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Though the “bright-eyed Westerner moves to the big city” gag is not exactly new, Nahnatchka Khan’s version is one of the sharpest. Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 follows June Colburn (Dreama Walker), a young woman who moves to New York City from Indiana to accept her dream job at a mortgage company and large (included!) apartment. When the company goes bust thanks to an embezzlement snafu, she moves in with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), the titular “bitch” whose unfeeling and reckless ways both horrifies and titillates the innocent June. Chloe’s a wild party girl who holds a revolving door of roommates; she asks for the rent up front and then ups her insane behavior until her roommate freaks out and bails. When Chloe tries to pull the same scam on June, June winds up being more stronger willed than either of them could’ve ever anticipated.
Along for the ride is James Van Der Beek playing a fictionalized self-centered and self-satirical version of himself. The show’s James is trying to revamp his acting career, culminating in a commercial for his very own brand of jeans (“Put your cheeks in a Beek.“) and a season of Dancing with the Stars which leads to many actor-prone meltdowns. James rides shotgun alongside Chloe’s sociopathic behavior, allowing her to throw his name around to get what she wants. The two of them working and conning together is a sight to behold.
The show ran for two seasons before ABC pulled the plug, but here’s how to watch Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 streaming online.
How to Watch Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Online & Stream the Complete Series
Among all the streaming services, Hulu has exclusive rights to every episode of Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. There are a couple different options when signing up for Hulu, but either one will get you access to the show’s complete library:
If you simply want Hulu’s extensive on-demand library, you can sign up right here. It costs $7.99 per month for the limited commercials plan or $11.99 per month for the no commercials plan.
If you want to go from watching Hulu’s on-demand library to watching NFL games or other live TV without changing the app, you can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV”. This option gives you access to Hulu’s extensive on-demand library, as well as a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels. It costs $39.99 per month for the plan that includes limited commercials with the on-demand content or $43.99 per month for the plan that includes no commercials with the on-demand content.
After signing up for either of the above options, you can watch any episode of Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead
How Many Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Seasons Are There?
Don’t Trust the B—- ran for two seasons and produced 26 episodes by its end. Though eight of its episodes were initially unaired as of its cancellation, they can now be viewed online.
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Season 1
7 Episodes | April 2012 – May 2012
After June finds herself jobless when her company’s CEO is arrested for embezzlement, she moves in with Chloe, a salacious con artist who does everything in her power to ditch her roommates after they pay her up front. Cheery June views Chloe with amazement, thinking she’s the perfect vivacious New Yorker to show her the ropes in the big city. After she finds out June’s fiance is cheating with multiple women, Chloe seduces him to help show June the truth. As the season unravels, Chloe teaches June how to be more confident and shows her the joys of casual sex. Though the two form an unlikely friendship, it’s not without consequences as June ends up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning and often finds herself far, far out of her comfort zone. James spends the season dealing with his own self-indulgence when an old sex tape of him and Chloe winds up in the hands of a porn distributor. Later, he joins Dancing with the Stars but has a meltdown when he finds out Dean Cain has a bigger dressing room than he does.
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Season 2
19 Episodes | October 2012 – May 2013
James’ ego is on overdrive in Season 2 as the 10 year anniversary of Dawson’s Creek‘s series finale looms and he learns his former cast members all hate him. When James and Luther head to Los Angeles for the premiere of Dancing with the Stars, Chloe sees dollar signs as she hosts her latest money making scheme in James’ empty penthouse. When June is overwhelmed with work, Chloe slips her an herbal relaxant that causes her to blackout for two days. Chloe continues her bitchy ways by attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to score free booze from recovering alcoholics. Chloe also continues her hunt for her very first New York roommate ever, Trish, who Chloe says stole her dream of becoming a dancer. Despite learning that poor Trish has died, Chloe still can’t let go of her vengeful rage.
What Are the Best Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Episodes?
From Chloe’s hard-pressed money schemes and general uncaring flippancy, to James’ shameless egotism, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 was always delightfully cold with bone-dry humor, devious characters and super sharp writing. Every episode is styled as “…in Apartment 23.” Here’s a list of the best Don’t Trust the B episodes.
Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”
The pilot episode is one for the record books as we’re introduced to Ritter’s borderline insane Chloe, a New Yorker who’s beyond unhinged and really DGAF. She’s BFFs with actor James Van Der Beek and the two live their lives in unbounded arrogance until June moves in and shows them that it’s OK to care sometimes…at least just a little bit. Chloe helps June realize that her fiance was a cheater, so at least Chloe helped a little, even if she had to sleep with the dude to get the point across.
Season 1, Episode 5: “Making Rent…”
June catches Chloe trying to pull her roommate scam once again, so the two figure out alternative ways of making money to pay the rent. James gets his own new line of skinny jeans entitled Beek Jeans.
