Given that The Bold Type is largely set in the office of a women's magazine a la Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue, it's easy to be blinded by its flashiness at first. Cliches aren't hard to miss either, seeing as it is a show that follows three 20-something girlfriends making it big in New York City.

But this initial underestimation is the point. Right away, the show flips the script on hyper-feminine stories by also engaging in relevant political, racial, and feminist issues. It also takes journalism seriously and dives deep into the industry's complexities. The biggest surprise (and delight) comes in the form of Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin) the editor-in-chief who despite all looks and appearances isn't actually a Miranda Priestly-type but an actual mentor who is as tough and wise as she is compassionate and understanding. The series is subversive in this way, but it also manages to be entertaining and light on its feet—an impressive feat all on its own.