Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls Pajama-Party Brunch

Summary

Good One: A Podcast About Jokes – Episode Summary
Episode: Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls Pajama-Party Brunch
Release Date: February 4, 2025

Hosted by Jesse David Fox from Vulture.com, this episode of Good One: A Podcast About Jokes dives deep into the third season of HBO Max’s acclaimed comedy series, The Sex Lives of College Girls. Featuring an insightful panel discussion with cast members and the show's showrunner, this episode uncovers the nuances of creating fresh content, character development, and the behind-the-scenes magic that keeps the series engaging.

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1. Introduction and Panel Assembly

[01:04]
Jesse David Fox introduces the episode, setting the stage for a lively pajama-party brunch discussion post-premiere screening of the third season. He welcomes panelists including cast members Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Alya Chanel Scott, Ilya Pollino, Reneka Williams, and Justin Noble, the show's showrunner and co-creator alongside Mindy Kaling.

Notable Quote:
"This is the Sex Lives of College Girls, the HBO Max comedy that just wrapped up its third season recently." — Jesse David Fox

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2. Keeping the Show Fresh in Season 3

[02:17] – [03:26]
The panel discusses the challenges of maintaining originality in the third season, especially with recurring college milestones like move-in day. Justin Noble explains how the sophomore year brings a shift in character dynamics, moving from newcomers to experienced students who still face unforeseen challenges.

Notable Quote:
"We are experts at college life at this point. And then life very swiftly is like, no, you are not." — Justin Noble [02:58]

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3. Character Majors and Personalities

[03:26] – [04:50]
The conversation shifts to the academic pursuits of the characters, revealing their majors and how these influence their personalities and story arcs. The panel speculates humorously on majors like business and communications, tying them to character traits.

Notable Quote:
"I think Willow is a communications major because that is like the most basic major." — Panelist 1 [04:23]

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4. Authenticity in Storytelling and Rewriting Scenes

[05:00] – [07:17]
A pivotal moment is discussed where cast members Alya Chanel Scott and Pauline Chalamet collaboratively rewrote a scene to better capture the authentic tension between their characters. This spontaneous rewiring improved the scene's depth and realism, highlighting the collaborative nature of television production.

Notable Quote:
"We ended up pausing, and we actually just rewrote it on the fly... it made the scene so much better." — Alya Chanel Scott [06:23]

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5. Navigating Friendship Tensions

[07:17] – [09:02]
The panel delves into the complexities of portraying realistic friendships on screen, especially when conflicts arise without external provocations. Seagal Samuel emphasizes the importance of depicting genuine interpersonal dynamics rather than resorting to clichéd conflicts.

Notable Quote:
"The rift that happens between them is representative of what can happen between friendships in college." — Seagal Samuel [05:41]

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6. Transitioning to Comedy: Cast Members' Experiences

[09:02] – [10:26]
Pauline Chalamet shares her journey from drama to comedy, highlighting the technical skills involved in comedic performance. She discusses how dissecting jokes and understanding comedic beats has enriched her approach to acting.

Notable Quote:
"Comedy is a very technical skill, and there's just always more to be learned from it." — Seagal Samuel [09:02]

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7. Physical Comedy and Choreographed Scenes

[10:36] – [12:04]
The panel discusses the intricacies of filming physically demanding scenes, such as soccer sequences. Alya Chanel Scott recounts the challenges and humorous mishaps during filming, emphasizing the importance of choreography and teamwork.

Notable Quote:
"We have to make her do it instead of the stunt double? I'm like, where? What?" — Alya Chanel Scott [11:02]

---

8. Future Story Arcs and Milestones

[13:16] – [14:25]
Asking about future college milestones to be featured in the show, the panel hints at storylines like study abroad programs and character growth. Justin Noble expresses a desire to showcase the characters' personal and professional development beyond the campus.

Notable Quote:
"We just figured out what was different from what we already have in the show a little bit." — Justin Noble [14:25]

---

9. Character Departures and Ensemble Dynamics

[13:55] – [16:39]
The discussion moves to the departure of a main character, Reneka Williams' Leighton, and how this affects the ensemble’s dynamic. Amrit Kaur shares the emotional process of writing her character out, balancing sadness with the introduction of new characters to keep the narrative fresh.

Notable Quote:
"It's bittersweet and so heavy and sad and so beautiful at the same time." — Amrit Kaur [16:39]

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10. Integrating Musical Elements

[18:05] – [31:51]
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around incorporating musical elements into the show. The panel expresses enthusiasm for a potential musical episode, with cast members highlighting their musical talents and the impact of these elements on storytelling.

