How Sterling Point Perfectly Captures the Messy Intimacy of Girlhood

Once in a blue moon, you get to watch an episode of TV that is truly special.

It has a clear vision for the story it is trying to tell, and it does so with purpose. The writing is poignant and concise. It feels, all at once, incredibly unique and completely relatable.

In its effort to tell this story, the episode doesn’t pander to generalizability; instead, through its hyperspecificity, it reveals a universal truth and connects with viewers on a deep, emotional level. 

This is good storytelling, and this is the high I chase when I watch TV. It’s exactly what Sterling Point Season 1 Episode 6, “I Bleed Through My Pants All the Time,” delivered.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a show that has captured the intimacy, beauty, and unpredictability of girlhood quite as eloquently (and comically) as Sterling Point.

This episode specifically examines the numerous facets of growing up and becoming an adult woman, and the battle between control and freedom that comes with this transition.

In this examination, the episode shows how beautiful and important a community of women is for walking alongside you through this intense — yet incredibly special — time of life.

While watching the episode, I was instantly transported back to my own adolescence —giggling with my best friends under the covers, crying on their shoulders as I confessed my deepest insecurities and secrets, and longing to know I wasn’t alone in my experiences.

These friends, and the women in my life, helped me navigate every unfamiliar and undiscovered feeling. They grounded me in the heightened discovery of this time of life as we walked through it all together.

Annie, Ramona, and Oona, like many, didn’t have their mother to walk through many of the moments the episode covers: having sex for the first time, knowing how to communicate one’s boundaries, or getting one’s period.

We get to see them mourn this loss. We also see what happens when they turn to one another to celebrate these big moments of girlhood and lean on each other to navigate the anxiety and fear of the unknown.

When Annie comes home after sleeping with Rory for the first time, her discussion with Ramona becomes one of the best discussions about intimacy I’ve seen in a teen drama.

It effortlessly blends relatable humor while getting straight to the point: it’s okay to trust your gut, and it’s okay to change the plan you set for yourself.

For Annie, who always looks before she leaps and seeks control in the known (which, same), this scene signals a crucial moment of growth.

“Life is going to happen the way it happens,” Ramona says, encouraging Annie to give herself a lot more grace in navigating and embracing messy unknowns.

Throughout the episode and season, Annie confronts the fact that she has missed having a woman in her family who emboldened her to be imperfect.

She also mourns the fact that she has missed having someone by her side to celebrate girlhood’s big, nerve-wracking moments, like getting her period for the first time.

No one sat with her to honor this life-altering moment, helping her accept the complex mix of fear about her body changing and the excitement for womanhood.

There’s tragedy in Annie’s loss, but magic in what Annie and Ramona have gained in each other, and in the future stretching out before them as new sisters.

The episode acknowledges their grief while also showing the beauty that arises when women come together to guide and support each other.

We see this when Annie, Ramona, and Oona offer that love and support to Oona’s younger sister, Maple, when she gets her period at camp.

As an avid teen drama fan, I consistently seek to examine how YA shows portray a young woman’s experience of adolescence.

I can confidently say Sterling Point is the first teen show I’ve seen that delves into menstruation, using it to guide a narrative about the unique challenges and overlooked moments of growing up and into a young woman.

The teen drama genre undoubtedly attracts an audience of young women, and I’ve always found it ironic — and a problem — that so many of the iconic coming-of-age dramas we know and love are primarily created by men.

The media that often represents a story of girlhood and womanhood is inevitably told through a lens that is not ours.

Sterling Point breaks this mold in many ways, and it is incredibly evident that this show was written and created by a brilliant team of women. It shines in the direction and dialogue.

Nothing broke my heart quite like Maple asking Annie, “When does childhood end?” To which Annie answers, “I guess maybe when you stop worrying that it’s over.”

Their conversation, quietly whispered within the safe confines of their bunk bed, simply and concisely articulates the volatility of adolescence. Growing up inherently means a loss of freedom and feeling out of control; it’s scary, disorienting, wild, and exciting.

And that cocktail of emotions, as our characters learn to contend with, is messy — and the path to navigating them is never well-lit. But it can be when another woman walks beside you.

My heart broke again for Annie as she laments the irreparable loss of her childhood, finally allowing herself to get angry about how she was pigeonholed into her family’s adult role far before she should have been. The pain of her missed childhood opportunities is palpable.

But the episode grounds its narrative in a stunningly woman-centered view of found family, exploring the intricate ways the female friendships you choose help you navigate life’s inevitable mess as you find your place in this world.

For young adults, a teen drama can be its own kind of friend. It shows different ways of navigating friendships and romantic relationships. It shows you what intimacy looks like. It prompts questions that make you reflect on your own life and experiences.

Teens today are lucky to have a show like Sterling Point.

While the teen dramas I grew up with are undoubtedly iconic, special, and formative, I truly believe no show has examined girlhood quite so intimately and tenderly as this one.

So teen drama fanatics, have you seen Sterling Point yet? What did you think? We want to hear all your thoughts in the comments!