Hollywood is fascinated by journalists: they are either heroes or villains, but they are always vital. The Morning Show has won awards and praise, but only the third season has quality. Do you know the series that no one knows about and that is excellent? MAX’s The Girls on the Bus, which premiered in March and with just two episodes to go, arrived on my radar. Where was I? Where were you? How is this series not being talked about as it should be?

The Girls on the Bus has it all: it’s from a best seller, it’s inspired by a true story, it has drama, comedy, surprises, and a spectacular female cast, this is a series about behind-the-scenes journalism that’s worth following.

The origin: the reporter who followed Hillary Clinton’s campaign

Amyz Chozick is now a reporter for the New York Times, but in 2008, she was at the Wall Street Journal and was assigned to follow Hillary Clinton‘s presidential campaign. In 2016, at the NYT, she followed the candidate again, the material, well, was not seen as exempt by the Republicans. And yet, she managed to leave Democrats equally dissatisfied. Which would make her work right, right? But somehow, she “feels responsible” for the candidate’s defeat, and wrote a best seller – Chasing Hillary – which covers all the behind-the-scenes aspects of political news coverage.

Narrated in the first person, the book is full of good jokes and true stories told with enough transparency to – you guessed it – catch the attention of Hollywood. After all, it contains all the elements of a good story. Even more so because it raises human issues beyond politics and yes, it is a delightful series to watch.

Tuned cast, twists, and surprises

The Girls on the Bus series uses Amyz’s book as a basis but stays away from real characters, a certain relief nowadays. It takes itself much less seriously than The Morning Show and that, believe me, makes ALL the difference. As a journalist, I can assure you that the behind-the-scenes scenes on the bus are much more realistic than those in the UBA newsroom. And the characters are also more believable and empathetic.

We followed the coverage of the presidential campaign by several journalists, but in particular, four women who were different in age, philosophy, and style, but who fit together and formed a wonderful quartet. They are Sadie McCarthy (Melissa Benoist), who covers a New York print newspaper; his direct competitor, but his personal friend, the experienced Grace (Carla Gugino), the influencer Lola (Natasha Behnam) and the TV reporter Kimberlyn (Christina Elmore).

As is common in intense coverage, despite their differences, these very different women end up creating an inspiring bond, always tested by the investigation and agility of the news. With them we suffer from common dilemmas for women around the world: choosing a career or personal life? How to deal with machismo and patriarchy? Is it possible to be exempt from coverage? Is neutrality expected? What weighs in the narrative: head or heart? In 10 episodes, everything can change from one moment to the next.

Everything that’s missing from The Morning Show is in The Girls on the Bus

The Morning Show has a great cast, but, despite the awards, performances from Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are not so inspired. The worst thing, however, is trying to embrace ALL the themes and still be didactic, turning into an irregular series. It started with #metoo, went to cancellation and now it’s on the business side. This flexibility of subjects hinders the audience’s involvement with the characters.

The Girls on the Bus has a problem, which is precisely the name of the series. Yes, the bus is the element that joins the ends, a kind of walking essay, but it doesn’t really tell us anything. But other than that, all the characters have greater meaning and realism than their competition.

Melissa Benoist‘s charisma is undeniable and her Sadie would be Amyz’s alter ego, whose admiration for candidate Felicity Walker (Hettiene Park) reflects what she felt for Hilary when covering her campaign. Her involvement with Malcolm (Brandon Scott), Walker’s press secretary, undermines her credibility but it is her troubled personal life that blinds her to the true danger of the campaign of Haydon Wells (Scott Foley), a Trump prototype who is still out of the picture. radar of our journalists because the four, as is common for women, have to deal with their personal problems amidst blame and demands, making everyone’s reporting even more challenging.

It’s because of Sadia and her obsession with Hunter S. Thompson, who in the 1970s covered the presidential election for Rolling Stone, collecting his experience in the best-selling The Boys on the Bus, a must-read for journalists. Thompson’s book chronicles election coverage

American presidential election of 1972, which elected Richard Nixon and its brilliant text, brings a fresh look to the world of politics.

Although Sadie, Melissa is the main character, who steals all the scenes is the elegant, mysterious, and incredibly talented Carla Gugino who plays Grace, the award-winning and experienced reporter, one of the best things about The Girls on the Bus.

So here’s a tip: The Bus Girls is one of the best series of 2024. There are two episodes left, will we have a second season?

Pesquisar

Pesquisar