Notable Quote:
"I would love to pursue it... What musical would you want them to do?" — Panelist 4 and Justin Noble [28:40]

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11. Personal Growth and Side Projects

[20:57] – [23:28]
Justin Noble and other cast members discuss their personal growth alongside their characters. Justin shares his venture into stand-up comedy and opening a theater, attributing his successes to the support from the show and her colleagues.

Notable Quote:
"I started doing standup and failing publicly, and I'm learning a lot from that kid." — Justin Noble [22:03]

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12. Closing Remarks and Future Episodes

[32:11] – [32:54]
Jesse David Fox wraps up the episode by thanking the panelists and encouraging listeners to stay tuned for future discussions. The episode concludes with light-hearted banter among the panelists, reinforcing the show's fun and collaborative spirit.

Notable Quote:
"Have a good one." — Jesse David Fox [32:07]

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Conclusion:
This episode of Good One: A Podcast About Jokes offers a comprehensive look into the creative processes behind The Sex Lives of College Girls' third season. From maintaining freshness in recurring themes to the nuanced portrayal of friendships and the integration of musical elements, the panel provides valuable insights. Cast members candidly share their experiences, challenges, and personal growth, making this episode a must-listen for fans and aspiring comedians alike.

Notable Final Quote:
"It was like, I'm trying to find out what that is. The Sex Glicked Lives of College Warrior." — Alya Chanel Scott [29:24]

---

For fans eager to understand the humor and heart behind their favorite characters, this episode serves as both an entertaining and informative exploration of comedy in television storytelling.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

On Explain it to Me we treat every single question you ask us with the utmost professionalism. What was your initial reaction when you read that question?

[Seagal Samuel]

Honestly, like my gut initial reaction was like oh honey.

[Panelist 1]

Like, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I'm kind of like, okay, all right.

[Panelist 2]

I'm glad you said that.

[Podcast Host]

There are no bad questions, but there are some that are really hard to answer. This week on Explain It To Me, Seagal Samuel tells us why those are the ones she gravitates towards. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jesse David Fox]

Hello and welcome to Good One, a podcast about jokes. I am your host Jesse David Fox. As we work on getting our new season in order, we have another offering from Vulture Festival 2024. This is a panel for the Sex Lives of College Girls, the HBO Max comedy that just wrapped up its third season recently. That said, the conversation you're about to hear came after a screening of the premiere for the third season. It was moderated by my colleague Jason Frank. Also, it was technically a pajama brunch, which explains any references you'll hear to pajamas and or breakfast foods. You'll be hearing from cast members Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Alya Chanel Scott, Ilya Pollino, Reneka Williams, and Justin Noble, the show's showrunner and co creator with Mindy Kaling. So here is the Sex Lives of College Girls.

[Panelist 3]

Hello. How are we?

[Panelist 4]

Hi everybody.

[Panelist 5]

Cheers, bitches.

[Panelist 4]

Did we all love the episode? Pretty great. Welcome. Thank you guys so much for being here. I wanted to start with a question for Justin I'm curious about. We've it's the third season of the show, but for the girls, it's their second year of college.

[Panelist 5]

Are you giving me math on a Saturday morning?

[Panelist 4]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Panelist 5]

Okay. How fast is the first train going?

[Panelist 4]

Uh huh. Uh huh. I am curious about though. As a writer, you've been through at this point all of the major milestones that happen in one year of college. Yeah. How did you approach keeping the show fresh when you already had you have a move in day again? You have to do all of those same milestones one more time.

[Panelist 5]

Well, we love that we can kind of like hint back at a little bit of what the like premiere for the first season was. But the thing that's so fun about sophomore year is like these characters arrive on campus, they're shell shocked. They don't know what's happening. Season one and sophomore year, you come back and you're like, ugh. We are experts at college life at this point. And then life very swiftly is like, no, you are not. So it let us. The characters are in such a different place than they were when they first arrived. So their reactions to things are just different and fun.

[Panelist 4]

Amazing. Renika and Ilya, I don't feel like we see everything that goes on in your characters lives. Right. I have been wondering as I watch the show, what are their majors? Yeah. Like, fundamentally, do you guys know in your minds?

[Justin Noble]

That's a great question. I think Leela is just like there. I think. I think she passes all of her classes, but, like, strictly on jokes. You know what I mean? Like, that's how I pass.

[Panelist 3]

She's undecided.

[Justin Noble]

Yeah, yeah, sure.

[Panelist 3]

I like vibing.

[Panelist 4]

I don't know. I feel like she could be an amazing business major based on the fact that she's the full on boss of a coffee shop.

