Girls5eva season 3 review: Netflix brings back an insanely fun show

A TV world without Girls5eva sounds dull as hell. And if it were up to Peacock, that’s the reality everyone would be living in. Thankfully, after the show was unceremoniously canceled two seasons in, Netflix renewed Meredith Scardino’s ingenious musical comedy. Its third season, which premieres March 14, instantly proves why it was worth saving, serving up a mix of laugh-out-loud jokes, delirious original songs, extraordinarily funny performances, and crafty cameos.

The beauty of Girls5eva lies in how it embraces absurdity. Here’s a TV show that confidently knows its voice and therefore doesn’t struggle to sustain it. In fact, the dialogue, characterizations, soundtrack, and sets only get better and more eccentric here. There’s a constant barrage of one-liners that don’t overpower the storytelling like they often did in season one, when Girls5eva relied a bit too much on its jokes. And if season two nailed a sweet spot between being snappy, stupid, and somewhat sentimental, the six new episodes continue to perfect that rhythm.

Script-wise, Scardino wisely stays in the same quirky vein as Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the hit she wrote for that was co-created by Girl5eva producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. There are tonal similarities to Fey’s work, including 30 Rock and the criminally underrated Great News. So for fans of this peculiar style of humor, Girls5eva is pretty easy to love. And if you’ve made it to season three, you know the biggest bonus is the beautifully unhinged original songs, courtesy of musician Jeff Richmond and lyricist Scardino. The title track, “Famous 5eva,” is un-skippable, as are other earworms like “4 Stars,” “Big Pussy Energy,” and “Bend Not Break.”

Season three delivers more bangers: Busy Philipps croons about watching but not understanding The Witcher, Sara Bareilles has another power ballad, a new cast member sings “Inside My Sweater,” and, best of all, there’s an ode to Fort Worth, Texas. (“Cowtown is a Wowtown with a walkable downtown / Tap into your Fort Worth.”) Yeah, it’s ridiculous, but that’s not to suggest the show doesn’t have something worthwhile to say. Girls5eva, after all, is about four members of a ’90s one-hit-wonder girl band who reunite for another shot at fame. To do so, they have to constantly update their musical sensibilities while shedding past misogynistic experiences. Somehow, Girls5eva navigates those sensitive issues with breezy commentary.

The show also excels at taking jabs at the zeitgeist, which means there are quips about Ticketmaster, musicians filming documentaries about themselves, scam culture, the state of women’s rights, and, of course, Fey regular Jon Hamm. In season three, Dawn (Bareilles), Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry), Summer (Philipps), and Gloria (Paula Pell) embark on the Returnity Tour with the hope of selling out a huge venue. But first they must spend six months playing small towns and living in motel rooms. A brief respite comes in episode four, the season’s funniest half-hour, when the women are hired for a lavish birthday party in Orlando along with other forgotten popular acts.

Girls5eva’s goofiness works because the main cast members sell the hell out of it. Broadway star Goldsberry remains the MVP as Wickie Roy, the Jenna Maroney-esque diva who believes the sun revolves around her. It shouldn’t be this easy to root for a selfish Wickie, who spins things out of control by being extra, but Goldsberry pulls off that feat. She plays Wickie with a committed passion, whether she’s sensually flirting with an ex, busting out a dance move, or occasionally displaying emotions. Girls5eva reminds everyone Goldsberry was born to be a scene-stealer, and she better be in awards contention for this one. Philipps, Pell, and Bareilles are pros, too, expertly navigating being kooky and charming. The whole group’s dynamic is what makes the show, well, sing.

Which is not to say that every zinger or song lands equally hard. But the scattered misses are easy to digest and forgivable because of the other gifts Girls5eva bestows on us. Season three alone features Richard Kind doling out advice, John Early playing a triggered senator, Pell’s Gloria on a quest to make up for lost time as a formerly closeted lesbian, Wickie reveling herself in a game of “Find The Lie,” and Dawn coming into her own. Think of it as a show that’s been brought back to life and magnificently fine-tuned.

Girls5eva season three premieres March 14 on Netflix