The role of Shelly could’ve been a passive one. Her sister, Joyce (played by Ophelia Lovibond), has the grand ambitions of breaking into the man’s world of publishing, and Shelly finds herself playing the role of confidante for her younger sibling. Lennon Parham has always been a reliable ensemble player, and she gives Shelly something to fight for in the first season of the hilariously sexy, Minx.
It’s important to remember that just because Shelly doesn’t share the same affinity for creating a magazine, it doesn’t mean that the work doesn’t excite her. Her sons are at an age when they are becoming gross (all us boys hit that age and, unfortunately, some of us don’t grow out of it), and she is starting to really wonder what she wants to do with her days when her husband is out of town on business.
When Shelly steps into the halls of Minx, she can bring a different energy to the office since no one else has as much experience of being a mother. She offers a fresh perspective that only experience can bring. As her friendships begin to take shape, she even gets closer to Jessica Lowe’s Bambi, a model with a colorful past and an equal thirst for knowledge.
“I don’t remember the last time I got in trouble,” Shelly tells Bambi. “And it felt good.” Parham doesn’t just make it look good, but she makes Shelly a character to root for. She is proving that her eagerness for new life experiences is an act of rebellion within itself.
Minx is streaming now on HBO Max.
