The Sex Lives of College Girls: Leighton transfers out of Essex

Photo: Isabella Vosmikova
Photo: Isabella Vosmikova /
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Essex is officially losing one of its brightest students as Leighton Murray has left Vermont behind for MIT in Boston. The Sex Lives of College Girls granted Reneé Rapp two episodes to give her character a conclusion and send-off following the news of Reneé Rapp's plans to exit the MAX show as a series regular. Following the reveal that Leighton's girlfriend, Alicia, was offered a job in Boston, it does not take long for Leighton's life at Essex to derail from her original plans, especially considering the challenging math class she planned to take was no longer offered at the college. But, with the decision to transfer to MIT, Leighton gets to move forward with her future in math intact and continue her relationship with Alicia.

But where does Leighton's move leave her with Whitney, Bela, and Kimberly? The friendship between the four roommates had been a foundation of the series, and The Sex Lives of College Girls aims to manage the tone of the comical aspect of the series with the serious elements of how Leighton's move will impact their relationship as friends and Whitney, Bela, and Kimberly's new reality as roommates. Unfortunately, Leighton's goodbye is not given that much space in the narrative. The handful of episodes fans were expecting ended up meaning two, giving viewers less time with Leighton than they had anticipated.

Still, The Sex Lives of College Girls appears to know they need to fill the void. With Leighton's exit, the group's new quad dorm will feature a new fourth member, and that opens the door for new and different relationships to take place. Leighton's journey on the series, while it may not feel as complete as fans would have wanted due to time constraints, still offers a beginning, middle, and end with a character arc that shows Leighton's growth as a person, friend, and romantic partner before moving on to the next phase of her life. With the expectation that Leighton's friendships with the group will remain strong, even though she is in Boston, it allows audiences to know that she is happy in her new school with Alicia.

The Sex Lives of College Girls also makes a strong decision to refuse Leighton's exit to be her simply following Alicia to Boston without a plan. Allowing her character's transfer from Essex to be in the form of following Leighton's dreams and future prospects lets Alicia be a part of Leighton's hopes for her future without a romantic relationship being the primary driving force behind Leighton's decision. "Lila by Lila" offers a bittersweet goodbye between friends that reminds them of their first meeting in their shared dorm and how the most unexpected people could become close friends and their own found family. Leighton Murray's time as a series regular may be finished, but her journey is far from over.

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