‘Broad City’ perfected female friendship
Collage by Easton Clark, Photo Editor
Over a decade after it was created, I am watching “Broad City” for the first time, and while I might be late to the party, the show still holds up as one of the sharpest comedies of the 2010s.
In this whole 2026 is the new 2016 era, I find myself reminiscing about how much simpler life felt back then. The show feeds my desire to experience my 20s at a time when everything seemed a little less complicated.
The series chronicles the lives of Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer), two 20-somethings navigating life in New York City who always seem to get themselves into bizarre and hilarious situations.
What makes the show so successful in its comedic writing is both Jacobson and Glazer’s dynamic and their ability to craft such ridiculous scenarios for their characters to try to figure out. While I usually take time to decide whether to invest in a show, I was hooked on “Broad City” by episode two.
The show started as an independent series on YouTube and was picked up by Comedy Central in 2013. It is clear that the stars are not only close in real life, but also put so much love and care into the series. Each episode feels like a spiral of every funny thing that has happened in Jacobson and Glazer’s real lives, and that authenticity is rare in many modern sitcoms.
One noticeable difference between this show and many others in the sitcom category is that it feels like every episode is a continuation of the last. Sure, most sitcoms take you on an emotional journey through the characters' lives, but “Broad City” takes it to the next level.
They cleverly place easter eggs throughout the series, like a minor character from season one briefly returning in season four, or a subtle reference to a bit that landed in season two. It makes you feel like you are constantly in on the joke if you’re paying close enough attention.
No show has made me laugh out loud quite as much as this one, but the impact it has had runs deeper than just a quick laugh. “Broad City” displays female friendship front and center. Abbi and Ilana cherish their connection more than anything else, and while love interests are occasionally brought into the show, they never overshadow the plot.
It was when I watched the first episode of season four, where Abbi and Ilana explore an alternate reality in which they never met, when I realized how truly important their friendship was to each other and to the audience. It was heartfelt and, of course, funny. It was the epitome of girlhood.
Watching two hilarious young women grow up and discover themselves while prioritizing each other is absolutely needed on screens. I feel like I rarely see shows that are truly just about friends in the way this one is.
“Broad City” lets women be gross, weird and funny while simultaneously being sexy, kind and completely genuine. Abbi and Ilana were unapologetically themselves — the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s a show written by women, and it is abundantly clear.