspiration from the Korean entertainment industry and idol groups. For example, Huntr/x is modelled after girl groups such as Itzy, Blackpink and Twice. Meanwhile, Saja Boys are modelled after boy groups like Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, Ateez, Big Bang and Monsta X. The series also pays homage to South Korean culture, featuring traditional clothing and objects as well as loveable animals, illustrated in the style of Korean folk art. The film has been well-received, not only for of its stunning animation and characters, but also because of its soundtrack, which debuted at No.8 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, making it a hit with both K-pop fans as well as locals.

Girls gone bad
Girls gone bad

Bangkok Post

time17-07-2025

  • Bangkok Post

Girls gone bad

Remember the popular HBO series Girls from over a decade ago? The show was widely recognised for its postfeminist commentary on female sexuality and millennial angst and it ran for a surprisingly long six seasons. To this day, I still don't really understand the rave reviews. I only watched a few episodes here and there, so I won't pretend to be an expert on it, but what I saw never quite resonated with me. Now comes Too Much, a new Netflix drama-comedy created by none other than Lena Dunham -- the same voice behind Girls. And after watching all 10 episodes, Too Much feels like a spiritual sequel to Girls. Whether that's a compliment or a criticism is open to interpretation. But to me, it felt like Dunham took everything that was frustrating, cringe-inducing and painfully self-conscious about Girls, gave it a new coat of paint and dropped it into a different setting -- London. The show follows Jessica (Megan Stalter), a New York-based workaholic in her mid-30s who is reeling from a heartbreak that she still hasn't emotionally recovered from. Her daily life in Manhattan is now haunted by the ghosts of her past missteps -- streets that remind her of arguments, restaurants that remind her of failed dates and friends she's slowly pushed away. So what does she do? She takes a job in London with the plan of disappearing into a life of romantic solitude -- imagining herself as some kind of modern-day Brontë sister. But her grand vision is quickly interrupted when she meets Felix (Will Sharpe), a charming but clearly problematic Englishman with a laundry list of red flags. Their messy, chaotic and at times toxic relationship becomes the central thread of the series. Genre-wise, Too Much is an odd and uneasy blend of romance, satire and character comedy. What makes the experience so uncomfortable is Megan Stalter's overbearing performance as Jessica. And it's not just the acting -- the entire show revolves around this character's emotional instability and poor decision-making, with very few moments that feel grounded or earned. I've never had a problem with characters being annoying, selfish, or even downright insufferable. In fact, some of the most memorable TV characters are defined by their flaws. But if I'm meant to root for them -- or at the very least stay invested in their arc -- there has to be a sense of movement or growth. Jessica, however, is a challenge to connect with. She's whiny, theatrical, self-involved and awkward, but not in any way that feels endearing or funny. The typical redemption arc requires that a character who starts off flawed begin to recognise their own shortcomings and, little by little, make meaningful changes. Jessica does eventually start to grow and become slightly more self-aware, but it takes far too long. The show waits until the final few episodes to kick this transformation into gear, which made much of the season feel like a frustrating loop of the same behaviour and poor choices over and over again. Another major issue I had with Too Much is the dialogue. Simply put, it's not interesting. The conversations between characters are long-winded, self-indulgent, and, frankly, tedious. Maybe I'm past the age where this kind of millennial or post-millennial introspection feels relatable. But for me, watching these characters speak felt like being trapped in a room full of people having conversations I couldn't care less about. The show tries to capture the rhythm of modern emotional discourse, but ends up sounding like a parody of therapy-speak and TikTok oversharing. Jessica and Felix, as leads, are both hard to like. I get that Dunham is going for realism, showing us flawed people who don't always say the right thing or act with grace. But their narcissism and lack of self-awareness become exhausting. I kept waiting for that one episode, or even one scene, where I'd finally connect with them -- or at least understand why I should care. But that moment never came. Not all the humour misses. There are times when the show lands a decent laugh, particularly in some of the more absurd situations. I did find myself smirking occasionally, or shuffling awkwardly in my seat during especially cringey moments -- but more out of second-hand embarrassment than genuine comedy. Many of the awkward or "funny" situations are just the result of terrible decision-making and instead of being humorous, they end up feeling repetitive or needlessly exasperating. That said, the show does have a few redeeming qualities. Visually, Too Much does a lovely job of capturing the feel of London. From the grey skies and cosy cafes to the urban corners and awkward social customs, the city almost becomes a character in itself. The "fish-out-of-water" jokes, while occasionally overused, do manage to add texture and contrast to Jessica's American sensibilities. There are a few chuckle-worthy moments drawn from culture clash and misunderstanding. Another thing I genuinely appreciated is the show's refreshingly honest approach to sex and body image. Unlike many series that exclusively depict sex between perfectly toned, model-like bodies, Too Much offers scenes that feel more realistic, with characters who look like actual people. Jessica, who is plus-sized, is portrayed confidently and without apology, which adds a nice touch of authenticity and inclusivity to a genre that often lacks both. Unfortunately, none of that is quite enough to rescue the show from its own indulgences. The writing feels like therapy sessions disguised as scripts and the performances, especially from Stalter, often cross the line from bold to grating. Even the celebrity cameos -- Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Stephen Fry and Kit Harington -- feel like distractions rather than meaningful contributions. Even though I had my fair share of criticisms about Girls, at least I could acknowledge that it had a spark of originality and daring in its earlier seasons. The problem with Too Much is that it inherits all the same flaws as Girls -- the narcissism and the lack of accountability and self-involvement -- but offers even less in return. The show tries to say something about identity, self-worth, and healing, but those messages get buried under characters that are just too hard to care about. If you're older than 20 -- or just not in the mood for 10 episodes of performative vulnerability -- maybe skip this one.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store