Season 1, Episode 6: “It’s Just Sex…”
With help from Chloe, June decides to have casual sex with a customer from the coffee shop she works at. Once the guy becomes emotionally attached, Chloe urges June to ditch him. James and Chloe’s old sex tape gets into the hands of a porn distributor causing James to freak out.
Season 2, Episode 2: “Love and Monsters…”
James throws his annual “positivity party” on Halloween to counter his fears of the holiday. June is happy when Chloe enters into a real relationship, but it’s soon revealed that Chloe’s new special friend is only her latest Halloween prank victim.
Season 2, Episode 14: “Teddy Trouble”
Chloe’s childhood friend Teddy comes for his annual visit, but he’s off his meds. Chloe plans on using his instability to get a bargain at a department store’s warehouse sale. James is devastated when he learns his Beek Jeans ended up in the “chill-out corner” of the sale and no one is buying them.
Who Are the Actors in the Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Cast?
Krysten Ritter as Chloe
Chloe is often described as having “the morals of a pirate.” She’s sexually adventurous, partying hard all of the time and taking whatever freebies she can get along the way. Even though she’s a borderline sociopath, she eventually ends up taking to June, often trying to help her roommate out despite making most situations worse. Ritter is best known for her turn as Jessica Jones in Netflix’s Marvel series and for guest spots on Breaking Bad and Veronica Mars.
Dreama Walker as June Colburn
June is optimistic and loyal to a fault. She’s honest and friendly to everyone which often leads to her downfall on the tough streets of New York City. She eventually learns how to stand up to Chloe, which ultimately earns her respect and leads to a friendship with “the bitch.” Walker has also appeared on Gossip Girl and The Good Wife.
James Van Der Beek as Himself
Van Der Beek plays a fictionalized version of himself who’s desperate to revive his lulling career. In spite of being extremely overconfident and narcissistic, he’s a good friend to Chloe and often helps the two women learn how to deal with each other. Van Der Beek is obviously known for Dawson’s Creek in addition to movies like Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction, and Viceland’s What Would Diplo Do?
Eric André as Mark Reynolds
Mark was set to be June’s manager at the mortgage company, but after losing his job he becomes manager of her local coffee shop and hires her on the spot. He’s a quirky guy who gets depressed after he breaks up with his girlfriend. He crushes hard on June and tries to approach her frequently, but the two end up proving to be incompatible. After Don’t Trust the B, André starred in 2 Broke Girls and Man Seeking Woman.
Ray Ford as Luther Wilson
Wilson plays Van Der Beek’s fussy personal assistant and biggest cheerleader, causing James to take advantage of him often. Luther feels that Chloe’s craziness gets in the way of James’ comeback, while Chloe finds Luther to be boring and uptight. Ford can also be seen on The Real O’Neals and Grey’s Anatomy.
Who Are the Top Guest Stars on Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23?
James Van Der Beek isn’t the only actor to appear on the show in a meta-fictionalized role. Busy Phillips, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dean Cain, Kiernan Shipka, Frankie Muniz and Charo all play themselves, weaving in and out of Van Der Beek’s struggle to reclaim the spotlight. Phillips and Gosselaar star in an episode revolving around a Dawson’s Creek reunion (Season 2’s premiere entitled “A Reunion…”), while many of the other cameos and guest spots occur after James joins Dancing with the Stars.
Who Are the Writers & Creators Behind Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23?
Nahnatchka Khan: Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Creator, Producer and Writer
Creator Khan started her career writing for FOX’s Malcolm in the Middle. After the demise of Don’t Trust the B, Khan created Fresh Off the Boat and signed a multi-year deal to create, write and develop for Twentieth Century Fox. Her directorial debut Always Be My Maybe is set to drop on Netflix in 2019.
Where Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Ranks in the Television Pantheon
The first season of Don’t Trust the B came out of the gate strong, securing a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being praised as one of eight honorees for Most Exciting New Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards. Thanks to its smart writing and sleek dialogue and delivery, the show was well-received by critics throughout its run despite its struggle to find a loyal audience.
Ritter’s performance, one of her first leading roles, had an incomparable sardonic edge to it. When coupled with James Van Der Beek’s tongue-in-cheek, meta-lite turn, the show offered much more than its odd-couple-sitcom contemporaries. Its sinister aspects are what gave it its unique appeal. As Vulture noted, “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 is a trifle, but it’s intriguing for how it balances sweetness and sleaze.” It’s rare for savvy TV audiences to be shocked these days, but Don’t Trust the B‘s decadent depravity and self-satirical nature is refreshing for those who enjoy off-beat, immoral humor.