User reviews

The 2009 feature film, 'The Girlfriend Experience' depicted the lifestyle of a young woman, played by Sasha Grey, who worked as a high-end call-girl. The excellent Season 1 (8/10*) of the 2016 TV series related how the same character had entered this profession by moonlighting as an escort while studying law and interning at a big-city legal firm. Riley Keogh's portrayal of Christine won a Golden Globe nomination, with her understated performance showing the psychological cost of pretending affection to entitled executives while selling them her body. Prostitution was a persistent theme in each episode, with Keogh's micro-expressions betraying guarded emotions and inner conflicts as Christine subtly adjusted her persona to please various clients, lovers and employers. The series revealed how involvement in the sex trade derailed her personal life and law career.

By contrast, Season 2 (1/10*) lost any meaningful connection with the prostitution theme as it followed three different protagonists in two separate narratives. In the first, an escort embarked on an obsessive lesbian love affair with a corrupt campaign finance operator. In the second, a former call-girl got marooned in witness protection limbo as she awaited the trial of her gangster husband. The characters failed to generate any sympathy, the plots were neither believable nor interesting, and subtlety was entirely absent.

Season 3 (1/10*) continued the decline of 'The Girlfriend Experience' TV series. The plot proposed the far-fetched idea that a young neuro-science college dropout called Iris would engage in prostitution while under pressure to create a cutting edge AI program. The software was required to mimic human emotions, and Iris believed her charades as an escort could be re-purposed to achieve this end. Unfortunately Iris's commercial sex encounters were as vapid and robotic as her office intrigues. More thought seems to have been given to her wardrobe than the plot, which moved at a snail's pace, neglecting any depiction of a real call-girl's issues. Long before the end, the story had become mind-numbing, pseudo sci-fi tedium.

Wow l never known her from before this but Riley Keogh was amazing in it I started to watch second season not knowing she was not in it ...when I realised I stopped watching . WTF were they thinking . !!! She was the show.

Season 1 had a lot of sex, even too much sex to the point that it got repetitive. But what it had was an intriguing probably sociopathic character who tries out being an escort and getting a little more than money from it. Interesting, complex character study, with an actual plot with good secondary characters as well. 7 or sometimes 8 out of 10 for me.

Season 2 is split into two parts with two completely different stories and to be honest I just sped through the first part and didn't watch the second. Still, a lot of sexually explicit scenes and this time more variance with a bisexual escort and her lesbian lover. Gorgeous clothes but rather empty otherwise and not much plot. Still, an attempt was made to explore something psychological between the two lesbian lovers about love and infatuation and power. So 6/10 for first part only.

Season 3 has nearly no sex until you get to like the second half of the show. This is a strategy that could have been refreshing and different, but it exposed some of the weaknesses of the show that we would have been distracted from had there been more sex. Such as a weak plot, one-note acting and lack of overall emotional warmth that a terminally sick parent can't make up for and that increasingly gaudy fashion can't disguise. The pilot gave a strong start and lots of potential in the protagonist's acting ability, but unfortunately her character didn't really develop much farther from there. Or it did, and somehow the writing didn't take us on that journey from novice to expert escort that we needed to be a part of to invest in the protagonist's character. 6/10

While a cold and passionless show in a story about the ultimate form of passion, sex, The Girlfriend Experience does overall offer something unique and I think it's worth checking out even if you have to speed through some repetitive scenes or weak plot. There is something insightful in odd moments.

When I first came across 'The Girlfriend Experience' I didn't know what to expect, I hadn't seen the movie, and reviews were very mixed, some calling it a great show, others commenting on its apparent blandness and cold feel.

When i finally came around to watching it, it really intrigued me, I really enjoyed shows like house of cards, and I thought Paul sparks (who was also in HoC) was great is his role, his cold, more absent way of presenting himself was in my opinion great for his role.

The same goes for Riley Keough, while a lot of others seem to dislike her cold, detached personality as Christine, I found it rather fitting. Someone who gets extremely intimate with strangers would have to be like this in my opinion. Because of this the show is quite realistic, and the admittedly rather lacking story, (there is one, but its not as well developed as it could be) fits with this genre. It really isn't a regular TV- show story, but a look at a life, a life that ís cold and impersonal.

The grey-ish lighting and set design also really works with this detached feel, and the music (or lack thereof) really helps sell the seriousness and loveless acts and conversations.

