For Your Consideration

by Nora Lewis

College got you feeling down? Want to escape to a totally unrealistic depiction of high school featuring grown adults trying to look 16? Then The Rival has just the show for you!

Embark on a journey at a high school with a concerning lack of parental supervision as we follow an ensemble cast of flawed characters that you still kinda like for some reason (maybe because you see parts of yourself in them). Too many characters to keep track of? Don’t worry. Everyone’s costumes are absolutely insane so there’s no way you could forget ~that one girl who wore that REALLY weird dress.  

Follow the confusing and twisting plotlines that get dropped off after one episode through the eyes of our main character. She’s no one’s favorite (by FAR) but you still find yourself rooting for her against your will. As the show progresses, we get to see some of the hardships in her past that have made her into the horrible person she is today. Watch as she lies and manipulates the cast of supporting characters that end up stealing the spotlight from her.

Everyone who watches the show has their own personal favorite supporting character that fundamentally defines who they are as human beings, and everyone also unanimously agrees on the one bitch we love to hate. If you choose the wrong answer (and there is a wrong answer) in the “least favorite characters” poll, you WILL be shunned. Every single character in this show is truly ~complex~ and ~has layers to their character~ but there’s one who’s an absolute asshole and you cannot argue with me on that one. 

The laws that govern this in-show universe are absolutely bonkers. These kids are committing crimes willy-nilly, getting mixed up in adult drama that’s way above their pay grade, and experiencing life-or-death situations. And that one thing they do at school all the time? Disgusting! 

But before you like that TikTok of that one girl in that one scene that’s really slowed down (you know the one I’m talking about), let’s all remember these are high school juniors,  that is to say, MINORS. It’s hard to remember that these characters are 1) played by 20 and 30-year-olds and 2) dealing with stuff I never would have dreamed about in high school, like marriage and teen pregnancy. 

All in all, this show tackles some dark stuff. While there are some funny moments, some episodes can be really hard to watch. This is sometimes a result of the content and topics, and sometimes it’s due to the pure “cringiness” that rocks through your bones as these characters make the objectively dumbest decisions they could possibly make. Take this as a warning for those faint of heart: this show has gotten some notorious criticisms for being “too much.” Watching this show is an emotional journey, but one that will make you well-versed in pop culture and able to understand a lot more Twitter threads. 

Have you guessed the show yet? I mean, we all know what I’m talking about, right? It’s not like I’m trying to hide it, really. Everyone at this point knows I’m talking about the hit 2010s show Glee, right?