[Justin Noble]

Right, right. I forgot she does business.

[Panelist 1]

I think Willow is a communications major because that is like the most basic major.

[Panelist 3]

I'm sorry.

[Panelist 1]

If anybody.

[Panelist 4]

Does anyone here? Does anyone here?

[Panelist 5]

Put your hands. Everyone.

[Panelist 1]

Sorry.

[Justin Noble]

All the basic bitches.

[Panelist 1]

You're gonna do so well with it. I think Willow is the type that won't do the internships after. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You have to put a little extra effort. I think Willow is just always told her grandma she would go to college, so she went to college.

[Panelist 4]

Totally. Yeah.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Panelist 4]

I wonder if we could bring our first guest up on the screen. Can we do that? Oh, my gosh.

[Panelist 5]

Oh, my God. Hello.

[Panelist 4]

So it's helpful.

[Panelist 3]

I know this is crazy.

[Panelist 2]

I just have to take a moment to acknowledge this.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah. What's. Are you in France right now?

[Seagal Samuel]

I'm with you guys. I'm all in my pj.

[Panelist 4]

Yay. I thought you. For both Aaliyah and Pauline, this was a landmark episode in a lot of ways. I feel that we just watched because it's the first time that the central rift is between the girls. It's not outside. There's no one outside. It's just between you guys. Starting with Pauline. I'm curious if it felt different to play a plot that centered around a tension between an inter.

[Panelist 5]

Girl.

[Panelist 4]

Inter. Friend tension.

[Seagal Samuel]

Yes, it did. It felt like it was playing something like a little deeper. That I think is normal on a season three that the show starts to address things a little deeper. And I know Something that was really important for both Aaliyah and me was that, like, the scene be about their friendship and not be about a guy. And I think that the. It's just the rift that happens between them is representative of what can happen between friendships in college.

[Panelist 5]

Just to give these two a shout out, too. Like, when we were filming that scene in the closet at the frat basement, like, we were filming the scene as it was scripted, and then I think both of you independently, were, like, coming over to me, being like, something just feels a little off. And we ended up pausing, and we actually just rewrote it on the fly. And, like, Aaliyah and Pauline were, like, actually deciding their own lines, and I was just sitting there, like, just tweaking them ever so slightly for tv. But it made the scene so much better. And the funny thing was, we shot the original version of the scene, like, I don't know, 11 times, because we were, like, trying to figure out, like, what's slightly off. And then as soon as we had the new words, we filmed it, like, two, three times for sound purposes. And then as soon as the editor saw it, they were like, that's the version. So it was like, it's so helpful, and it's like, TV is such a collaborative medium, but, like, they know their characters so well, they knew that they needed to make that tweak. And it was so helpful for the scene. It's so much better for it.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah, I think people expected it to be this, like, brawl between the two of us, which, like, would have been fun, honestly, some stunt choreo. But for me, so much time has passed. Like, it's been two years since we did the thing. And also, it's been the summer since they. Since the thing happened that I feel like hurt kind of festers a little bit. And if it was immediately afterwards, maybe there would be some sort of fight. But, like, see someone three months later and be like, I'm going to whoop your ass. Like, that's. That's crazy. You know, you have some time. You have some time to process what's happened. And I think for Whitney, what the processing was, it was like, oh, wait. I actually feel like this was more about how close I thought we were and how if that was something you wanted, you would have come to me about it first. And you not doing that made me question how close you thought I was to you. You know, like, are we not girls? Like, do we not do that? So that was the root of the thing. And when we were doing the scene, that's what I was like. We have to talk about that thing, because that's the hurt that I feel in this moment.

[Panelist 4]

Totally.

[Panelist 5]

And just as a show, it's so abundantly clear, I think, from anyone who's seen any episode of it. Like, we don't have a lot of taste for doing girl on girl warfare and having that be a prominent part of our storytelling. So we knew that we wanted to tell a story that was real. It's not real if they never have any conflict whatsoever. That's just Pollyanna. But we wanted to have them have a real issue and get through it pretty quickly.

[Panelist 4]

Pauline, I don't know if you remember this. You and I go way back in that I interviewed you last season for 30 minutes, but one thing that you talked about in that was that you were a bit surprised to find yourself on a comedy at all. You were like, I'm a drama girl. I am not the storyteller at a table. I'm the one who will cry about my emotions. I'm curious about how it felt throughout this season, if that changed at all or if that. Give me an update on how you feel about being in a comedy.