I really enjoyed watching the show, and although I haven't seen the ending yet, thus far I have really enjoyed the realistic approach to this girls life.

It gave me a feeling comparable to the later seasons of house of cards, or maybe even Mr. Robot, the same dawning, almost depressing, but realistic approach, that, although not everything goes well and ends positively, creates a situation where one can really understand and feel the position the character is in.

If my summary title of this could be the whole review, then I would leave it at that. I enjoyed watching this show, I did so during a day and I was compelled each time to follow up with the next episode- and not just for the gorgeous and fantastically sexy Riley Keough (I felt like seeing Elvis' granddaughter's tits was kind of something I wanted to do) but also for the storyline which really built up nicely ...only to sort of let it down in the end and just do nothing with all that tension, missing out on a massively rewarding and expected treat. The finale was anticlimactic and made me think that the more thought provoking and emotional aspects of this show were an accidental byproduct of just creating a vehicle to showcase Riley Keough's tits. I don't want to believe that but the cynic in me more than entertains the possibility of a TV network hoping to rope in some higher ratings by just conceding to the lowest common denominator. This show really had some terrific moments and whether clumsily or accidentally discards them in a faux-ironic act of having a bland bit of light neo-pornographic airtime substitute for a resolution, twist, or at the very least anything that resembled the conclusion of a coherent train of thought.

Once again, I did like it, it wasn't bad. It had a lot of interesting and great moments that had it's finale ultimately betray its potential that made it more than prettily aesthetic fluff. It was a nice and enjoyable way to pass the time of day but I really felt disappointed by the ending. It's like they had filmed all the sex they wanted to and just gave up on excusing it with anything resembling what previously seemed to be a promising storyline.

Riley Keough is amazing though, and it is solely due to her efforts that allow me to give this a 6 instead of the bare 5 that it would otherwise have deserved.

The show is delivered in a cold, unemotional manner that sets the tone. It seems similar to Mr. Robot and American Psycho in a lot of ways. People going through motions of life but mainly pretending. There is no intro for the show - the episodes start and eventually the title of the show displays on screen.

Christine is a law student and dresses in boring and mundane business attire, has basic professional hair, and seems pretty boring. You can tell she is intelligent however.

From the first sex scene we see the lead character's need and desire for control. Control of men, control of situations, and control of opportunity. What follows is the delving into the world of sex for hire, and beyond that a "Girlfriend" experience. Christine dives into this secretive world with both feet and develops an persona named "Chelsea". Chelsea is beautiful with long flowing hair, is feminine, attractive, well dressed, and poised; almost a counterpart to her day to day self. Her clients get to feel that they are important and cared for in her presence. For her it is an act. She is always on top; in the bedroom and in the relationship. She takes notes to remember small details of her clients, she edits her words and reactions to her client's wishes.

We see the main character position herself to always profit in some way in her interactions. In reality she is cold, distant, and calculating. How far will she go? How deep will she sink to get what she wants? What will the ultimate price be?

I've only seen 4 episodes of the season but it shows great promise. It may not live up to expectations in the end but I hope it does.

Cold. Sterile. Mean. Cynical.

Evocative, in an exaggerated way, of an atmosphere I've swimmed in for many years in the past. It almost makes me feel physically sick, the way it cuts so deep.

The naturalistic dialogue. It makes it feel so real. But...is this real? Is the naturalistic style tricking me into thinking it's real?

Is this real or is this a cunningly executed exaggeration?... I just don't know.

Are the people incapable of smiling in this world? Of laughing? People were capable of laughing in the Soviet Union, for christ's sake.

It's not going to be for everyone. Challenging viewing at times, probably easier to watch alone, as it pushes ones voyeuristic spectrum to the max. I hope that there is a little more story development in future seasons as if it was more of the same I'd probably be switching off but I enjoyed season 1. If you like the movie Shame it's very similar in terms of tone and pace. So it's now up to where they decide to take this.. is there going to be more point or is it just going to be a through the looking glass exercise. Let's see.

