Girls Rule the Skate Park in HBO Dramedy Series ‘Betty’

Sandra Miska

New York is a city with a million stories, and HBO has brought to life dozens of fictional representations of those who inhabit the Big Apple in multiple series, including “Sex and the City,” “Girls,” “High Maintenance,” and now “Betty,” an adaptation of the 2018 indie teen drama “Skate Kitchen” from filmmaker Crystal Moselle. Moselle has teamed up with executive producer Lesley Arfin to create a six-episode first season, taking the viewer inside of the vibrant world of young female skateboarders.

Rachelle Vinberg and the rest of the main “Skate Kitchen” crew, all women appearing to be in their early twenties, have returned for “Betty,” but this time as different versions of their characters. The chemistry between the women comes from an authentic place, as they are all real-life friends who skated together long before there were any cameras rolling.

“I met the girls on the subway in New York City about two and a half years ago,” Moselle recalled to Entertainment Voice back in 2018 before the release of “Skate Kitchen.” “They had skateboards. I’m always drawn to personalities and characters, so I was immediately just drawn to Nina [Moran]. She was speaking, and she has such an interesting voice.”

While the film focused heavily on Camille’s (Vinberg) home life in Long Island and her rocky relationship with her mother, “Betty” takes place primarily in Manhattan. The girls also come together more organically this time around. Previously, Camille was drawn to the all-female skate collective after following them on Instagram, but in the pilot episode of “Betty,” they meet in the skate park, and Janay (Dede Lovelace), Kirt (Moran) and Honeybear (Kabrina Adams) come to Camille’s rescue after she loses her friend’s backpack containing both of their valuables. It’s an adventurous day, and on the way they meet Indigo (Ajani Russell), a hipster weed dealer. A new crew is born, even though their nascent friendship is threatened after Camille, who has been more of a guy’s girl up until now, leaves the other ladies out on the sidewalk after only she is allowed entrance into a male-dominated space.

Similar to “Looking,” the HBO series that followed a group of gay men in San Francisco, “Betty” utilizes a slice-of-life narrative style. It takes a few episodes for the plot to really pick up, as the first ones focus on introducing us to the characters and their world. Kirt is the most fun-loving of the group. Confident and outgoing, she openly chases other women, and even tries to help Honeybear, a shy aspiring filmmaker, hook up. Honeybear, who lives a double life in Staten Island with her father and grandfather, eventually finds herself in the throes of first love with fellow female skateboarder Ash (Katerina Tannenbaum), but her inability to show her true self to her family jeopardizes the relationship. Indigo also has some secrets of her own, because while she may present herself as a streetwise drug dealer, she actually lives in a luxurious apartment with her mother, who gives her a generous $350 a week allowance. Camille, meanwhile, gets to know male skater Bambi (Edmund Donovan), and they form one of those murky relationships in which she likes him but he likes to play games.

Overall, “Betty” has a fun laid-back vibe and Moselle and Arfin have created a world in which young women celebrate and support each other. Tired of being treated dismissively by many of the male skaters, Kirt and the other women set out to successfully implement an all-girl skate session, leading to a bittersweet season finale.

Despite the relatively low stakes most of the time, “Betty” does explore some weightier issues. Janay finds herself conflicted after she learns her best male friend and YouTube show co-host, Donald (Caleb Eberhardt), has been accused of sexual assault. At first, this #MeToo subplot seems a little hamfisted, but it leads to some major character growth for Janay. Kirt is also forced to self-reflect after she starts a fight that leads to Janay and Honeybear, along with Camille, getting arrested. Kirt is able to flee the cops, which Janay and Honeybear chalk up to her white privilege. What makes the show a winner in the end is the fact that the ladies almost always come out on top. Even in one memorable scene in which Indigo is degraded during a modeling gig, she manages to triumphantly walk away with an expensive Gucci coat, a striking image.

“Betty” premieres May 1 and airs Fridays at 11 p.m. ET on HBO.