Sweet/Vicious and its legacy one year later

We’re taking a look back at MTV’s Sweet/Vicious!

When MTV premiered Sweet/Vicious back in November 2016, it had a feeling of being oddly prescient, even then. In a reality where Bill Cosby was still very much in the limelight for multiple sexual assaults allegations and certain celebrities could rise to the highest seat of power despite multiple accusations of a similar manner, the very existence of this show felt like a response or, at the very least, some form of catharsis or a balm for the soul.

In the year since its final episode aired, its relevance has only magnified tenfold. As more and more prolific figures in many industries, but especially Hollywood, have come under fire for countless allegations sexual misconduct, it’s impossible to ignore that this short-lived MTV series had an impact.

On a similar note, one thing has become abundantly obvious: MTV’s choice to cancel the series is one of the most foolhardy things that any creative branch like this has made in some time. Even while acknowledging that MTV has, since that time, made an effort to move away from scripted programming, there’s no way around the fact that the network itself has denied countless viewers the catharsis of characters tackling sexual assault in way that is currently mirroring the reality of today.

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Art is able to mirror life in a way that often boggles the mind and provides an outlet to certain viewers, allowing them to feel seen in ways that they might not in ordinarily. With Sweet/Vicious, however, an opportunity could have existed in 2018 for its impact to be magnified.

This is a show that could have had a continued impact on a general audience, one where you look at the news and on Twitter and see yet another famous person accused of something repugnant and this could exist to work through those feelings.

More than that, though, is the comfort this could have had on those who have gone through something similar to that of one of the leads, Jules (played by Eliza Bennett), and have the feeling that there is a show that exists that understands how they feel. MTV cancelling this series has robbed them of that going forward.

Sweet/Vicious was perfectly timed, although likely not explicitly designed this way, to take the conversation that is currently happening in households all across the country (and perhaps even the world) and expand upon it. The voice of the #MeToo movement could have used this series as a bullhorn and the fact that it now can’t is a true shame.

Sweet/Vicious consistently told important stories about sexual assault, rape, the consequences (or lack thereof) that exists, and the way that these incidents forever scar the survivors. In a time where there is no shortage of excellent television to watch and rarely enough time to watch it all, Sweet/Vicious felt truly important, which is perhaps the most noteworthy thing about it.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson crafted a story with wit and charm that had hard edges to it, one that wasn’t afraid to stand up and be loud all while centering around two incredible female characters that kicked butt and took names.

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It was filled with nuance and warmth, blood and understanding, along with being completely unflinching in what it believed and demanded that you be that too.

MTV’s desire to shift from scripted series like Sweet/Vicious (whose music rights alone must have cost a pretty penny) and towards reality programming is an understandable one and MTV isn’t the only network to move in that direction. WGN, for example, has also stepped away from original programming and instead going for low-cost international shows.

The fact that Sweet/Vicious had to pay the price for that business decision is one the more regrettable things to happen in the television for quite some time.