There are two things going on in this series: the story line and the acting of Riley Keough. The series is done in 13 half-hour episodes so there is little time for providing background or explanations. Rather, the intent and motivations of Christine/Chelsea/Amanda are expressed entirely in the body language, vocal tones, eyes and expressions of Ms. Keough. It's a complex character but by the end of the series I felt I understood this character as I have understood few others. Being previously unfamiliar with Ms. Keough, I was frankly stunned by her acting talent. In the later episodes, the story line transitions from the inner turmoil of the main character while living a dual life into her life entirely as a call girl. This gives Ms. Keough less to do in terms of portraying the multiple aspects of her character. The series suffers for this. Many viewers will focus on the sex scenes, some of which are probably too long if not unnecessary. This is a shame because it takes the focus away from the incredible job Ms. Keough does in realistically portraying a character trying to exist in two vastly different worlds while trying to prevent those worlds from colliding. With a less gifted actress, GFE would be a run of the mill drama. What sets this series apart is Ms. Keough's fascinating portrayal of a complex character. She makes it well worth watching and I look forward to her next project.

So far I have watched 3 episodes. It was an alluring title which piqued my interest. So far it has been a satisfactory experience. I consider myself more of an intellectual instead of a sexual person, but I like depth in programs where I can learn something regardless of its subject matter. There seems a sense of emptiness in the mens lives who hire the girlfriend experience, and they are looking for some form of happiness but the vibe I get is after meaningless stranger sex and having wasted a lot of money they might feel even more empty afterwards, because the experience is fake and she has many other "boyfriends". There is another good lesson to learn, that it is unwise to trust anyone or let anyone live in your house or else they will steal the money from your drawer, it reinforces the principle in my mind that No Good Deed Goes Unpunished and Don't Trust Anybody. I look forward to watching the succeeding episodes.

I loved season 1 but I have no idea what they were thinking this season. It is boring as hell and I want the story line from season 1 back please. Season 2 is a mess.....it is uncomfortable and just plain boring to watch. Riley Keough in season 1 was so good. She is beautiful, dark, and mischievous. She really carried this show. Louisa Krause in season 2 is not suited for a part like this. I am so mad this show has been ruined.

Worth watching for Riley Keogh at least the first couple seasons! Odd the series originally came out in 2010 and continued in the last couple years especially since the new ones seem poorly rated but I'm enjoying the beginning so far. The Girlfriend Experience has a errie vibe it seems I crave that although that's barely part of it the drama is astonishing! In other roles Riley is masterful like this very good in horror roles, I think she can do anything.

As this is an anthology series, all seasons are completely different. Season 1 with Riley Keough was not only one of the best TV shows of 2016, it was one of the best shows of the 2010's, showing glimpses of a world seldom seen. I wasn't thrilled at first with Riley Keough's flat, emotionless performance, but for whatever reason, it worked.

Season 2 was broken up into 2 separate stories, and while both were interesting, I preferred the Erica & Anna segment over the Bria one. I thought Season 2 was one of the 10 best shows in 2017.

And now we come to Season 3, which should be ashamed of piggy-backing itself onto the brand equity of this series. It is simply awful, and I put the majority of the blame on the decision to have Julia Goldani Teles in the lead. I had seen her as the whiny teenager, then twenty-something daughter of the lead characters in "The Affair" series on Showtime, and thought she would be plausible playing a high-end escort. But she is in way over her head in this role, and is simply not believable as an ultra-smart neuroscience major joining a cutting-edge high tech company in London.

As it took 4 years for Season 3 to come out, I'm hoping this is the very last season of this series.

While many may hate this series for politically correct reasons or because they are not used to adult pacing (as opposed to juvenile comic book-style movies full of flashy editing), I was taken in by it ... but mostly because of Riley Keough, who is a very natural, subtle actress. The series features a little titillation here and there, but it's tasteful, artfully photographed, and looks great.

The show works in that -- even though the protagonist is a person of questionable moral values, she's surrounded by all these far more horrible, reptilian people (lawyers and other wretched/inhuman scum). So, by comparison, she comes off as the most empathetic person on the whole show; you end up bonding with her because you hate everyone else. (As Robert McKee often says: "Empathy ... is absolute, while sympathy is optional." Meaning empathy is enough ... to keep us engaged. We empathize with the main character, but we don't necessarily sympathize with her. )

I also like the protagonist's rebellious streak and admired her discipline and focus. As the actress herself said about the character: "she's driven." (Driven to a fault, actually.) There's also something terribly sad about her too. We can sense her loneliness as, obviously, she has no friends. In fact, there's an existential quality about the whole show, which is emphasized with the Cliff Martinez-like ambient music underscoring many scenes.

