The Sex Lives of College Girls has returned for its highly anticipated third season after the season two finale left fans shocked and appalled by a major betrayal

*Warning, this article contains spoilers for The Sex Lives of College Girls.*

After a two-year hiatus that left fans on a bitter note, HBO’s university-themed dramedy The Sex Lives of College Girls is back.

The brainchild of Mindy Kaling from The Office, the comedy series trails a diverse group of university students as they traverse the complexities of friendship, sexuality, and love.

As their bond deepens, the friends grapple with personal hurdles, such as coming out to their parents and academic struggles.

Season two concluded with a jaw-dropping twist when one of the main characters betrayed her close friend. As fans gear up to binge-watch the new season, here’s a recap of key events from the previous instalment.

Mindy Kaling co-created the dramedy with fellow writer Justin Noble ( Image: Tommaso Boddi via Getty Images)

Season two was fraught with tension, culminating in a dramatic final episode. Leighton Murray (played by Renee Rapp) announced at the start of the season two finale that she was moving into the Kappa sorority house.

While Leighton had her living situation sorted, the rest of the group was still scrambling to find suitable roommates for the upcoming school year. This led Whitney Chase (portrayed by Alyah Chanelle Scott) to invite Kimberly Finkle (played by Pauline Chalamet) to be her roommate.

The pair were keen on cohabiting and even contemplated asking Bela Malhotra (played by Amrit Kaur) to join them. However, by the end of the half-hour episode, their plans had changed.

Bela’s heart was already set on a move from campus with her comedy magazine pals, leaving Kimberly and Whitney to consider teaming up as roommates.

Their plans were upended when Kimberly smooched Whitney’s ex-beau Canaan (played by Christopher Meyer). At the outset of the finale, Kimberly seeks wisdom from Lila about her crush, receiving a blunt verdict: “It ain’t worth it.”

Kimberly kissed Whitney’s ex-boyfriend at the end of season two ( Image: HBO Max)

Yet, Kimberly’s intuition told her Canaan reciprocated her feelings, prompting her to chase after him post-party for a kiss. In peak teen drama style, Whitney stumbled upon the scene, heartbroken.

The next day led Whitney to request refuge at the Kappa sorority house, deserting Kimberly to tackle her housing dilemma alone.

Long-time followers will recall this isn’t Kimberly’s initial slip in friendship loyalty.

During season one, she had a hush-hush romance with Leighton’s brother Nico (portrayed by Gavin Leatherwood), but the showrunners hinted that Kimberly’s emerging feelings for Canaan may run deeper than fleeting fancy.

In discussion with Variety in 2022, co-creator Justin Noble remarked: “[…] unlike Nico doing a pull-up, and Jackson walking out of a bathroom, we’ve seen a deepening between Canaan and Kimberly, and this crush is coming from a different place than just glistening abs.”

Audiences are left in suspense, hoping to uncover if this budding romance will flourish in the third season.

Whitney decided to live at Kappa sorority house instead of moving in with Kimberly ( Image: HBO Max)Don’t Miss

Following the Theta party, the group reconvened over breakfast where Leighton revealed she had left the Kappa sorority due to their archaic views, leaving her without roommates for the upcoming year.

Bela found herself in a similar predicament after her roommates abandoned her when she monopolized the comedy group’s newspaper profile for her own gain.

Kimberly suggested that the four of them should consider cohabitating next year, but Whitney and Bela were less enthusiastic about the idea.

Devastated by the rift with her comedy comrades, Bela made the decision to transfer from Essex College.

The series concluded on an uneasy note for the characters, setting the stage for a dramatic ten episodes in season three.

The Sex Lives of College Girls Season Three is available to stream now on Max.