[Seagal Samuel]

Well, I think there's multiple things, like Aaliyah just said. So much time has gone by since we shot that I've been saying that picking Kimberly up again is like putting on an old pair of really worn shoes, but, like, you haven't put them on in a while. So, like, it's a little funky at first. I. I still. I. I think I'm just learning. Like, I just learn every day at work on this show. And what learn is the technicality of comedy. It's not. It's. I really used to think that you have to be just a funny person in life, and those are the people who do comedy. And I'm learning that actually the comedy is a very technical skill, and there's just always more to be learned from it. So I actually take a lot of enjoyment in, like, reading the scripts. And then, like, when I see what Kimberly's going through on an episode being like, okay, where. Where are the beats in this scene? Like, what is it? That's the comedy in this. And then when I can figure it out kind of, like, mathematically, then I'm not really focused on being funny or worried about being funny or worried about the comedy of it all. So it's like a way I have of dealing with it. So that's kind of where I. Where I stand on. On that.

[Justin Noble]

I don't.

[Seagal Samuel]

I don't I don't know.

[Panelist 3]

Good answer.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah, I think it's a great answer. I did want to ask. So, Renika and Aaliyah, you are both BFAs in college. Is that correct?

[Panelist 3]

Unfortunately, yes.

[Panelist 4]

You both play soccer players. I just want to know what your relationship is like with jockdom. Do you feel connected to that in any way? Is that new for you?

[Panelist 3]

Foreign to me personally. We kind of have fun, though. It feels like half the time when we're filming those soccer scenes, in between, I'm like, five, six, seven, eight. Like, it becomes choreography to us to a certain degree.

[Panelist 1]

Yeah.

[Panelist 3]

And that's how we deal, and that's how we cope.

[Panelist 1]

Yeah. Because the first day of soccer training, I cried, and she did.

[Seagal Samuel]

Famous.

[Panelist 1]

Seriously, I'm glad I had to stay. Thank you.

[Panelist 3]

We had to stop the practice. We had to stop the practice.

[Panelist 1]

I mean, I quit every spot I ever played growing up. And so the fact that Justin hired me. But no. Yeah. Now it feels. Now it feels like an accomplishment kind of, you know, like, to do our own stunts. Like, did you guys see Aaliyah doing?

[Justin Noble]

That was her foot, actually.

[Panelist 2]

My foot.

[Justin Noble]

Yeah.

[Panelist 5]

Yeah, yeah.

[Panelist 3]

Actually, my foot. Well, that was not the plan. To be clear, we rehearsed the soccer sequences. Cause they're all heavily choreographed. And there's, like, camera movements and sequences and different plays. And for some reason, when we get on the day, everyone's like, leah just looks so good. Should we just keep making her do it instead of the stunt double? I'm like, where? What? Yeah. Huh?

[Panelist 1]

Like, the stunt double be over there chilling.

[Panelist 3]

She's like, you're really true. And I'm, like, dying. I'm like, wait, how did this happen?

[Panelist 5]

But you have gotten so good at it.

[Panelist 3]

I kind of play soccer now, which is crazy.

[Panelist 5]

There's this amazing moment in season one. We've probably talked about it publicly, but, like, it's the start of episode eight of season one, and it's like Whitney's doing a penalty kick, and it's like, it's gonna put them into the playoffs. We were filming overnight at Vassar. Like, the sun was literally peeking over the trees. And we were like, we have to finish before the sun comes up. And Aaliyah was, like, trying to get this penalty kick, and then she had this shocking, like, drilled ball into an upper corner. It was, like, the best kick we've ever seen. It was, like, beyond professional. And then the reaction that's in the show, I think, is Aaliyah's genuine reaction. Like, how. How the fuck did I Do that. Like, it's so. It was, like, literally a buzzer beater at, like, the sun peeking over us, and the soccer techs were all like, wow, what was that like? She could have been in the Olympics.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah. The start of a new career for me, actually.

[Panelist 5]

5, 6, 7, 8.

[Panelist 4]

Okay, Pauline, I am gonna let you go in a second. I did want to ask. I'm gonna ask all of you this at the end, but I only have to let Pauline go, so I'm gonna ask her first. What college milestone you're excited to play moving forward in the show?

[Seagal Samuel]

The first one that comes to mind is a study abroad.

[Panelist 4]

Ooh, okay.

[Panelist 5]

That's creatively difficult.

[Panelist 4]

I was like, yeah, Justin, we can make it happen.

[Panelist 5]

We can make it happen. Easter at sea.

[Panelist 4]

She's often at France. Okay, Pauline, I'm gonna let you go now. Thank you so much for joining.

