Sweet/Vicious is not a show known to pull punches when having the tougher conversations — and last Tuesday was no exception. With a range of complex strong female characters, the show tackles the uncomfortable but extremely necessary topic of sexual assault by giving Jules, played by Eliza Bennett, the chance to confront her rapist face-to-face.
OMFGTV had the opportunity to chat with Eliza Bennett and discuss the show, her character, and what we can anticipate moving forward. Below, she reflects on episode six, “Fearless” that marked a major turning point for her character.
Up until this point, Jules had been using her vigilante justice plan as a coping mechanism and avoiding confronting her rapist, Nate (Dylan McTee). That all changed when the floodgates burst and she finally told him exactly what it was he did to her, and what he took from her in doing so.
Bennett named “Fearless” as her favorite episode of the season. “It is such a turning point in the show and it puts the show in another gear for the rest [of the series]”.
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No one is there for Jules in her time of need more than Ophelia (Taylor Dearden) who puts her own safety in jeopardy to protect Jules several times throughout the campus lockdown. One of the things Bennett noted as one of Ophelia’s strengths was “being a friend and supporting someone when there’s literally nothing you can say to make them feel better.”
That support is highlighted by the fact that Jules’ best friend Kennedy (Aisha Dee) doesn’t believe her when she tells her that she’s been raped. “We wanted to make sure that we showed that because that happens to so many survivors”.
“Fearless” was a hard episode for Jules and it leaves her feeling like she’s lost almost everything important to her. “I wish that I could just hold Jules and tell her that I love her and that she’s not alone,” Bennett says. The show and Jules’ journey has reached its major turning point and the rest of the season will show the effects this confrontation had.
In Jules’ time of pain and struggle, the core meaning of the show can be found in the discussion online amongst fans and by the actors and creators themselves. “What we wanted the message of the show to be is that you’re not alone in this and that we support you. That we want to build a community of people that are fighting for this so we can start to hold people accountable.”
Episode six was an emotional rollercoaster that seems to be just the first of several rough patches ahead for Jules in her journey. Bennett hinted that Jules is nowhere near out of the woods and that “it gets much worse before it gets better” for her but with “an exceptional friend” by her side in Ophelia, hopefully Jules finds the strength to get through this.
Sweet/Vicious airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on MTV.