Netflix just dropped “Geek Girl,” a delightful British-Canadian comedy about growing up, directed by Anthony Leo. Based on the book series “Geek Girl” by Holly Smale, this series stars Emily Carey, Emmanuel Imani, and Liam Woodrum. Emily Carey shines as Harriet Manners, a lovably quirky character. The show tracks Harriet’s transformation from a shy comic book enthusiast to an unexpected fashion icon. When she gets discovered by a modeling agent, Harriet finds herself thrust into the glitzy, competitive realm of high fashion. Juggling her newfound celebrity status with her geeky interests becomes her biggest challenge.
Cast With Characters
- Harriet Manners (Emily Carey): A neurodivergent teenager who transitions from being a geek at school to a rising fashion model.
- Wilbur Evans (Emmanuel Imani): A reputed modeling agent who discovers Harriet and mentors her in the fashion industry.
- Nick Park (Liam Woodrum): Harriet’s love interest and a fellow model who helps her navigate the complexities of the fashion world.
- Poppy Hepple-Cartwright (Daisy Jelley): Nick’s girlfriend, a supermodel who feels threatened by Harriet and tries to undermine her confidence.
- Nat Grey (Rochelle Harrington): Harriet’s best friend, who supports her through her modeling journey despite her own ambitions in the fashion industry.
- Richard Manners (Tim Downie): Harriet’s father
- Annabel Manners (Jemima Rooper): Harriet’s stepmother
- Toby Pilgrim (Zac Looker): Harriet and Nat’s classmate
- Jude Paignton (Sarah Parish): The skeptical CEO of the modeling agency who doubts Harriet’s potential.
- Yuji Lee (Sandra Yi Sencindiver): A celebrated fashion designer who gives Harriet her big break in the industry.
- Lexi (Mia Jenkins): The school bully who, along with her minions, crushes Harriet’s self-esteem.
Plot Summary
Harriet Manners is a self-proclaimed geek who never dreamed of modeling. Despite being an unpopular girl who is often teased by her classmates, she can always count on her best friend Nat Gray (Rochelle Harrington) for support. Their textile class’ victory in the London Fashion Week offers Harriet a chance to meet a modeling agent called Wilbur Evans, who spots something special in her. In spite of some hiccups along the way, Wilbur eventually gives in to offer another opportunity. Hence, Harriet gets a contract as his new model. Harriet’s journey into the fashion world begins, complicated by her feelings for top model Nick Park, who is clearly interested in her.
How Did Harriet Go From A Geek To A Runway Model?
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When Harriet Manners was spotted by top modeling agent Wilbur Evans, he believed she would become a famous name in the fashion industry. She was afraid and ran away because modeling was not her ambition and she did not want to embarrass herself. However, that didn’t deter Wilbur. He found her in school and convinced her into giving modeling a chance. After being bullied so much, Harriet decided to give it a shot, as she thought it couldn’t make her life any worse. Harriet also made him agree to let Nat audition too.
Famous designer Yuji Lee wanted a fresh face for her runway show. Jude Paignton, the agency’s CEO, on the other hand, had doubts about Lee’s choice of model even though Wilbur had faith in Harriet. When Lee picked Harriet, Wilbur felt happy about it. Although excited, she felt guilty about having the opportunity before Nat got one too. She lied to Nat, thinking it wasn’t the right time to tell her. Harriet flew to Canada for the show, where she found out more about the fashion business from supermodel Nick Park, who became friends with her as well. She also met Poppy Hepple-Cartwright, who was supposed to be the main attraction of Lee’s show. Poppy felt threatened by Harriet and tried to undermine her.
How Did Poppy Try To Sabotage Harriet’s Walk?
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Overwhelmed by the entire experience, Harriet was a newcomer. As she was about to participate in the runway, Wilbur helped her with some tricks on how to be calm so that she could feel prepared. Nevertheless, Harriet was misled by Poppy and fell down while walking on the runway. It had her thinking if this is the time to give up because she felt that even her life in modeling looked like a mess. Nonetheless, she subdued these negative thoughts and completed her walk with determination. That fall got the media excited, and they wanted more of Harriet.
Harriet, however, was surprised when Yuji Lee asked her to star in his perfume campaign as opposed to believing it was over for her modeling career. The fashion industry quickly embraced Harper, and she became a rising star. The journey of Harriet from being a bullied geek turned into a celebrated model seemed instant, thus proving that great transformations can result from unexpected opportunities.
What Happened Between Nat And Harriet?