[Panelist 5]

Okay. Okay. Bye, guys. Bye, Pauline. Love you.

[Seagal Samuel]

Hi.

[Jesse David Fox]

We'll be right back with more of the sex lives of college girls. Now back to the sex lives of college girls, live from Vulture Festival.

[Panelist 4]

Okay, Justin, I. I wanted to ask about the fact that there's going to be. We haven't seen it yet, but there's going to be some reshuffling in this season. Obviously, Renee's Leighton is no longer going to be a part of the show moving forward. But I am curious about. I mean, when you have these ensemble shows, typically every single character that you write has to play a specific tonal role. And what it was. I'm so curious what it was like to try to navigate reconfiguring the tones of the show.

[Panelist 5]

Totally. Yeah. It's like each show is kind of like a soup with different ingredients in it. And that's especially true of our show because I feel like the favorite scenes of the show are where everyone's sitting around in the common room together, and they're all talking about some issue, and everyone has a unique perspective on it, and, like, their lines couldn't be delivered by any other character in the scene. And so as you shift things up like, that is. That is a task to figure it out. The fun thing was, naturally, college is just a world that just keeps expanding. Like, I think about my first year in college, and I'm like, I probably had, like, 10 close friends, and I probably held onto them like literal stuffed animals. Being like, you're not gonna go anywhere. Right? Or you're going to this place for dinner, maybe I'll join you there. You know, you're just, like, more timid. And then as you get into your sophomore year and beyond, you're just naturally expanding, walking through other doorways, joining groups, and your world gets bigger. So this year, as we decided to add two new voices into the show with Casey and Taylor, we started talking about what those character traits could be. And the first day we did it, the writers. We have, like, the most fantastic, like, brilliant female writers on the show, and they came up with, like, 800 ideas for who these people could be. And we just figured out what was different from what we already have in the show a little bit. But if you look at things, like, there are remnants of some things that Leighton will have in common with Casey this season or with Taylor, and the same is true for the other characters. I think one of my, like, tricks in terms of writing things, especially for this show, where there's usually a foursome or a fivesome, is to have a divided room on different issues. Like, so if you actually were to break down the characters and, please, no one do this, it would be very boring for you. But usually two of them would agree on something, and two of them would disagree on something, and I think that allows for different dynamics to naturally flow. So we'll have a lot of that with Casey. Hey, girl. Hello. And this one who's you just. I mean, they can't see her, but she's. Oh, they can't see her.

[Panelist 4]

Oh, my God.

[Panelist 5]

Okay. Not that Amrit's here or anything.

[Panelist 4]

There's something happening that you don't know it yet, so calm down. Aaliyah, I'm curious about what that was like for you as well, because you're navigating that, both as an actor and as a character, a new formation. What was that process like for you?

[Panelist 3]

Oh, my goodness. So bittersweet and so heavy and sad and so beautiful at the same time. Well, you haven't seen it, but you get to see us say goodbye to her in real time on the show. And that shooting, that was very emotional, but also at the same time, like, very silly because she lives three minutes away from me. So it wasn't like I was like, bye, see you never. It was like, see you tonight. So there's that. But then also, like, getting Gracie and Mia, who are now, like, two of my very good friends, and I adore them. Like, I've been a fan of Gracie since I was in college, and she came to my college town to play a show, and, like, so knowing she was coming onto the show, I was very trying to be very chill about it, but not very chill about it. And also, it's like, I've been saying this, and Gracie and me will probably back it up. Like, when, you know, new people are coming to into an environment that's established. Like, I wanted to make sure they felt welcome, and I hope that you all want them here and make them feel welcome. But I was very, perhaps too eager to make them feel welcome, and I was like, guys, how are you doing? What's going on? Do you want to hang out? And they're like, aaliyah, we get it. You want to be friends. It's okay. But I think we all had that energy of wanting to take care of them and usher them into the space in a way. And so I think because we all came at it with such a, like, arms wide open approach, it really made the group dynamic solidified in a new, fun way that feels like, truly one of my favorite. It's my favorite season this far. It's, like, so wonderful.

[Panelist 4]

Okay, I think we can bring our next guest onto the screen.

[Panelist 2]

Ami, that is wildly scary.

[Panelist 4]

Welcome.

[Panelist 2]

Well, I feel like the voice of God.

[Justin Noble]

You are God is a woman.

[Panelist 5]

Wow.

[Panelist 2]

Everyone looks so fancy and beautiful. It's a very fancy slumber party.

[Justin Noble]

Wait, what are you seeing?

