One thing about me: I like to romanticize whatever era I’m in. In high school, my watchlist was full of teen dramas. In college, I binged my way through Greek, Community, and, of course, The Sex Lives of College Girls. But the post-grad era has been much harder to find the media I crave. I’ve watched Girls time and time again and have been desperate for a fresh comedy that’s endlessly relatable and has me laughing out loud on my couch. Well, at least doing that little huff-exhale that definitely counts as LOL-ing. I should’ve known the fairy godmother to answer my prayers would be none other than the icon, Mindy Kaling, with her new show, Not Suitable for Work.
I have been sat for everything Mindy Kaling has gifted us in the last few years: Never Have I Ever, Running Point, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and thankfully, her latest project is no different. Here’s exactly why Not Suitable for Work should go straight to the top of your queue.
What is Not Suitable for Work about?
Not Suitable for Work follows five twenty-somethings navigating post-grad life in New York City. They’re all working in different fields, career-obsessed, and struggling to keep their personal lives afloat. Living in the same building in Murray Hill, it feels like a Gen Z Friends mixed with the chaotic escapades you loved from The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Why Sex Lives of College Girls Fans Will Love Not Suitable for Work
If you loved watching the crew in The Sex Lives of College Girls try to find themselves, make millions of mistakes along the way, and return to their friend group to laugh them off, you will love Not Suitable for Work. All five of our main characters think they’ll arrive in New York and immediately find their stride. But the reality is much more realistic. Sure, Abby landed her dream job in fashion, but it mostly consists of running around doing grunt work for her toxic boss. Kel is taking on med school, but it’s keeping him from chasing his real dream of becoming an actor. Even a character as Type A as AJ realizes life as a new hire at an investment bank isn’t as glamorous as she once imagined.
We have long loved an NYC sitcom: Friends, Sex and the City, 30 Rock. And while those characters are iconic, they don’t necessarily show the reality of starting your career in 2026. I mean, Carrie Bradshaw had an oven full of Manolos and lived in a gorgeous one-bedroom on the Upper East Side. A ’90s or early 2000s sitcom will always make for a satisfying period piece, but I never reach for them when I’m looking for anything even kind of relatable. Not Suitable for Work may be one of the first true 2026 sitcoms, tackling modern struggles in a way that speaks to Gen Z without making a total mockery of the generation.
Sure, it may not have the same characters as our beloved The Sex Lives of College Girls, but it feels like a natural next chapter those characters could find themselves in, with all the relatability we loved from that show.
As much as I love diving into other worlds, as a Gen Z twenty-something living in Murray Hill, it’s fun to see the same conversations and struggles my friends and I talk about in real life play out on screen. While they may not end in a complete storyline or a perfect punchline IRL, we can at least laugh at ourselves through the characters on screen. Especially in an era when you’re more likely to see a 20-year-old influencer with a seven-figure net worth on your feed than a messy character reminiscent of Hannah Horvath, Not Suitable for Work is filling a much-needed Gen Z gap.
Like all Mindy Kaling productions, it’s also genuinely funny. It’s campy and over-the-top, yes, but never so much so that it completely loses the plot. It’ll have you giggling on the couch, remembering when you were a 22-year-old pushover at work, desperate for a relationship. Speaking of relationships, if you’re someone who can’t watch a show without knowing there’s at least a subplot of romance, don’t worry: Not Suitable for Work delivers. It’s not Bridgerton-level in terms of swoon-worthiness, but you’ll definitely find yourself with a few new ships as you watch.
So, should you watch Not Suitable for Work?
If you’re ready to break up prestige drama after prestige drama with a comedy that will actually make you laugh, Not Suitable for Work should be your next stream. It may not be Seinfeld just yet, but after only one season, it already has the makings of becoming one of streaming’s favorite sitcoms. Mindy Kaling, please keep blessing our screens because I will absolutely keep watching.
Lauren Blue, Associate Editor & Book Club Co-Host
As an Associate Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives, from must-read books and behind-the-scenes interviews to beauty products she can’t live without. When she isn’t sitting in an AMC watching the latest buzzy release, she can be found scouring Goodreads for the perfect pick for The Everygirl Book Club. There, she co-hosts discussions with members, debating plotlines, fancasting characters, and, of course, tossing in her own recommendations.