But this show is all about the actress, Riley Keough. Having said this, I didn't care for the final show of the season, which was a bit much (maybe a bad idea stretched out for the whole episode). I would love to see this show continue -- but only with same actress. I've already watched some episodes more than once, and I'm sure I'll watch the whole season again. It's worth owning.

Bottom line: Check it out. And kudos to Riley Keough for her sophisticated, subtle performance.

Christine Reade (Riley Keough) is a Chicago law student who gets an internship at the law firm of Kirkland & Allen. His ambitious boss David Tellis is competing against Erin Roberts for a promotion. Christine's school friend Avery introduces her to Jacqueline who facilitates high paying sex dates. She faces obsessed clients and the threat of being revealed, calling herself Chelsea Rayne.

Riley Keough delivers a mostly monotone performance with one particular exception. I'm willing to put it down to the character and the facade her character puts up. The show is almost entirely in that quiet monotone. Honestly, I ended up listening to podcasts while watching the show with the subtitles on. It's a rather slow start. It's good that the episodes are only thirty minutes long. The first few episodes can be quickly burned through as the plot picks up. And the plot really picks up. The first season runs through a lot of plot. The most compelling is the inheritance storyline. It goes through so much plot that sometimes it's rushing. This show has some potential but I won't be sticking around for season two.

Very interesting series, well crafted, thought-provoking, both intriguing and depressing to watch... As I see it, it's very much about being obsessed about material wealth and the independence in having money and how that can be a very addictive substitute for real intimacy and trust in one's life. And it's about being addicted to different sorts of short-term pleasures, arising from as well as creating more loneliness. And it's about power, having control and protect oneself in an environment, where everyone are objects or means to an end for each other... The world of lawyers, corporates etc. And it's about a modern society, where basic human needs for connection, sharing our whole being including our sexuality, are capitalised... A society where friendship and love often are substituted by professional relations... The series main focus is on sexual relations and the sex business - but the same dynamics also applies to how therapists, coaches and other professionals can be substitutes, when there's a lack of trust in friends and family...

I'm giving rating this four stars more for style than anything, though dramatically it's fairly good; Ms. Keough's deadpan performance (criticized by some) is effective: one even admires her cool under pressure as she contends with difficult clients, office politics and corruption, and the threat of being exposed publicly (though the release of a viral video of her in action is never fully explained). The series' style is cinematic, with ambiance given to lighting, colour and spacing. The pacing is episodic, cuts abrupt; most episodes end curtly. As for why she makes her money that way: Sex sells. It's as simple as that.

One of the main reasons I liked the girlfriend experience season one was due to Riley K, aka Christine. Riley OWNED that character and she made the season what it was. I am crushed they are changing things and that she won't be returning and I will bet that those who loved the GFE as much as I did will agree that season two will be a huge disappointment. I also loved the way they produced and directed it, and the overall feel of it. It wasn't just another TV series with drama and sex. It's stood out above the rest. And season two, it seems they are changing all that. I can understand the want to change its course, but we liked season one for a reason. I can see from the articles about how season two will be played that it's NOTHING like season one. It's gonna be just another TV series, like breaking bad or orange is the new black. Season one was different Then any other TV series I've watched and I loved it. Why change it? And with all due respect to the new cast, there is no way they will be able to do what Riley did. Between a new cast and a new direction of the show, I have a sad feeling that season two will be another bad sequel, like a second dirty dancing. The effort will be there, but the season one fans will be highly disappointed in the ratings won't be there. I can only hope that if that happens, that they will go back to what they did in season one and go back to that in season three, if it even gets renewed for a third season. What the directors and producers and Riley did in season one was absolutely genius and amazing and I think it's respect really stupid of them to change that now. Especially when the show is so new. They could have done so many great things how they just kept doing what they were doing, keeping Riley and adding on from there. The life of a provider is ever-changing in so many exciting things happen and so many different people are met. Clients come in and out of their lives, Friends and family can find out, invitations to parties, and so many other things that happen that they could've Inc. in Riley's life in season two. They could have brought Avery back, she could have started her own agency or helped out a couple girls, a crazy Rendezvous between Christine and David. Etc. So many things I could've done that would have kept the fans, created new ones, and kept the show strong. But instead, they change the cast, they change the pots, and they change the way The show is directed and filmed. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it's going to be a flop. Now it's going to blend in with all the rest as just another TV series with sex in it. I hope I am wrong though.