[Panelist 2]

Me, I'm seeing a huge TV of my face, and then I see these small, beautiful. Justin, you also look brown today.

[Panelist 3]

Brown people.

[Panelist 4]

I had a question that I think goes to both Ilya and Amrit. You two play, like, the two of the horniest people alive.

[Justin Noble]

You know it.

[Panelist 4]

I think, in total, like, if we were to look at them, I'm curious about how you make sure that feels, like, grounded and real and also just, like, a true expression of something from inside.

[Justin Noble]

Of course. Of course. Honestly, I just play it for the real. That was not planned, I think. Listen, I grew up in a very, very controlled situation. My daddy's a pastor, and if you know, you know, and I think. And I. And it all stems from love. Sure. But there is something that happens when you grow up in a pressure cooker of always feeling like, not only do I have the eyes of my parents on me always, but everyone in the congregation is, like, because I'm not Ilya. Right. I'm Paulino's daughter. And so like, that just had the very natural response. It's behavioral science, you know, that when I bloomed, I bloomed. And I think. And there's nothing wrong with it. You know, that's my answer. Why are you so horny?

[Panelist 2]

Well, and I are very similar in that way. We have very sheltered homes, so we sort of Just once we had the show, we were like, it's coming out. I mean, actually, once we left home, we were, yeah, it was not good for our families. But, yeah, I think it's interesting. I think all of us are horny, really are sexual human beings to varying degrees. We just gotta admit it. And for some reason, Ilya and I have characters that admit it to the 10th, so I just admit it in myself. Play for the real, like Ilya said.

[Panelist 5]

Is it too late to print reprint all the posters for this season with the new tagline, I think all of us are horny. I'll get into that afterwards.

[Panelist 4]

We'll talk about that.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Panelist 4]

I mean, Bella's had a tumultuous year. Out of all of the characters, she's the only one who tried to transfer and then failed. She has a 1.8 GPA. She's completely altered her path moving forward by this episode. She doesn't think that she's going to be a comedian anymore. I am curious about. Do you have dreams for her moving forward? Do you read these scripts? Are you rooting for her to go a specific way, or are you just, like, happy to have her along this journey?

[Panelist 2]

Absolutely. I'm selfish. I have desires for every character. The character sits deep inside of me. I hope she finds her way back to comedy. We'll see if she does, or you guys will see if she does. And I will say thank you to Bella because she's made me realize how much I like comedy. And I've started doing standup and failing publicly, and I'm learning a lot from that kid.

[Panelist 4]

Do you think that doing standup has affected how you perform as the character?

[Panelist 2]

Absolutely. I think it's the other way around. I think the character has helped me with stand up. I mean, Bella's someone who's always testing out jokes and trying to see if she's funny. And when I'm. And then what's interesting is when I'm playing Bella, I feel like I'm constantly doing that in my real life, testing out if I'm funny or not. And most of the time, I'm not. Just like, Bella's.

[Panelist 3]

Most of the time, not.

[Panelist 2]

I'm like, fuck too close. But, yeah, that stand up is all about failing. And I can be better at failing. But I just. I opened up a theater with some of my amazing, most amazing colleagues. I'm at the theater right now, stepping out of rehearsal. And we do inspire. Inspired by all of this. And, you know, thank you to Sex Lives with College Girls. Because without that Money I couldn't have invested in this theater. We have a stand up stage underground, so that's phenomenal. And I'm so grateful to Justin and Mindy that I've been able to build my home.

[Panelist 4]

And where is that theater? Plug it. Plug it.

[Panelist 2]

It's in Bushwick. It's in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It's the biggest theater in Bushwick. And everyone cast, everyone who's in New York during my show, please come watch if you want to see me on stage. And. Yeah.

[Justin Noble]

So proud of you.

[Panelist 4]

Okay. I think we are wrapping up relatively soon, but now is the time when we're going to get back to the question that I promised moving. You said that?

[Panelist 5]

And I was like, oh, we're gonna get a heads up. We get to think on this. We can have answers.

[Panelist 4]

So the question that I want everyone answer is, what college milestone you're excited to play moving forward? We already heard study abroad. That's one. No one's allowed to take that. But, Justin, we're going to start with you.

