Summary
Geek Girlis Netflix’s latest teen comedy TV show, and while it draws inspiration from the book series, it does make changes to the book’s plot and story beats. Written by Holly Smale,theGeek Girlnovels are loosely based on Smale’s experience as a teen model.The story follows Harriet Manners, a self-proclaimed geek, who finds her life turned upside down when she’s discovered by a modeling agency. Throughout the books and the episodes, the audience can’t help but relate to and empathize with Harriet’s journey of self-discovery.
Part of what makes the story so popular is how fully realized Harriet is, and how fleshed out the people in her life are.
Thecast and characters ofGeek Girlare the heart and soul of the show, with Emily Carey, known for her breakout role inHouse of the Dragon, leading the series as Harriet. Part of what makes the story so popular is how fully realized Harriet is, and how fleshed out the people in her life are. Her world is populated by friends, family, and a love interest, but that’s not to say she doesn’t face her fair share of struggles. However,by the end of season 1, Harriet is starting to realize who she isand what she wants.
WatchGeek Girlon Netflix.
How Old Nick & Harriet Are In Netflix’s Geek Girl (& How Their Actors Compare)
Netflix’s new series Geek Girl follows British teenager Harriet, who learns to become a supermodel despite her awkwardness and her young age.
10Toby’s Characterization
One of Harriet’s high school friends, Toby shares her feelings of not fitting in.
Toby (Zac Looker) is one of Harriet’s friends from school. He and Nat (Rochelle Harrington) are the closest people to Harriet and help her survive the bullying she faces in school. Like Harriet, Toby is different and finds comfort in learning interesting facts about subjects he’s passionate about.In the books, Harriet is a little tougher on Toby and doesn’t take his friendship as seriouslyas she does in the show. Though Harriet is often busy with modeling, she still finds time to spend with her friends.
Though he still makes a few faux pas, like throwing up on Harriet and Nat before Fashion Week, Harriet stands up for him when Nat gets angry.
In the book, Harriet refers to Toby as her “stalker,” which is something the show generally leaves out to be a bit kinder to his character. Though he still makes a few faux pas, like throwing up on Harriet and Nat before Fashion Week, Harriet stands up for him when Nat gets angry. They share a certain outlook on life because the other kids at school make fun of them.Bullying is a recurring topic in theGeek GirlTV series and books,as well as the importance of friendship in the face of it.
9Harriet & Richard Go To Canada, Not Moscow
Their trip to Russia is a large part of the book, but the setting is altered.
Geek Girlis a co-production with the UK and Canada, so it makes sense that the filmmakers chose to make Harriet’s globetrotting trip take her to Canada. However,in the novel, she and her Dad, Richard (Tim Downie), travel to Moscowfor Harriet’s first outing as a real model. In both cases, they hide the truth from Nat and Harriet’s stepmother, Annabel (Jemima Rooper). Of course, this causes major trouble for Harriet and her father in the long run.
IfGeek Girlgets a season 2, it will be interesting to see where the show takes Harriet next.In the second book of the series, Harriet goes to Japan,but since the Moscow setting is changed,Geek Girlhas the opportunity to send Harriet anywhere in the world. It doesn’t change the essential facts and impact of the trip by making it Canada instead of Moscow, and based on global politics, it makes sense the writers choose Canada, even if the journey is a touch less glamorous.
In the show, Harriet’s school takes a trip to fashion week where she’s discovered.
Fashion Week is a large part of the modeling community and experience, and hopefully, in the next few seasons, the audience will see Harriet getting to participate in a fashion week of her own.
Fashion Week is a large part of the modeling community and experience, and hopefully, in the next few seasons, the audience will see Harriet getting to participate in a fashion week of her own. However, in the show,Harriet, Nat, Toby, and their whole class win a school trip to London Fashion Week,where Harriet makes an unexpected splash. When she’s singled out by Wilbur (Emmanuel Imani), Harriet immediately panics and tries to get as far away from the modeling world as possible.
This is because it’s Nat’s dream to be a model, and she doesn’t want to hurt her best friend. However, in the book,Harriet and Nat go to a fashion expo together for the express purpose of Nat getting discovered.Harriet only accompanies her for moral support, making it even harder for Nat when Harriet is the one the agents want. Like all thebest TV show friendships, Nat and Harriet have their ups and downs, and Harriet tries to get Nat into the fashion world, but she can’t make it happen for her friend.
7Representation Of Neurodivergence Is More Explicit
The series creators and writers have been open about Harriet being coded as Autistic.
It’s never explicitly stated in the books or the show that Harriet has Autism,but Smale and the entire team behind the project have been clear that Harriet’s neurodivergence is implied. When Smale wrote the books and included traits she exhibited as a teen in Harriet’s character, she had not yet been diagnosed with Autism but has stated since that Harriet has it, just like her. This change in characterization was taken into consideration while making the show to best represent Harriet and be truthful to Smale’s experience.
Smale and the producers have discussed how they wanted Harriet’s Autism to feel authentic and be a regular part of her everyday experiencesthe way it would be in real life. Though theGeek Girlbooks still include Harriet exhibiting traits like wearing headphones in class, having difficulty in certain social situations, and being especially interested in certain subjects, the novels weren’t written with the express intent of representation in mind. The show, however, takes all of this into account and attempts to be clearer about what it means.
6Poppy’s Character Is Changed
She’s a smaller character in the novels, and she first appears in book 2, not 1.
Poppy (Daisy Jelly) is introduced early on in theGeek Girlshow as Nick’s “girlfriend,” who he’s only with publicly for their personas as models on social media. The fact that they’re not together is great news for Harriet, who’s been smitten with Nick since the moment they met. However,Poppy turns out to be the biggest bully and villain ofGeek Girlseason 1,as she comes after Harriet for supposedly stealing her spotlight and fake boyfriend.
