Season 1 of ‘Paper Girls’ Will Blow Your Mind
Photo courtesy of Prime Video.
Paper Girls was released on Prime Video on July 29, 2022. The series is adaptation of the comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang. The first season follows Erin Tieng (Riley Lai Nelet), Mac Coyle (Sofia Rosinsky), KJ Brandman (Fina Strazza), and Tiffany Quilken (Camryn Jones) on Hell Day in 1988 as they get sent into the future to 2019. They find themselves in the middle of a time war.
I heard my mom watching the pilot of this show when I was chilling in my bedroom. I came out and asked what she was watching. She told me it was Paper Girls.
I kind of heard of the show beforehand because I knew Ali Wong was in it. Let me tell you I was hooked in the first episode. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or if it was going to get better but the core four have such amazing chemistry that I went for it.
Speaking of the core four, let’s talk about them for a little bit. Each one of the young actresses absolutely nailed their characters. I do have to say that Mac and KJ are my favorites. Sofia Rosinsky brought so much depth to Mac. I’d have to say that Mac may be my favorite because of the journey she goes on in this season. The same goes for KJ. Fina Strazza brought innocence and so much likeness to her.
I did like Erin a lot and adored the adult version of her. Ali Wong seriously killed this role. She added the perfect amount of comedy. I was crying and laughing so many times because of her. I liked Tiff and made me wish I had a brain like hers.
All four young actresses deliver memorable performances with the perfect amount of wit and charm. I loved how each character was distinctly different. The distinction created a great foursome of female leads that had their own individual personalities with great representation. Erin is Chinese-American, Tiff is black and tech-savvy, Mac is a cigarette-smoking lesbian tomboy who’s been raised in a rough home, and KJ is Jewish and a lesbian. Growing up, I didn’t really have any characters who were Jewish that I could look up to and this mean’t a lot to me. Having a lead role be a young Jewish girl talking about the Holocaust and anti-semitism is so rare and it’s not portrayed on the big and small screens enough.
I love how they set up KJ and Mac. Especially if they end up going with a romantic storyline for them. I hope they do because I know they end up together in the comics. Rosinsky and Strazza have such amazing chemistry and the way they bring that relationship to life is so beautiful to watch on screen. I need to see them again in season 2.
I absolutely love science fiction aka sci-fi, especially time travel related shows and films. This one in particular had me thinking quite a bit. What would it be like if we could go forward in time and meet our adult selves or back in time to see our younger selves? It’s honestly so weird to think about. I’ve seen so many time-travel themed shows and films but they never got me thinking so much like Paper Girls has.
The show doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of what it was like to live in the 1980s. It highlights racism, sexism, and socio-economic disparity while shows like Stranger Things focus more on 80s nostalgia. Nonetheless, Paper Girls is full of 80s nostalgia. This includes the soundtrack, the costumes, the production design, and the props.
I’m hoping the series gets renewed for a second season because that season finale perfectly set it up. If not, it would be a disappointment for fans of the show and the comic books.
Paper Girls is exclusively streaming on Prime Video.
Creator: Stephany Folsom
Cast: Erin Tieng, Sofia Rosinsky, Fina Strazza, Camryn Jones, Ali Wong
Producers: Brad Pitt, Christina Oh, Stephany Folsom