The Sex Lives of College Girls Recap: How Does the Fox Bang
This episode feels like a damn breath of fresh air. While it doesn’t hit the heights of what the best of The Sex Lives of College Girls can be, this episode is the first that makes me think they might be able to recapture some of that magic in a new way. Let’s get into it, shall we?
I suppose it’s important to note that this episode also starts — quite literally — with some banging. Whitney and Isaiah have transitioned from flirting at frat parties to getting all the way down with minimal to zero personal chatter or details. I feel a little bit like we could have used a single scene of Whitney and Isaiah on a date or something, but then again, college kids are pretty good at making sex choices without much additional information. Kimberly and Eli are still going strong — Kimberly is getting railed so well that she’s experiencing orgasm aftershocks. Some girls have all the luck! I would assume Bela agrees, as her life now consists of guarding Essex’s spirit rock with Arvind and his girlfriend.
Rock guarding does seem like a hellish job, but someone special brings a glint to our Bela’s eye. That person is, of course, the school mascot, Franklin the Fox. He hits on Bela as she guards the rock and shows off some mascot-informed athleticism, which means one thing: She’s getting “all up in that fur.” And BOY, does she! Like, to a level that might unlock some furry fantasies for unsuspecting viewers. That fox has her up and down, on tables, and crucially, still has the fox head on. If you were a person who was attracted to Robin Hood, this episode might be especially potent for you.
Unfortunately, the only person who is not moved by this extremely erotic experience is Bela. Sure, it was hot, and sure, she still doesn’t know what his face looks like, but she’s still pining for Arvind. Even the ru-veal of Franklin the Fox’s face (blandly handsome in a forgettable way) can’t stop her. The heart wants what it wants! And even though she sent and unsent that risky DM, the gods are smiling on Bela at last. We get a third-act breakup between Arvind and Emily, and Bela can’t even pretend to keep the smile off her face. I am going to give her, mmm, let’s say one and a half episodes to mess this up? This is not to say I don’t have faith in her; I just don’t really get why she is actually interested in him. Yes, she had the whole “nice guys can be hot” awakening, but he seems to mostly annoy her whenever they talk. Perhaps I am simply transferring my own feelings about Arvind to Bela; crazier things have happened!
Have you also been wondering which classic college trope they were going to drop Whitney into? I thought it would just be taking on too much, maybe some feelings around Black women in STEM, but no! This shall be our mental-health story line for the season. I don’t mind this in the slightest, but let’s see a show of hands of readers who got a little anxious about this story line. Hello, I see you all, and yes, my hand is raised as well. I am just a little resentful that the person who opened this discussion with Whitney is Isaiah. I don’t know enough of him to care about this relationship yet, and the people I want to see Whitney talking this through with are Bela and Kimberly! But, on the other hand, it can feel a lot easier to talk to someone you don’t know as well about the things that you are going through. Plus, Whitney barely has time for her friends between soccer and her various labs and getting laid, so this lightbulb moment comes after she crashes at Isaiah’s post-coitus and sleeps a full day. It turns out you cannot replace sleeping hours with working and taking chocolate-covered espresso beans like pills. Even when she tries to get a good night’s sleep, she can’t turn her brain off. She’s nervous about … everything, from her family to friends to where all our trash goes. Isaiah wonders if she’s ever thought about anxiety; that kind of constantly running brain speaks to a level of worry that might not be helpful. She thanks him and clearly thinks about it, as we see her in the mental-health services office by the end of the episode, but she’s not quite ready to make an appointment yet. The receptionist watches her leave with a knowing look — there is more to come here.
Remember Kacey, the new roommate? She is coming out of her cage and she is indeed doing just fine! Well, she’s still a bitch, so it’s not like she’s got a whole new personality or anything. But she is involved in roommate conversations, even if that just means she insults the trio about how “desperate” it is to be on a dating app. Kacey has decided her post-breakup glow-up will be going out for the fall musical. Don’t get it twisted, Kacey is not a theater kid, but she only does it because she’s “pretty and a really good dancer and sings like an angel.” She will not make any theater-kid friends, but she will make her ex jealous when she snags the lead. OR will she be finding a new man, perhaps in the form of a cute theater boy named Cooper, who might just make Kacey see that being a huge bitch is like … not working for her at all? One can only hope!
Her audition is pretty good, but she’s got those pop-girl trills that girls her age always lean on, and she needs to get her mixed belt together! But everyone who overhears her acts like they have heard good singing for the first time. No one is angrily gossiping about who this girl is, which makes me think this theater program is like no other one on earth. It made me realize she is played by Gracie Lawrence, who is part of the band Lawrence! This means she is absolutely singing less well than she is capable of, which means I am RIGHT about her audition, which is, of course, all that matters. Her professor agrees, by the way, and casts her as “Old Woman.” She’s got work to do to make her voice sound like something other than an imitation, and after a quick stairwell cry, she vows not to give up. Okay! Let’s see how that goes!
Kimberly gets the least to do this episode, but it is absolutely worth mentioning the midnight rave she attends with Eli. Despite Lila warning her that she is not ready for a rave at all, she forges ahead, entering that barn with a mesh top and confidence! Sure, the mesh top is closer to a sweater than any mesh I have seen before, but that doesn’t stop Kimberly. She LOVES the fact that she can feel the music in her teeth; who wouldn’t? When she mentioned her water tasted bitter, Eli and I made the same face of concerned recognition. That is molly water, babes, and your night is about to change! She and Eli get separated on the dance floor, and he disappears, never to be seen again. It feels a little rude, but I gotta admit: an accurate description of a certain type of guy who attends raves. Apologies to the rave community, but look inside your hearts; I know you agree! It is zero percent surprising that molly-fueled Kimberly imagines all the women of the Supreme Court texting her to admonish her. My personal favorite? “I trailblazed for this? You skank!” from Sandra Day O’Connor. It is very sweet to discover that she actually texted Lila a trillion times, who fearlessly removes her from the scene. “It smells like ass and titties, MOVE.” Whew, I know that’s right!
Office Hours
• “If I want to be a Supreme Court justice, I have to make sure that my record is squeaky clean. Which is why I am also deleting this photo of me from 2017 captioned ‘Me gusta Cinco de Mayo.’ Like, what were you thinking, younger Kimberly? That is not your holiday to gusta!”
• Kimberly: “Have you ever seen him without his costume?” Bela: “Do we ever really see anyone outside of their costume?” Makes ya think!
• “Oh, I’m not mad. I’m piss-appointed, which is worse than disappointed. Because I’m pissed.”
• “Roar” is kind of a strange audition song, no? For a person who was 16 when it came out? Just wondering!
• “It’s sorta supposed to feel like a single four-hour song.” God, raves are tiring!