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MTV's 'Sweet/Vicious' Television Series Review


It’s all female empowerment and badass vigilantes on this college campus following a string of sexual assaults.


Jules (Eliza Bennett) and Ophelia (Taylor Dearden) mount as polar opposites that unexpectedly team up after an accident places both girls under the watchful eyes of police.


Jules is your standard sorority sweetheart… who is secretly skilled in the art of taking down grown men, while Ophelia is the archetypal drug-dealing student with enormous brainpower. The deadly duo team up to expose the horrid acts of certain men in the area, reprising the dignity of assaulted females all over campus. Their adventures can be sticky, nail biting, and at times cliché, but ‘Sweet/Vicious’ remains very enjoyable.


Created by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson for MTV, this freshman show is extremely underrated for the quality that it pertains. Its show runner created an ensemble of characters that develop the perfect atmosphere of thrill and fun with a dash of suspense throughout the series.


Fitting perfectly with MTV’s teenage target audience, ‘Sweet/Vicious’ airs after ‘Teen Wolf’, which has been a ratings powerhouse for the network for six seasons. Disappointingly, ‘Sweet/Vicious’ has not shared the same success, though arguably it is just as worthwhile.


Featuring talented fresh-faced actors, the show captures a personality from each college campus archetypal category: the sorority queen, the jock, the nerd, the weed dealer, the goody two-shoes – you name it. While it’s a collection of characters that has been done before, the actors are successful in turning cliché roles into intriguing new characters that are capable of convincing the audience of their tangibility.


Though compelling, the script feels weak at times, with some storylines appearing ‘loose’, and certain episodes overwhelmingly busy. The writing also leads to the sometimes-weak characterisation of Ophelia, who often risks appearing unbelievable: achieving straight-A’s without attending class, convincing her mother to wire over hundreds of dollars after a brief phone call, covertly dealing drugs from her workplace, overly sarcastic dialogue. However, if you are willing to set those flaws aside, Ophelia is a fun and vibrant character whose dark humour gets a giggle out of the viewers, and the show as a whole offers more enjoyment than frustration.


Though improvements could be made, viewers relish the witty banter and well-written dialogue – some conversations are truly sweet to watch (pun intended), and balance out the killer combat scenes that visually transform the two protagonists into vicious fighting machines.


Regarding tone, the fun and quirky nature of the show quickly turns emotional as Jules’ backstory wrings out the tears. Bennett exceptionally nails her role as a sexual assault victim, and effectively captures the trauma and anxiety of the very real situation she and several other women endured.


The show’s irony is evident in its characterisation and costuming. The girls’ costumes abide by their cliché roles as a sweet sorority girl - Jules dressed in shades of pink; whereas clever bad girl Ophelia wears dark green and black. Would we expect either one to be capable of taking down large assailants based on their appearance? Probably not.


The series emphasises the need to speak out about the very real possibility of situations like sexual assault to its female (and male) viewership. The show’s characters navigate such circumstances with integrity (though with realistic pain as well), evoking empathy, and raising awareness that compassion and understanding towards victims is crucial in times of need.


Overall, ‘Sweet/Vicious’ is a series that looks at coping with sexual assault and finding justice. It incorporates humour and drama cleverly to heighten the interest of younger viewers, therefore attracting a necessary and relevant audience.


A synergy of likable characters, witty dialogue, an effective and intense soundtrack, as well as the story arc of two girls prevailing against vicious men leaves viewers feeling sweet.


The number one factor of enjoyment though is watching these antagonistic grown men beaten by two college girls. Now that’s female empowerment.

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