Girls5eva season 3 features plenty of the same zany antics as the first two seasons but brings something new to the table along the way. Like the first two seasons, Girls5eva season 3 finds Summer (Busy Philipps), Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry), and Gloria (Paula Pell) seeking the fame they enjoyed as a girl group in the ’90s. However, as the first two seasons illustrated, a lot has changed since then, and making a comeback is easier said than done.
Girls5Eva centers on a ’90s one-hit-wonder band that is given a second shot at fame when their song is sampled by a young rapper. The Peacock original series began in 2021 and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2021. The series stars real-life singer Sara Bareilles, Busy Phillips, Paula Pell, and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
- Cast
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Renee Elise Goldsberry
, sara bareilles
, Andrew Rannells
, Erika Henningsen
, Ashley Park
, Busy Philipps
, Paula Pell - Seasons
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3
- Streaming Service(s)
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Netflix
While Girls5eva’s first two seasons streamed on Peacock, it’s moved to Netflix for season 3, with the first two seasons now available there as well. Netflix is perhaps a better fit for this particular show. With its quirky tone, it feels very at home streaming alongside Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which boasted a similar creative team – Girls5eva producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock co-created Kimmy, while Girls5eva creator Meredith Scardino was a writer and co-executive producer. Girls5eva could gain a larger audience on Netflix, and season 3 certainly makes a good argument for the show continuing beyond the new episodes.
Change Brings Fresh Energy to Girls5eva Season 3
While the first two seasons centered much of the action in New York City, season 3 finds Dawn, Wickie, Gloria, and Summer out on tour, and as a result, outside of their respective bubbles. Characters like Dawn’s husband Scott (Daniel Breaker) and Summer’s ex Kev (Andrew Rannells) pop up occasionally, but for the most part, season 3 is wholly focused on the group and its ambitions. That singular focus makes the new season feel fresh and allows for the dynamics between the core four to take center stage even more than they have in the past.
Along the way, there’s plenty of time for the same hyper-specific humor that defined the first two seasons. Episode 1 features an extended hotel gag that’s one of the show’s funniest so far. Season 3 also peppers in plenty of references to Girls5eva’s new streaming home, with an episode 6 scene being a hilarious standout. The show embraces darker humor as well, with a pretty biting commentary on the current state of reproductive rights in episode 2. And of course, the songs remain hilarious, including a new, very welcome take on “New York Lonely Boy.”
With the Girls out on tour and largely away from their safety nets back home, one of the season’s biggest selling points is how much growth they experience, with Summer and Wickie especially making real strides. While there are still fun moments to be had with Dawn enjoying her first real “vacation” in years and Gloria entering a new phase of her romantic life, Wickie and Summer get some of the season’s biggest moments. Philipps gives Summer new layers while still keeping her characterization consistent, and the Wickie-focused episode 3 is a high point of the entire series.
Girls5eva
- Girls5eva is as funny as ever in season 3
- The Girls have immense growth, especially Summer & Wickie
- The change of scenery does wonders for the series
- Girls5eva season 3 has some pacing issues
Girls5eva Season 3’s Ending Makes Up for a Slow Beginning
The pacing is one of Girls5eva season 3’s only weak spots. The first two episodes are a bit slow, and as this season is shorter than the other two – six episodes instead of eight – the ending winds up feeling a bit rushed as a result.
Additionally, many of the characters’ struggles this season come from within the group, as they have a hard time getting out of their own way. While that was certainly a factor in the first two seasons, three seasons in, the self-sabotage starts to become a little frustrating, and the group’s lack of momentum compounds the pacing issues. However, the finale is sweet and satisfying, largely making up for the slightly sluggish start.
While it would be wonderful to see Girls5eva back for season 4, the final episode makes for a decent series finale should the curtains close on the show. It finds Summer, Gloria, Dawn, and Wickie far more settled than they’ve been throughout the series so far and with a new perspective on fame and friendship. All told, season 3 is a satisfying evolution of the musical comedy that maintains the humor and heart that made us fall in love with it in the first place.
