The Girls on the Bus

All in all, The Girls on the Bus is thoroughly enjoyable television that will leave you delighted no matter the reason you decide to tune in. And, we’re going to need everyone involved to get to work on a second season as soon as possible.

It handles serious topics, from sexism and racism to abortion and corruption, in a way that feels both raw and palatable while never taking away from the show’s watchability and enjoyability.

The dialogue in The Girls on the Bus is bluntly written, the characters broadly archetypal, and the social messaging incredibly on the nose. And yet there’s something about the earnest intentions and likable performers that keeps it all watchable.

The further The Girls on the Bus gets into its storylines, the more likeable the central characters become, and the more invested you become in what happens with them.

It comes together as a whole that’s not really a guilty pleasure — for the millionth time, stop being guilty about the things you like — but definitely one where you have to wade through eye-rolling moments to get to the things that are enjoyable.

“Girls on the Bus” devolves into a CW-style drama that occasionally addresses the slow death of journalism on the most perfunctory level.

The tone and pacing are off, struggling to balance light comedy with heightened drama. What’s more, the characters and plots aren’t human; they feel like tropes come to life in the most boring ways.