Geek Girl Series Review: In House of the Dragon, Emily Carey played a queen in the making. But now, the young actress finds herself facing something much more challenging: the cutthroat world of fashion. In the new Netflix series Geek Girl – based on the series of novels of the same name by Holly Smale – Carey plays the role of Harriet Manners, a shy, awkward, and bullied nerd whose life changes forever during a school trip to London Fashion Week. Discovered by Agent Wilbur Evans, the girl is soon catapulted into a universe unknown to her, as she tries to juggle school bullies, jealous rivals, and paralyzing anxiety.
As we will see in our review of Geek Girl, the series has the merit of celebrating the importance of self-acceptance and the value of diversity, also relying on the convincing performance of its protagonist. Of course, understanding why the fashion world is so eager to grab an awkward and awkward teenager as a model requires a fair amount of imagination on the part of viewers.
From nerd to model
Sixteen-year-old Harriet Manners (Emily Carey) excels at school, but feels misunderstood by her classmates who continually make fun of her: her brain, in fact, is "wired differently" and the girl spends her time trying to be invisible rather than standing out from the crowd. Everything changes, however, when, as part of a school project, she participates in London Fashion Week and is "discovered" by a modeling talent scout who catapults her into a world of beauty and catwalks. Not only that: she also starts dating fellow model Nick (Liam Woodrum) who, together with her parents, agent Wilbur (Emmanuel Imani), and her best friend Nat (Rochelle Harrington), will help Harriet exploit her strengths, to reclaim their “geek” label and stop hiding from the rest of the world.
Self-acceptance
Geek Girl stands out for its ability to deal with relevant and current issues through engaging and authentic storytelling. The series explores in depth the importance of self-acceptance and the value of diversity, through the story of Harriet Manners, a brilliant but often misunderstood girl for her eccentricity and her love for the geek world. The narrative, in fact, shows how the qualities that make Harriet different are actually her greatest strength, thus celebrating individuality and inviting the viewer to reflect on the importance of embracing what makes us unique. In a social context that often pushes towards conformity, Geek Girl offers a positive and encouraging vision of personal authenticity.
Another central theme of the series is the criticism of the superficial world of fashion: the series, in fact, does not limit itself to showing the charm of the sector but particularly highlights the pitfalls and pressures to which models are subjected. In this sense, Harriet catapulted into the glamor of the catwalks, representing a genuine voice in an image-obsessed environment, learning that true beauty lies in self-acceptance and confidence in one's abilities.
A convincing performance
Emily Carey offers a convincing performance as Harriet: her interpretation manages to capture the essence of an insecure and awkward teenager trying to make her way through the challenges of high school and the limelight. The young actress infuses the character with extraordinary delicacy and strength, making Harriet a figure in which Netflix's young audience can easily recognize themselves.
But the most interesting aspect of Carey's performance is how she manages to make the transformation her character undergoes believable. When Harriett is discovered by the talent scout, her excitement is palpable, and the audience can easily empathize with her desire for redemption against all those who have always made fun of her. However, Carey never allows this transformation to be superficial; even when she wears high fashion clothes and walks the catwalks, in fact, she always remains the geeky and intelligent girl we learned about in the first episode.
Suspension of disbelief
Although, as already mentioned, Geek Girl has an interesting and engaging plot, it is not free from flaws that may be difficult to ignore. In particular, it is difficult to understand why the fashion world is so eager to grab Harriet as a model, considering that our protagonist is clumsy and awkward and literally trips over her feet more times than would be considered acceptable. The suspension of disbelief needed to convince oneself that the girl really manages to conquer the world of the catwalk is remarkable, and this requires the viewer to make a significant effort to overcome the inconsistencies of the plot and fully appreciate the story.