Twenty-five years after Girlfriends debuted and helped redefine what Black sisterhood looked like on screen, Tracee Ellis Ross has brought the beloved cast back together—not for a reboot, but for a brand commercial.
Yes, a commercial.
While we can’t ignore the power of a well-executed brand campaign—especially one as culturally rich and community-grounded as this Pattern Beauty spot—it also begs the question: Why hasn’t Girlfriends gotten the reboot treatment it clearly deserves?
In an era where shows like Sex and the City have spun off multiple sequels (And Just Like That), it’s glaring that Girlfriends, a show with arguably deeper cultural resonance and underrepresented voices, still hasn’t seen its second act. I spoke with Nick Arrington, BravoTV’s “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard, I asked him if there’s Space for Black Representation in White-Dominated American Reality TV: Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard. Creator Mara Brock Akil once noted that Girlfriends wasn’t about glamorized dating escapades—it was about chosen family, real friendship, and the nuances of Black womanhood. That premise is just as vital today as it was in 2000—if not more.
The new Pattern Beauty campaign gives us a sweet taste of nostalgia: hair rituals, laughter, identity, and sisterhood. Tracee Ellis Ross plays the “Chief Curltender,” while Persia White, Jill Marie Jones, and Golden Brooks embody the richness of our textures and choices. It’s a joyful nod to the culture of “hair cocktailing” that many Black women know by heart—and an example of how Black-owned brands can double as cultural custodians.
Still, while we’re grateful for this reunion, let’s not forget: Black-led stories shouldn’t only resurface when a brand sees opportunity. They deserve institutional support, full-scale production budgets, and sustained platforming. We need reboots, revivals, retrospectives—and not just for the sake of nostalgia, but because representation is legacy work.
So cheers to Pattern for getting it right. But Hollywood? You’ve still got work to do.