[Panelist 5]

Oh, great. What college milestone do I want to play on the show? I guess, professor, what do you want to write? Yeah, I. I think I love the little moments in the show where, like, the characters, these girls are like, slowly but surely figuring out who they are as people. Like, I feel like that not to be, like, sentimental, but, like, the show is a comedy in the good year of 2024 that actually has, like, jokes on television. Let's maybe have a little bit more of that moving forward. But I love when they. I just see them, like, sort of unlock some potential that they acknowledge themselves. And I think if there's any kind of secret to the show, it's like a lot of characters coming in being like, I know exactly what I want to do and then realizing that that ain't it. And it's something else that happens through accident, which was very much my trajectory too. I applied to college as a biochemical engineering major who wanted to go to law school and become a lawyer, who would work on cases of genetic engineering. Privacy. Just kidding. That was what I told them in the essay. I wanted to do comedy. And then I quit all my science classes my first day. But I think that we'll see a lot of things this season where our girls are, like, making big advances in who they're gonna be after the show.

[Panelist 3]

Cool.

[Panelist 4]

All right, Ilia, you're next in line.

[Justin Noble]

I want to see Leela fall in love.

[Panelist 5]

We all do.

[Panelist 3]

We need it.

[Panelist 1]

We need it.

[Justin Noble]

Justin.

[Panelist 3]

Right.

[Panelist 4]

Who do you think she would fall in love with.

[Justin Noble]

Oh, my God. Well, everyone. I think. Yeah. I think I. You know, I can see her with someone who. You know, those people who are, like, the same age range, but they have the spirit of, like, 102 year old. Like, old man. Yes.

[Panelist 5]

I went to the tree in Pocahontas is where I went with that.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah.

[Justin Noble]

Like, someone just like that will let her perform and, like, not care that she's in the spotlight.

[Panelist 5]

Someone who can go toe to toe with Leela. No, no.

[Justin Noble]

Sit down, sit down. Just watch. I will provide enter entertainment just like it. Thank you.

[Panelist 4]

I don't think anyone. The issue is, like, no one could go toe to toe.

[Justin Noble]

Exactly. And then they try and they fail. We're talking about Lila, right?

[Panelist 5]

Cut to Lila with, like, a shovel. Yeah.

[Panelist 4]

All right, you're up.

[Panelist 3]

I mean, graduation, like, if we could be so lucky to get that far, but then also, like, we're on pace.

[Panelist 5]

To hit that in season 45.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah. The year 2036. I. There's also, like, that thing that happens in college where, like, you come back one year and you just, like, have a glow up and your whole look is different. Your hair is different, your style is different. Like, I want that to happen.

[Panelist 4]

You want that to happen?

[Panelist 3]

Selfishly, what.

[Panelist 4]

What style do you want her to go for?

[Panelist 3]

I don't know. Something very different.

[Panelist 5]

Who among our gorgeous cast could be glowed? At this point, though, it's like, we can. We can totally shake.

[Panelist 3]

Glows up, but, like, a hard. A hard left.

[Panelist 4]

So you want.

[Panelist 3]

You know, you have those people in college. Like, she comes back with, like, a wolf cut, and he's like, yeah, you want me. You know what I mean? Like, come on. Something.

[Panelist 4]

Renica.

[Panelist 1]

I would like Willow to run for student body president, period. I think Willow is the voice of reason, and I think she has a lot to share in leadership. Maybe.

[Panelist 5]

We all need a Willow. We all need a Willow.

[Panelist 4]

What do you think her policies would be?

[Panelist 1]

Freedom.

[Panelist 3]

Right.

[Panelist 1]

Freedom. Boundaries.

[Justin Noble]

Do I teach Whitney boundaries?

[Panelist 3]

It's probably the other way around. Yeah.

[Panelist 1]

No boundaries. No boundaries.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Panelist 5]

She's open to a campaign slogan.

[Panelist 3]

Workshopping it.

[Panelist 4]

We're all horny.

[Panelist 1]

I think I have a plan.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Panelist 4]

Okay. And back to you up there on Zoom.

[Panelist 2]

Snl. I mean, I think that's obvious. Get SNL in there. This has been so fun. I'm gonna go head back to rehearsal.

[Panelist 5]

Bye.

[Panelist 3]

Yes, girl, leave.

[Justin Noble]

The work does not stop. Go.

[Panelist 5]

She found her exit. She found her exit.

[Justin Noble]

I love this for you.

[Panelist 5]

I want Bella to be on snl. Goodbye.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah, okay. I'VE been.

[Panelist 5]

Bye.

[Panelist 3]

Love you. Wait, I have another one also.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah, yeah, go.

[Panelist 3]

Even though Gracie kind of does this. Justin, I've been doing this for years. Musical episode, musical vibes, something.

[Panelist 5]

It's just weird.

[Panelist 3]

I think we all sing.

[Panelist 5]

It's so weird how many musical people are in this cast of television.

[Panelist 4]

Musical theater people? Yeah.