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Harriet and Nick left a party to visit a museum. Dinosaurs were Harriet’s favorites, while Nick was fascinated with sharks. They made a quirky couple. Harriet was relieved to learn that Nick wasn’t really dating Poppy and that their photos together were just for brand promotions. At the museum they had fun, but what they did not know is that some of Nick’s fans were secretly taking pictures of them.
When she got back home, she was dumbfounded to find the internet abuzz about her relationship with Nick. Although she did not care about the rumors, she was anxious that Nat might interpret them wrongly. Harriet tried to apologize for lying to Nat, but she could not forgive her. Harriet, fearing she would lose Nat, offered to model for Nat’s internship interview at a fashion house. Nat agreed, but things went wrong. Harriet went on a date with Nick, and by the time she headed for the interview, it was late, and her car broke down. This made things worse between Harriet and Nat.
How Did Things Get More Messy In Harriet’s Life?
Harriet had figured out during the perfume campaign that Poppy had secretly taken a photo of her in an embarrassing position with one of the co-models. When rumors about Harriet and Nick’s friendship started online, Poppy used this to get sympathy. She lied, saying Nick cheated on her with Harriet, and many of her followers started hating on Harriet. Poppy shared the photo, and Harriet decided to put things straight. She created a video explaining Yuji Lee’s perfume campaign where she showed the perfume bottle as evidence that she was working and Poppy distorted it. She also made a public apology to Nat, whereby she confessed that she never intended to hurt her.
The viral video, however, unveiled a secret about a confidential perfume campaign. It was too late before she realized this mistake. Wilbur asked Yuji Lee to look at the leak as something positive, but Lee could not forgive Harriet’s fault anymore. This led to her feeling ashamed and quitting work altogether. However, on a positive note, Nat forgave Harriet after publicly saying sorry, even though she wasn’t pleased about Harriet giving up on her dreams.
Did Harriet Get A Second Chance To Fulfill Her Ambitions?
Harriet finally stands up to her bullies and realises her true potential. After talking with Nat about her predicament, Harriet knew she shouldn’t have given up her modeling career. Despite her initial doubts, she admitted to herself that her experiences as a model were some of the happiest moments she had ever had. She could be a science nerd and model both without having to choose one. Unfortunately, Jude turned her down, citing a lack of professionalism and a preference for Poppy. However, Wilbur, who believed in Harriet’s potential, decided to leave the agency and work with her independently.
But Wilbur trusted Harriet and left his job to work with her on their own. He requested Nick’s assistance in persuading Yuji Lee to try giving Harriet another chance. Lee was uncertain, but Wilbur made Harriet agree to walk at the Bascar event. In order for Nat’s talent to be displayed, Harriet picked out a dress made by Nat.
“Geek Girl” 2024 Ending Explained: How Did Harriet Prove Herself In The End?
In the finale episode of Geek Girl, Harriet has a joyful visit from Wilbur, who is very excited about how the Bascar event will turn out. He stresses that it is very important to find an amazing dress for walking on the red carpet and also taking part in Yuji’s prestigious show. Despite some initial hesitation, Harriet ultimately decides to give it another shot, drawing confidence from her belief that she can charm everyone simply by being herself. Prior to this, Nick manages to persuade Yuji that Harriet embodies the essence of her show, leading Yuji to agree to let Harriet walk for her.
Meanwhile, Harriet opens up to her stepmother, Annabel, about her insecurities and shares a list of people whom she thinks hate her, including herself. In an intimate conversation between them, Annabel tells Harriet to embrace self-acceptance and let the world see who she really is.
At the red carpet event, she wears Nat’s outfit, which symbolizes their strong friendship. As Harriet walks through the entrance door, Nick and Poppy are seen together. Harriet takes a bold stand against Jude, publicly acknowledging the mutual dislike between them and asserting her autonomy in defining herself. Inside the event venue, Yuji observes Harriet’s confidence with admiration.
But amid the festivities, Poppy slyly sticks a paper with the word ‘Geek’ in it at Harriet’s back to undermine her. Amazingly, nobody notices the paper, and Harriet walks confidently down the runway. Although there are whispers among viewers, Wilbur opts not to remove the piece of paper because he is sure that Harriet can handle herself.
In this end moment, Nick also steps onto the ramp with Harriet. Unbothered by gossip, Harriet stands out as an individual who refuses to conform. The unplanned kiss on their way up signals their authentic selves. Later on, Harriet is joined by Nick and Wilbur celebrating in front of the huge perfume ad she has put at Piccadilly Circus. The episode ends with a zoom-in of Harriet’s jacket that proudly displays “Geek by Yuji Lee.”
The first season finale has left its followers eagerly awaiting next installment possibilities as well as further exploration and development of characters and their evolving story lines.
