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Culture > Entertainment

Sofia From ‘Young & Hungry’ Embraces the Single Life & I Want More of That on TV

Erica Kam

This week’s episodes of Young & Hungry, “Young & Communication” and “Young & Handsy” were all about Josh and Gabi attempting to get over some road bumps in their new relationship. That was all well and good, and I laughed at how extra they are about their relationship (highlights include Josh attempting to swim to Alcatraz just to get out of telling Gabi he wants alone time, and Gabi breaking Josh’s computer when she thinks he’s watching porn), but my real favorite character this week—and, okay, every week—was Sofia (Aimee Carrero).

Throughout the whole show, Gabi constantly runs to Sofia for advice about the ups and downs of her relationship with Josh, and while we see Sofia go on dates sometimes, she’s usually a single pringle—and I love that.

Sofia is undoubtedly the most relatable character on Young & Hungry. She loves her roommate, but she sings, “I sort of live alone!” when Gabi’s not home because it means she gets the apartment to herself (as an introvert, I have to cop to singing the same song a few times myself). She tries to drag Gabi to the movie theater with her—one she picked because it purposely serves booze—and then talks about flirting her way into getting free Milk Duds. She buys herself a box of donuts and other treats, living her best life while Gabi cries about Josh lying to her because he doesn’t want to spend every second of every day with her. When Gabi comes in after having waxed Josh’s entire body in a failed attempt to get him to admit he lied, Sofia can’t be bothered to deal with petty relationship problems (she’s too busy eating an entire pizza by herself and taking off her bra because she’s finally home alone).

I love Sofia because she never thinks that she needs a relationship. Gabi’s storylines, especially this season, almost always center around her and Josh, and we’ve seen her freaking out and crying in almost every episode so far since the season started. I love Gabi, and I think Emily Osment portrays her perfectly, but Sofia is the kind of character I want more of on TV.

Young & Hungry’s target audience is young women, women who are still figuring out their place in the world and attempting to make their own path. Sofia, as sarcastic and zany as she is, sends a great message to those women: you can live your best life without pining over a man. Having cute moments like Josh and Gabi do is a nice thought, but Sofia gets just as happy from being on her own, and it makes me like her a lot more than Gabi, who acts like she might die without a second of Josh’s attention.

That’s not to say that Sofia could or would never be in a relationship—she also acts as Gabi’s voice of reason (because she definitely needs one). Sofia calls Gabi out when she says she wants Josh to communicate better, but won’t do the same on her end, and she urges Gabi to just tell the truth multiple times. She represents how being single doesn’t mean you’re missing out at all—in fact, it might mean dodging a bullet if you don’t know how to approach your relationship maturely. The show doesn’t mock her for being single, but instead celebrates it, and gives her storylines (like this week’s about her becoming a driver for Crazy Car, an Uber-like service) with the same amount of humor as Josh and Gabi’s love troubles, even if she doesn’t get as much attention.

I really hope Sofia continues doing what she’s been doing for the rest of the season, because every time I see Gabi have a meltdown over Josh (who, TBH, isn’t that great), I can always count on Sofia to say what I’m thinking.

Erica Kam is the Life Editor at Her Campus. She oversees the life, career, and news verticals on the site, including academics, experience, high school, money, work, and Her20s coverage. Over her six years at Her Campus, Erica has served in various editorial roles on the national team, including as the previous Culture Editor and as an editorial intern. She has also interned at Bustle Digital Group, where she covered entertainment news for Bustle and Elite Daily. She graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Barnard College, where she was the senior editor of Columbia and Barnard’s Her Campus chapter and a deputy copy editor for The Columbia Spectator. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her dissecting K-pop music videos for easter eggs and rereading Jane Austen novels. She also loves exploring her home, the best city in the world — and if you think that's not NYC, she's willing to fight you on it.