I was really looking forward to The Spare, especially with its promising pitch of Gossip Girl meets Succession, which are two of my favorite drama filled universes. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver on that promise.

The story follows Sloan Amari, a determined Indian American attorney vying for the CEO position at her family’s company, while navigating old feelings for Marcus, who is her brother’s best friend and now her corporate rival. While I appreciated the premise and the importance of the themes the author chose to highlight, particularly cultural representation and the challenges women face in male dominated industries, the execution didn’t quite land for me.

There was a lot of telling and very little showing, which made it hard to really connect with the characters or feel invested in their journey. I found myself waiting for that spark, that tension or chemistry that typically drives a great slow burn, but it just never fully ignited. The pacing felt sluggish at times, and without that emotional pull or dynamic character connection, I was left feeling bored and a bit disappointed.

That said, Ava Rani clearly aimed to bring important conversations to the forefront, and I respect that. I just wish the characters and their relationships had been given more depth and shown through actions rather than exposition.

Overall, this one had a strong concept and some valuable themes, but it fell flat in delivery. I hope to see more from Ava Rani in the future, with more focus on character development and immersive storytelling.