With new addition under the miniseries catalog, Netflix brings you an eight-episode high school experience with Boo, Bitch. Starring Lana Condor as Erika Vu (well-known for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, 2018) and Zoe Margaret Colletti as Gia – high school besties going through a range of emotions in order to procure a memorable high school experience. With every ounce of that ‘extra’ drama one can imagine, both the girls want to leave a legacy that every kid in the high school dreams of.
Each episode of this team drama runs for a runtime of about 22 to 25 minutes and unlike the typical teenage shows, this one here has a slightly different take on various aspects of adolescent life. It shows how social media influence and the number of followers affect you psychologically. Attachments and breakups can be demanding and tiresome, a life based on other people’s validations is pointless, and maintaining the dynamics of a teenage friendship is essential.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the show in detail. Please be wary of *spoilers* as they can spoil your experience of watching the show:
Boo, Bitch (2022) Netflix Miniseries Recap:
The show starts with Erika regrettably explaining that she is dead. We see her corpse beneath a giant (also-dead) moose and her glittery sneakers poking out of the animal’s carcass. Her necklace given by Gia – as a graduation present also hangs from a branch on a nearby tree.
Forty-eight hours earlier to her untimely death, Erika and Gia were waiting by the classroom gallery for everyone to enter the class, so as to avoid any distressing moments. With only two months to figure out their life as high school teenagers, they have been practically invisible throughout their schooling, constantly fearing that the unfortunate phase of their life will continue to be the same even when they enter college.
Erika is always worried because nothing ever panes out her way, while Gia can only think about going to the prom before they graduate high school together. However, this further jitters Erika as the love of her life is dating the most popular girl in school; someone she has had an unfortunate beef with ever since the 9th-grade orientation program.
When Gia convinces Erika to attend the weekend party at Jake W’s house, both promise to live life to the fullest and say yes to everything (Booksmart much?) that would create a lasting impression on their high school experience.
Even though the girls never had any epic failures in their life, they also never had any epic wins. Hence, to set things right, they decide to go with the flow, enjoy every moment together, and make it to the prom.
Setting all this up in the first episode, the subsequent episodes of Boo, Bitch slowly turn to deepen Erika’s character – from being a timid, easily bullied girl to the one taking control of her life along with others around her. Her untimely death has only kickstarted things for her, and she needs to mind every business that needs to be done right before prom night.
Getting more confident with each passing day, Erika now becomes an entirely different person. Soon she starts dating Jake C and her popularity also skyrockets as she starts setting new trends; vocalizing her thoughts out loud and shifting things in the school to become the real game-changer.
Gia on the other hand keeps diverting Erika so that she doesn’t become too obsessed with her agendas and lives a little more rather than counting numbers on social media. We also see that Erika’s self-obsession has also led to her completely avoiding Gia and her life’s whereabouts.
She tries to tell Erika that she is slowly turning into a shallow person with a superiority complex, whose only mission is to get fake validation, something that has nothing to do with all the promises they made with each other.
Annoyed with how Gia is constantly putting her down, she starts to befriend people who are only the extended version of shallowness. She also becomes friends with Riley who agrees to be her frenemy. This bothers Jake, as he finds it difficult to be around Erika anymore. It feels strange to him that she is no longer that Erika, with whom he fell in love with.
Parkway High (School) has become a ticking bomb for Erika as she goes on making decisions in the school that are encouraged by fellow students. Now that she has become this social influencer, her parents are worried about her credit card spending and recent obnoxious habits. She shushes them by telling them that she doesn’t have much time and things need to be right before she goes away.
Meanwhile, Gia starts forming a close bond with Gaven, who is part of the Afterlife group. She slowly starts to like him and decides to go to the prom with him. However, during the prom theme meeting, Erika goes on to cancel the prom, because she feels it is quite lame to hold such an event every year that only divides people instead of bringing them together. She crushes everyone’s dream to enjoy their last day of being high schoolers by making the decision by herself. This provokes a certain group of students and slowly everyone joins in to cancelling her out.
In the ongoing drama in Erika’s life, she later learns that Gia was the troll that anonymously commented on her photo, just to see how she reacts and if Gia’s life is even remotely important to her anymore.
Erika becomes furious and stops talking to her entirely. While checking her phone, looking at how other kids in the school are gearing back for the prom which has now turned into ‘uncancel canceled prom,’ she realizes that she got carried away and has ruined everything. She realizes that she has jeopardizes the most important things in her life, including her relationship with Jake, and her friendship with Gia, who she misses a lot.
Why Erika doesn’t like the ‘most popular girl’ in the school?
During an orientation program in the 9th grade when everyone was getting their picture clicked for the annual yearbook; Erika and Gia get carried away while planning for their future in the school. Accidently, Erika’s head hit Riley in the nose.
Erika tried to compose herself to understand what just happened, but Riley (the most popular girl in school) warned her that she should be invisible to her throughout the year.
To add to that, while getting their picture snapped for the yearbook, Riley’s boyfriend Jake C. introduces himself, asking for Erika’s name. She blushes, and fumbles her name; however he mistakes his name as Helen, and Riley, in retaliation, announces the complete name as Helan Who. The photographer also mentions Erika’s name as Helan Who in the yearbook.
Thus, succumbing to Riley’s bullying in the most manipulative and submissive way, Erika tries to avoid being in her presence at all times.
Why Erika and Gia are all worked up about leaving a legacy behind?
The girls are worried that they will never have anything that will be living evidence of their high school epic-ness. Nobody knows their name, and they will graduate and eventually die without anyone ever knowing anything about them. Erika let Riley paralyze her from the beginning, and she has always lived in the shadow even though she had big plans for her high school life.
