Heidi Gutman/Apple TV+
It feels passé, in fall 2020, to make a girlboss joke—and yet, with their new Apple TV+ project Gutsy, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton have basically done just that. Premiering Friday, the series claims to celebrate “the world’s boldest and bravest women—from household names to unsung heroes.” At times, it succeeds. Too often, however, it feels like those “household names” are engaged in a little brand management.
Gutsy derives its title from The Book of Gutsy Women, a tome the Clintons released in 2019 celebrating the women who inspire them most. The series, which centers each episode around a distinct theme, is similarly interested in promoting powerful women’s legacies. Some of the show’s subjects, like the Yurok Wellness Court founder, Yurok Judge Abby Abinanti, offer fascinating insights into social justice and community organizing work. Megan Thee Stallion stops by in Episode 2 for a casual painting session during which she and the Clintons discuss the episode’s theme—“Gutsy Women Refuse Hate.” (Yes, all of the titles are phrased as admonitions.)
The show is mostly breezy, if anodyne. You’ve likely heard about most of the women and stories featured before, but here they’re translated through easygoing group discussions and activities. (Sometimes it’s a brunch; sometimes it’s Chelsea Clinton overcoming her understandable historic skepticism toward comedians by attending a show; and sometimes it’s Hillary and Chelsea Clinton flying to France to study clowning.)