[Panelist 5]

No, just musically talented people in general. Yeah, it's almost every single one of them. Yeah. Someone. Even the other day. Oh, Nabil.

[Panelist 3]

Yeah, Nabil singing.

[Panelist 5]

This cast doesn't even know who Nabil is yet. There's a character named Arvind. You're getting all the spoilers this day. But he put up a video singing, and I was, like, walking my dog the other night and being like him, too. How? I mean, look, I love that episode of Buffy. So, yeah, it's camp.

[Panelist 4]

What musical would you want them to do?

[Justin Noble]

Great question.

[Panelist 5]

It seemed like you were going to answer it.

[Justin Noble]

Yeah, Yeah, I have thoughts.

[Panelist 5]

I mean, we need a big cast.

[Panelist 1]

It should be, like, into the Woods.

[Panelist 4]

No.

[Justin Noble]

Grease.

[Panelist 4]

Greece.

[Panelist 5]

Yeah.

[Panelist 3]

Greece is fantastic.

[Justin Noble]

I call Rizzo.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah.

[Justin Noble]

Okay.

[Panelist 5]

Five, six, seven, eight.

[Justin Noble]

Don't do it. I will do it.

[Panelist 5]

I mean, we do get some. We get some musical theater Ness in this season of television. Like, I'm just a big, gay musical theater person myself. It's not Gladiator. Wicked. Weekend Glicked. It's also the weekend our show comes out. I'm trying to find out what that is. The Sex Glicked Lives of College Warrior.

[Panelist 4]

No, you nailed it, Witches.

[Panelist 5]

So be sure to stay home and watch our show, too. But, I mean, I just. I love a song. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the YouTube video of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's final performance where they're singing for good to each other. And it is the shakiest camera from the mezzanine you can. It looks like two like. Like blastocyst cells are slowly singing to each other. You can't see shit, but you hear their little quivering voices. And then it's just like, me crying and my dog being like, is something wrong? So I would love to pursue it.

[Panelist 4]

What?

[Panelist 3]

I think we should.

[Panelist 4]

Yeah. What show do you want me. Sorry.

[Panelist 5]

Oh, I'm not gonna answer that.

[Panelist 3]

Oh, my God. This is too hard. This is too much for me. There's just. There's just two.

[Justin Noble]

Just go.

[Panelist 4]

Just go.

[Panelist 3]

Watch out, Little shop.

[Panelist 1]

I mean, she thinks that all the time.

[Panelist 5]

Ilya has, like, a gun in Aaliyah's back being like, say Greece.

[Panelist 3]

Say Greece. Greece with Ilya is risen.

[Panelist 1]

Give him a little thumb.

[Panelist 5]

Do you?

[Panelist 4]

You.

[Panelist 3]

Renika does sing.

[Panelist 4]

Renika sings.

[Panelist 1]

I'm like a Michelle, and I love Michelle, but she holds it down and does Michelle Williams. Yeah, yeah, she holds it down. I can I back her up to her Beyonce? You know what I'm saying?

[Panelist 4]

Okay, that's great.

[Justin Noble]

You make me Kelly.

[Panelist 1]

We love Kelly.

[Justin Noble]

Right, right, right, right, right. It's just Beyonce. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Panelist 3]

You can take it.

[Justin Noble]

Thank you.

[Panelist 3]

Okay, so that's something Beyonce would do. Just kidding. But I will say also, when you see the show, Gracie is singing live on the show, and she did do that for like eight hours, ten hours a day. And she sounds unreal. She's amazing. You're gonna die.

[Panelist 5]

It's truly. It's shocking. Like, every. We did our, like, you know, big press circuit the other day where we talked to all these reviewers, and as soon as it came up, like, all these press outlets were like, that was really her. And we're like, yeah.

[Panelist 4]

Okay. Well, I look forward to the upcoming musical episode of the Sex Lifes of College Girls. And with that, I think we're gonna head out. Thank you guys so much for coming. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much.

[Panelist 3]

Thank you.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's it for another episode of good one. Good One is produced by myself and Jelani Carter, who got from shoe shin, did our theme song, write our review, and rate the show on Apple podcasts. Five stars, please. I am Jesse David Fox. You can follow me at Jesse David Fox. Buy my book, comedy book, whoever, books are sold. Thanks for listening to Good One from New York magazine. You can subscribe to the [e-mail] pod we're back next week with a new episode. Have a good one.

[Panelist 3]

Welcome to good one.

[Panelist 4]

Show about talking them jokes. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Good one.

[Panelist 2]

It's a good one.