Girlboss

[Girlboss] devotes its early episodes to doing nothing more than proving that Sophia is a surly jerk. But once Sophia finally starts to let go of her self-defeating instincts and make things happen for herself and for Nasty Gal, Girlboss becomes a lot more interesting, and a lot more fun.

Like most Netflix shows, Girlboss suffers from pacing problems, though thankfully the episodes are kept under 30 minutes. It gains steam in its latter half, but drags its feet on the way there, failing to find drama in desperate thrift-store searches.

An impressive lead performance by Britt Robertson, freed from what seems like chronic misuse, was enough to keep me watching through too many meandering episodes, but some viewers will surely demand more consistency and less erratic displays of imagination.

Ms. Robertson convincingly portrays Sophia’s defensiveness and irritating energy, but there’s a pinched, limited quality to her performance. Sophia needs charisma, and Ms. Robertson hasn’t found it. The bigger issue may be the disconnect between the part of Girlboss that wants to be a character study and the part that needs to be a conventionally entertaining series.

Most of the time, Girlboss skates across the surface of things, spending time on customer-service antics, fashion-acquisition mishaps, Sophia’s relationship with her drummer boyfriend (Johnny Simmons), her bond with Annie, and her parental issues.

Created by Kay Cannon ("Pitch Perfect"), and counting Charlize Theron among its producers, Girlboss clearly wants to be another contemplation of that delicate period on the cusp of full-fledged adulthood, which is where "Girls" began and ended...While this Netflix show has the desire and outward trappings to be its spiritual heir in addressing that moment, Girlboss ultimately feels too loose, and thinly drawn, to close the deal.

Despite some genuinely charming moments, Girlboss has a flimsy narrative and gives some of Sophia’s personal relationships only a passing glance.

Girlboss does not seem to know what it wants to be when it grows up. And while the potential is thrilling, it’s messy, too.

It never realizes that perpetual adolescence is the show’s problem, not hers. Sophia needs reason to change for the series to develop, and Girlboss is far too content watching the business grow instead of its star.

For all of Girlboss‘ bluster, the real problem isn’t that Sophia is unlikeable, it’s that she’s uninteresting. Hardly fleshed out beyond a line drawing of a devil-may-care rebel who hardly blinks at the idea of raiding a dead woman’s closet for vintage goodies, she’s a terribly wobbly center for an already uncentered show.

This TV series tries to capture some of the adventure in venture capitalism, but it suffers from an excess of aggressive cutesiness. ... The whole thing is alternately tedious and tiring.