I was NOT expecting the Legally Blonde prequel to be THIS good

Janelle Newell | July 12, 2026

Omg girl...you will not believe what I just watched.

I went into Elle thinking it would just be a cute prequel, but somehow I got emotionally attached to these people?? The first couple episodes honestly made me so mad because I HATED how everyone treated Elle. The bullying was actually hard to watch. But then the characters slowly started growing on me, and before I knew it I was completely invested.

I was rooting for Elle so hard because I saw so much of myself in her. That feeling of constantly being out of place, trying to fit into spaces that never really feel like they were made for you...they captured that so well. Elle is flawed, naive, and definitely doesn't always make the best decisions, but that's what makes her feel like a real teenage girl instead of some perfect TV character.

Can we PLEASE talk about Lexi Minetree?? She is actually a genius. Her performance reminded me so much of Brittany Snow in John Tucker Must Die, but with a little bit of Renée Rapp's edge in The Sex Lives of College Girls. She somehow makes Elle awkward, lovable, funny, confident, insecure, and determined all at the same time. I literally cannot imagine anyone else playing this role.

The soundtrack?? Impeccable. The theme song immediately gave me that 90s teen angst feeling and reminded me of the Daria theme song. The whole aesthetic feels like the paper dolls I used to play with as a kid mixed with Bikini Kill and the short-lived Jane by Design. Even the saturation and color grading feel authentically 90s while still looking modern. They absolutely nailed the vibe.

Episode 5 at Shannon's memorial actually made me cry. I really thought Miles was going to become one of my favorite characters, but honestly the most genuine person in the entire show is Shannon. She's so positive despite everything she's been through. She lost her mom, and then her ex ends up with her best friend. She deserved so much better. I didn't agree with Elle kissing Miles because that's literally Shannon's ex, but somehow I wasn't even mad at Elle either?? I don't know how they pulled that off.

One of my favorite things about Elle is how she uses her privilege to help everyone around her. She could've easily stayed in her own little bubble, but she genuinely wants to make things better for other people, and I found that really inspiring.

There were also so many little moments that made me smile. The Breakfast Club recreation in Episode 6 was ICONIC. Elle's mom helping that guy with his mayoral campaign immediately reminded me of Cora Lee from Insatiable. The mystery with the corrupt principal and secretary kept me hooked the entire time, and the mayoral debate scene felt like such a fun homage to the courtroom scene in Legally Blonde.

But I think the reason this show hit me so hard is because it captured everything I thought high school was supposed to be. Hanging out with your friends after school. Going to parties. Making dumb decisions together. Falling in love. Creating memories you'll laugh about years later. I never really got to have that. Even when I did have friends, I spent so much of high school feeling alone. Watching this weirdly healed a part of me because it reminded me that there are so many people who have felt that way too. It genuinely made me feel a little less alone.

I got annoyed. I laughed. I cried. I gasped more than once. And then they had the AUDACITY to end it on that cliffhanger???

Season 2...I'm begging.