Mean Girls or Misunderstood?

Since Cadet-in-Training dropped, there’s been quite a lot of buzz surrounding The Academy. And now that the Pete, Kate, & Ranger love triangle has been firmly established, fans have been craving more backstory about the other characters. Ashley-Leigh continues to pop up in the series for dramatic little cameos, but the real mainstay are the other cadets who thrive in this cutthroat world. Today I’m focusing on the other girls, who continue to compete with Kate for the coveted “Elite” status. There’s the always-aloof Reese, ex-girlfriend of Pete and the single female officer at The Academy, Lizzie, the consummate mean-girl who is vying for Ranger’s affections, Savannah, who is sharply funny and in constant competition, and Latecia, the dark, sultry beauty and mission favorite.

These girls may look your sorority-girl-next-door, but don’t let their appealing faces fool you—they’re vicious. Bred for beauty and brains, they’ve been trained to be killers. While "civilian girls are raised on a steady diet of Disney and dance recitals, female cadets are taught self-defense and survival tactics.” So what else would you expect from a girl raised in this kind of militant environment, but an inherent ruthlessness? It’s the only way to get ahead at The Academy: step on, or be stepped on. But as the story unfolds, we learn that these ambitious female cadets can’t help but yearn for their own love story. Why should newbie Kate get to have all the fun? So this begs the age-old question of Nature vs Nurture. No matter how strong and career-minded a girl is raised to be, can we truly eradicate the instinct to feather a nest with an alpha mate and live happily ever after?