On occasion, there comes a show on MTV with enough spunk and material to break the mold of fan-favorite reality shows and finding-love-for-money competitions. “Sweet/Vicious” has yet to be renewed for a second season, but viewers are already rallying behind the fresh-faced comedy drama. The show has a knack for balancing witty humor with hard-hitting scenarios, proving to be both entertaining and unapologetically honest.
In the new series, Jules Thomas (Eliza Bennett) is a sorority girl with a hidden identity as a vigilante, bringing justice to victims of sexual assault on Darlington’s college campus. The purpose behind her vengeful nature is that Jules herself was sexually assaulted by her best friend’s boyfriend Nate (Dylan McTee), the college’s golden boy.
Ophelia Mayer (Taylor Dearden), an avid hacker with a reputation, stumbles upon Jules in vengeful action, and thus becomes her vigilante sidekick. After an incident in the first episode where Ophelia accidentally killed one of Jules’ victims in order to save her (she has a strict scare and stab policy), they have no choice but to join forces to cover up the murder while finding new suspects between classes.
Without too many spoilers, the plot spirals as Jules finds herself face-to-face with her demons, those being ones that she did not bring upon herself. Besides the perfectly-timed comedy, there is drawn-out anticipation of what will happen when Jules does start to reveal those demons to the people around her, and of who will stick around when she does. At the expense of her vigilante lifestyle, her relationships and her mental health, she puts herself in situations that can’t support all three. Each episode plays out a new battle that only adds to the overall spiderweb of the season’s drama.
In regards to why Jennifer Kaytin Robinson created the show about a topic that is oftentimes seen as “taboo,” she told MarieClaire.com in an interview that “Millennials are a lot smarter than entertainment gives them credit for. There’s no reason these subjects should be taboo and go un-tackled.” In her show, the writing does not hold back on this statement, giving MTV’s target audience of ages 12-34 years old a glance at topics that are oftentimes glossed over in television and in real-life conversation.
The show and MTV itself are partnered with RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization. They created a contest during the season’s airing for viewers to win a chance to watch an episode with the cast. Not only did a viewer have a chance to meet the cast, but in the process, they helped raise money for the organization and continued to help spread awareness and bring in a bigger audience.
With the hopeful possibility of a second season, viewers- especially those who have made themselves heard over social media with dedicated Twitter handles and trending hashtags- will hopefully get answers to the bittersweet season finale. Justice may have been served in a sense, but all of the secrets and injustices in the world of the “Sweet/Vicious” vigilantes have yet to be revealed in only ten episodes.