Smale has said that parts of book 2 made their way into season 1 to fill out the plot, and Poppy’s storyline is one of these instances.
However,Poppy doesn’t appear until book 2 of theGeek Girlseries,meeting Harriet in Tokyo and trying to sabotage her career there. Smale has said that parts of book 2 made their way into season 1 to fill out the plot, and Poppy’s storyline is one of these instances. Additionally, in book 2,Model Misfit, Poppy convinces Harriet that she and Nick used to be together while Harriet and Nick go through a rough patch. Fortunately, the show sees Nick stand up for Harriet and himself when it comes to Poppy.
5Yuka’s Name Is Changed To Yuji
Nick’s aunt and famed fashion designer is the one who sparks the search for Harriet.
The character Yuji Lee (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) was renamed from Yuka Ito in the books, but the name change didn’t affect the core traits of her character. Yuji is Nick’s aunt and the person who requests that a fresh new face be found for her big campaign. When Yuji asks for a new model, it spurs Wilbur to look for beauty in unexpected places, which is exactly where he finds Harriet.Though Yuji is an enigmatic figure, she finds her heart softened by Harriet’s tenacityand spirit.
Later in the series, after Harriet has made a huge mistake and jeopardizes a perfume ad, Nick is the one who comes to Yuji and convinces her to give Harriet another shot. It’s not clear why the show decided to change the character’s name to Yuji, butit’s a small change that only dedicated book fans will notice.Many of thebest fashion moviesand TV shows feature a slightly eccentric designer who wants things to go their way. While Yuji fits this archetype on paper, she’s also a kind person who recognizes other people’s values.
4Annabel Doesn’t Move Out Of The House After Richard & Harriet Lie
Harriet’s stepmother forgives and forgets more quickly in the show.
Annabel doesn’t approve of Harriet becoming a model because she’s worried it will interfere with her schoolwork.
Annabel, Richard, and Harriet have a great family dynamic and strong relationshipsbuilt on trust. It’s clear from the beginning that Harriet’s home life is one of the most consistent and dependable aspects of her adolescent development. However, a turning point in the series comes when Richard and Harriet lie about going to Canada. Annabel doesn’t approve of Harriet becoming a model because she’s worried it will interfere with her schoolwork. She wants Harriet to be able to pursue a career that she’s passionate about.
However, unlike the book, when Annabel discovers they went to Canada and confronts them about it, she’s immediately supportive and forgiving towards Harriet. She goes on to support Harriet and her choices throughout the show. Richard doesn’t get off so easily as he’s supposed to be Annabel’s partner and co-parent. Eventually,they reconcile, and Annabel reveals she’s pregnant.Before Annabel tells the family in the book, she moves out of the house because she’s so upset. Having her stay and be there for Harriet was a better character choice for the show.
3Social Media Is A Big Part Of The Show
Unlike the book which was published in 2013.
While social media has been part of the teenage experience for a long time now, it wasn’t nearly as prevalent and all-consuming in 2013 as it is today.The series isn’t a period piece and is firmly set in the present day, incorporating the importance of an online presencefor models, actors, and influencers of all types. Poppy has a significant following and uses her PR relationship with Nick to sell things through brand partnerships. Enormous pressure is put on Harriet to gain followers and present a version of herself that isn’t real online.
Additionally, social media is used to harm others in the show as much as it is in real life. Hurtful pictures are taken of Harriet and posted online when she least expects it and without her consent.Portraying phone use and the impact of social media in film and television is difficultbecause it’s such a prevalent part of life but doesn’t easily translate to the screen. Despite this,Geek Girldoes a good job of making phone use seem as natural as possible and being in conversation with the impact that being online has on teenager’s development.
2Nick & Harriet’s First Meeting
Nick is a great love interest for Harriet throughout the showin more ways than one. It’s clear from the moment they lay eyes on each other that they have a connection, and Nick continuously appreciates and likes Harriet for who she is no matter what. He puts his public persona and career on the line for her because he knows she’s something special and deserves the chance to show the world. The book sees Harriet and Nick cross paths when Harriet dives under a table at the fashion expo to avoid getting noticed.
In the show, Harriet notices Nick walking at Fashion Week and runs into him again later after being whisked away by Wilbur.
Of course, whenever Harriet tries to avoid detection, it often makes a splash, and this was one of those cases. However, in the show, Harriet notices Nick walking at Fashion Week and runs into him again later after being whisked away by Wilbur. Nick witnesses Harriet’s hat debacle, which remains consistent across the show and book. However, if anything, that only makes him more interested.As they get to know each other, a genuine relationship grows,and it’s clear they have more in common than meets the eye.
1Harriet Posting A Video Is The Reason She Quits Modeling
However, both plot points have the same results.
Harriet’s trajectory towards fame is interrupted halfway throughGeek Girlseason 1 when she makes the mistake of revealing a secret perfume campaign to her social media followers. Frustrated by Poppy’s interference in her relationship with Nick and the negative comments she’s getting on the internet, Harriet takes matters into her own hands and tries to explain things to everyone. However, it backfires, and everyone is furious with her, which convinces Harriet that she’s not cut out for this world.
This ties into the impact that social media has on the TV show in general. Harriet’s biggest mistake and the decision to quit modeling aren’t spurred by her posting this video in the book. However,it makes a lot of sense for this to be the catalyst based on how important posting on the internet isto the series' plot. Fortunately, Harriet is convinced to give modeling another shot and proves how much she deserves to be there by the end.
