Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce

Some of the randy dialogue strains a bit too hard to be provocative ("My vagina is not dead, it was just in a coma"), but what's truly shocking is how harsh and unforgiving the domestic blow-ups can be, as Abby and Jake survey the wreckage of their life together. The best parts of Divorce are those that remind us how messy and panicky such a dissolution can be for all involved.

The characters on GGTD are, for the most part, pretty smart, and their frustrations are well articulated and vivid. Divorce, I'm told, involves anger, distress, self-recrimination, and a not insignificant amount of genuine grief. That's the part the show seems to nail. Everything else, though, has been done better elsewhere.

Few divorces are pleasant, but the sharp, nasty scenes between Abby and Jake are the only emotionally honest moments over the first two episodes. Not surprisingly, they're the best ones, too. A shame the antagonists are so unlikable.

It’s a serviceable drama that’s well-calibrated to the interests of the Bravo audience but it seems unlikely to appeal beyond that particular subset of viewers.

What’s really irritating about the show is that it’s not entirely bad and you want there to be more of the good parts.

The tone changes so abruptly, what's meant to be funny comes off as bitter. [5 Dec 2015, p.65]