Elle (2026)

Cute but instantly forgettable, “Elle” isn’t awful, but it plays like unnecessary fan fiction.

Unless we eventually learn that Elle suffered a memory wipe after returning to LA for college, the series—already renewed for season two—offers little more than surface-level escapism aimed at millennials who are nostalgic for the ’90s.

The younger cast is likable across the board. Written by Laura Kittrell, “Elle” is lightweight, often obvious and oddly, refreshingly innocent.

Elle has enough charm to get by. In a world that needs all the harmless escapism it can get, Elle gets the job done. But it could, given its pedigree and its writing at the peaks, have been so much more.

This is a show that’s quite comfortable working from its inspiration, and much less so when it’s attempting to forge its own path. That last part isn’t quite in the Elle Woods spirit, but “Elle” gets close enough.

I’ll be honest, the series (which tilts towards a second one at the end) is all a bit young for a fogey like me, but it is a nice, slick nostalgia fix — a throwback to simpler, happier times — and as a prequel, it definitely works.

It feels stuck somewhere between the show it thought it wanted to be and the show it has the potential to become.

The series avoids taking any real chances that might rock the boat.

The key to the original film's greatness was watching Elle outsmart her snooty classmates, but we don't get anything that unexpected or satisfying in "Elle." There's a certain spunk missing here as well.

Ultimately, those who can get past the pilot and the canon problems will be rewarded with a lighthearted, bingeable series. When I got to the season finale, I whispered an Elle Woods-esque "yes!" that Elle has already been renewed for season 2.

In 2026, life is a doom scroll for so many people. Social discourse in incredibly polarized and negative. Narratives like Ted Lasso and the film Barbie offer an escape from that. . Elle is set in the mid-1990s and offers emotional distance from the worst of 2026 and lets Elle be earnest without irony and cynicism... it allows low-stakes storytelling. . One of the things that makes film work and what is good in Elle is casting. For example, the mean girl role Kimberly role played by Chandler Kinney might have been not handled so carefully in some productions but Chandler Kinney is great in her role... and, on top of that the writers make the role a positive part of Elle instead of just thinking not so hard to make everything as good as possible. . So many things I could say about this show. if you need a break from life, I recommend Elle.

Absolutely LOVED this series, filled with comedy, heartbreak and highschool drama- will definitely be watching it again until series 2 comes out - overall excellent series

Wenn man außer Acht lässt, das die Serie als Prequel zu den Filmen nicht so ganz passt, da der Hauptcharakter Elle hier eine Charakterbildung durch macht die ihr in den Filmen am Anfang ja eigentlich komplett gefehlt hat, sondernd die Serie für sich betrachtet, ist sie ganz unterhaltsam. Nichts weltbewegendes, und ein bischen eine typische Highschoolserie, aber ansonsten durchaus gelungen. Zumindest das Casting von Elle ist sehr gut gelungen, die Darstellerin spielt ihre Rolle sehr gut und passend zu den Filmen. Der Cliffhanger am Ende ist natürlich ziemlich übel sollte es keine weitere Staffel geben.

Cons: The supporting cast **** the life out of this show. All of them were either egotistical jerks or bland as watching paint dry on a wall. The plot was also pretty boring for that matter and felt lackluster compared to the plots of the original movies. Bruiser was also sidelined and while he didn’t do a whole lot in the original movies, especially the first one, this series would have been the perfect opportunity to give him more limelight, but instead they pretty much completely ignored his existence especially in the last couple of episodes where he was pretty much nonexistent. When it comes to the love triangle between Elle, Miles, and Dustin, it was also pretty dull and poorly executed. I feel like this show missed out on an opportunity to recreate the magic that series like Hart of Dixie had in their love triangles, but modern series with their extremely short seasons, muddy lighting, and gen z dating culture are incapable of having any memorable romantic plots unfortunately. And this series is just another example of this. It lowkey gave me the same vibes as Netflix’s My Life with the Walter Boys, and that is not a compliment. Finally, for a show that is supposed to be set in the 90s, it felt just like any other modern show in the way that all the characters talked. I’m tired of social justice topics being brought up in series where they have nothing to do with the main plot. If a certain social justice issue is a part of the main plot of the show, then fine. But if it’s not, then conversation about it just becomes annoying and just such obvious pandering. Pros: Lexi Minetree is fantastic as young Elle and is really the only bright spot in this show. Sometimes, at certain angles, she even looks exactly like Reese Witherspoon, so great casting for Elle for sure. I also really liked the intro with “Only Happy When It Rains” playing. I thought it was such a banger. Elle’s wardrobe was another highlight in this show, which I feel is ironic that it is one of the few good things about it, considering that the character of Elle Woods is supposed to be more than just her taste in fashion and yet this show doesn’t have much going for it outside of Elle’s clothes. I also liked the 90s references and thought some of them were funny. However, they did become a bit excessive to the point where I started to roll my eyes, but this easily could have been fixed if the show actually felt like it were set in the 90s in the way that the characters talked and acted instead of relying on references and jokes to remind the audience that this show is, in fact, set in the 90s. Finally, I liked the commentary in episode 7 about the fashion industry within celebrity culture.I thought that was interesting. Unfortunately, it was only in that one episode, and I honestly would have rather this series focused more on that, but I guess they wanted to avoid being too much like The Devil Wears Prada.

Such a delight. You can even see the finer similarities between the high school Elle and the one we know from the films. Great casting and rich side characters with storylines I look forward to developing further in future seasons.

A sweet, witty story. It doesn't reach for the stars, but it was a truly wonderful watch.

**Elle on Prime Video is honestly one of the only new shows I’ve found myself wanting to watch this summer.** The main actress is perfect for the role. She kept a smile on my face the whole time, and I did not even know actresses like her still existed anymore. She brings so much charm, energy, and personality to the character that, honestly, I think she captures Elle even better than the original *Legally Blonde* movie in some ways. The supporting cast also works really well. The friends, family, and people around her all feel like they have a purpose instead of just being there to fill space. Everyone adds something to the story. I also love that the show is set in a time before social media. That makes the storyline feel more grounded, natural, and easier to connect with. It gives the show a different kind of warmth that a lot of newer shows are missing. Overall, *Elle* feels fresh, fun, and surprisingly comforting. Since most of the shows I usually watch are out for the summer, this is the first new one that actually gave me something to look forward to.