The infamous teenage mom of the school (she gave birth in a pool at a house party without even knowing she was pregnant) listens to their worrying conversation and suggests they should not worry too much. She points out to Erika that she can be and do whatever she wants because she can and has the potential, and when she leaves the earth, people will remember her for it.
Gia tells her that they both still have 60 days to make things right.
What happens at Jake W.’s house party?
Looking at all the kids from the school at the house party, Erika shares with Gia that she finds everything pointless. Everyone is ass-licking one another for the benefit of just being seen by someone. Jake C., who she loves, is in a toxic relationship with the obnoxious Riley because he is too afraid to be alone.
She also mentions that Riley is a ‘fake salty giraffe’ who takes away everything good that she can find, never leaving anything for anybody else. Gia lets Erika take out her emotions and then decides to enjoy the party whichever way they can. They choose to go for a dance to their favorite song until the girls get locked outside by Riley, who doesn’t want them to be part of the party.
After a point, Jake W. opens the door, and it seems they have entered a whole different world; the girls didn’t know they were missing out. Saying yes to every fun they promise they will have, Erika, decides to refill her drink. She meets Jake C., who is looking for something to drink. Trying to make small talk, she makes her signature cocktail that he likes.
When Gia goes on a bathroom break, Erika is aceing her Pong game skills on the other side. This draws Jake C.’s attention who is amazed at how good she is at the game. Jealousy comes over Riley, seeing her boyfriend rooting for her; she gets angry and goes to the washroom. Jake C follows her only to find out that she is being unreasonable about him getting excited for Erika. So, after a heated confrontation, they break up because of the relentless drama Riley is always bringing into the relationship.
Upset over the same, Jake goes to Erika for a refill of the earlier drink she made for him. He suggests they go out to find his secret stash hidden somewhere in the garden. Keeping the promise of saying yes to everything, Erika follows him. While searching for the stash, Erika notices that Jake is behaving differently. When she asks, he shares why he broke up with Riley and how he is so done with her for real this time. He also adds that it is about time he tries something new, with someone more like Erika, and leans over her to kiss her.
Erika feels sick. When she returns, Jake rushes to check up on her, also asking for her number. After giving him her number, Erika leaves for home with Gia. Riley sees all this and gets envious.
While walking back home, both the girls celebrate their eventful night. Gia shares that Jake W. said yes about going to the prom, and Erika is excited about everything. She still can’t believe they waited so long for things to happen. Gia exclaims that they are only young and their life is just the beginning.
Just then a truck comes their way while she was about to make a promise to Gia.
The following day, Erika wakes up to her phone vibration. Gia calls and informs her about being severely hungover. She notices Erika doesn’t have her necklace. In the woods, while searching for the necklace, both witness that someone is killed, and a dead moose is lying upon the body. Closely noticing the body, Erika realizes that the girl is wearing her shoes.
Boo, Bitch (2022) Netflix Miniseries Ending Explained:
Moping around all day at home ever since she got cornered by everyone, Erika apologizes to her parents who ask her to put an end to the beef with Gia. They tell her that it is for the first time, that they have not talked to each other for over a month.
Startled by the conversation, she realizes that no one has seen Gia ever since, Jake W’s party. She decides to go find her, but she learns that Gaven already knows that Gia is dead. While checking her messages, Gaven calls and warns her not to say a word to the Afterlife group who are coming after her to know more about why she wanted to know what happens after one dies.
Later she meets Gaven, and while talking to him, she realizes that it was only Gaven who could communicate with spirits when he is drunk and he can’t see, hear or touch an embodied spirit unless it is about Gia’s unfinished business.
Gia’s only wish was that she goes to prom before graduating. However, due to her untimely death, going to the prom with Gaven (who she really likes) has become an unfinished business. Now that Erika knows that only Gaven and she can see Gia’s ghost, they decide to check on her house.
On the other side, now that Jake is not going to prom at all, Riley comes to him requesting to go with her instead – but as friends, so she can win the best prom queen crown. Erika decides to go alone and when she reaches the event, everyone stares at her in surprise because she is there in spite of the humiliation that ‘uncancel canceled prom’ has caused her in the first place.
While everyone makes the most of the prom night, Erika sits alone in the corner and sees Gia at the entrance with their song “Guerilla” playing in the background. She rushes to Gia and starts apologizing instantly until one of the other girls starts calling Erika – a crazy bitch who is talking to herself.
Gia explains that she was starting to fade away until an hour ago, and Erika’s decision to show up to the prom alone might have changed things. Gia calls her brave for coming alone, telling her that it is the bravest thing she has ever done.
She understands that now Erika will be okay. Erika tells her not to worry about her anymore and that she should go to Gaven to finish her unfinished business and she should put herself first for once.
In the prom king and queen announcement, Devon Kehler and Riley Bhatia win the titles. However, Erika comes on the stage and tells everyone that her best friend, Gia is dead and that no one knew anything about her. She shares her prized memories with Gia and suggests that Riley should give up her crown to honor Gia.
Even though Riley is not happy about it, she gives up the crown for Gia. With all the unfinished business done right by Erika and Gia, the dead friend finally ascends to the afterlife.
Erika and Jake get back together after a mature confrontation. At the after-prom party, while sitting with Gaven, Erika shares happy memories of Gia with him. Happily settled into the new chapter of her college life, Erika sets up her table with a shiny crystal lamp.
While going downstairs for the freshmen party, she looks back to see that the crystal lamp lightens up by itself and she acknowledges the presence of her dead best friend by saying, “I see you, bitch.”
Trailer
Boo, Bitch (2022) Show Links – IMDb
Boo Bitch (2022) Show Cast – Lana Condor, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Mason Versaw, Aparna Brielle, Tenzing Norgay Trainor
