‘English Teacher’ Proves Romy Mars’ On-Screen Charm Goes Beyond TikTok

Just when you thought English Teacher couldn’t get any more infectious, “Kayla Syndrome” is here to prove you wrong.

The third episode of Brian Jordan Alvarez’s hit FX series stars Romy Mars (singer/TikTok sensation/daughter of Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars) as Kayla Stevenson, a student in Mr. Marquez’s (Alvarez) class who’s reeling from a recent medical diagnosis she made up to get attention: Asymptomatic Tourettes. Bravo. Or as Ari, Mars’ babysitter’s boyfriend would say, brav a .

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Whether you’re a fan of Mars’ music , recognize her from the Cannes red carpet for her grandpa Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis , or are familiar with the viral TikTok she posted after getting grounded for using her father’s credit card to charter a helicopter to meet a camp friend for dinner in Maryland, English Teacher shows the 17-year-old embracing comedy like never before.

By sheer definition (her family is super famous!) Mars joined the nepo baby ranks and has an undeniable leg up in Hollywood. But anyone who’s watched her unexpectedly charming attempt at cooking vodka sauce pasta (despite not knowing the difference between garlic, onion, and shallots) can tell she has an organically captivating on-screen presence.

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English Teacher ‘s two-episode premiere taught viewers that some of the series’ most hilarious scenes — from book club meetups to that iconic “Powderpuff” routine — include Morrison-Hensley High School’s students, played by talented young stars like Aliyah’s Interlude, Ben Bondurant, Mason Douglas, Dave Z. Martin, Scarlette Amber Hernandez, and more. By letting Mars shine, Episode 3, “Kayla Syndrome,” ensures the students’ winning scene streak continues.

After Mr. Marquez writes “ Love in the Time of Cholera ” on the chalkboard and prepares to dive into his lesson, Mars’ Kayla softly and apologetically interrupts to inform him “it’s actually super triggering” to be reading a book about disease with everything she’s going through. With a nonchalant tone, a straight face, and believable sorrow in her eyes, Kayla explains, “The rest of the class sort of already knows about this, but recently I was successfully diagnosed with something called Asymptomatic Tourettes.” It’s the first of many delightfully ridiculous lines designed to make anyone with a pulse break, but Mars effectively dishes out deadpan humor from behind Kayla’s desk as the rest of her classmates play along.

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As Kayla maintains composure, her best friend Chelsea (Ivy Wolk, another familiar TikTok face ) absolutely schools Mr. Marquez on the self-diagnosed illness. Between Wolk delivering scathing slights (it’s not called “AT” anymore, it’s “Kayla Syndrome” — aka “KS” — now!) and Mars’ subtle head nods, eye rolls, and a cough so gentle and perfectly placed you’ll struggle to stifle a cackle, English Teacher ‘s students prove they’re more than capable of keeping up with their teachers.

As a whole, Episode 3 is another lovable installment that brilliantly explores the complex dynamics of high school friendships while following the escalation of a potential workplace romance between Evan and Harry (Langston Kerman). English Teacher seamlessly juggles and intertwines multiple storylines, all of which lead to a homecoming dance where Kayla is crowned queen. After Markie (Sean Patton) tells her “the best way to gain power is to artificially give it away,” she emerges victorious in her friend group by performatively placing her tiara on Chelsea’s head and slyly insulting her in a generous, albeit self-serving speech. The scene works so well because of Mars’ ability to mask a necessary layer of brattiness with modesty, shyness, and soft-spoken sweetness, while not eliminating it entirely.

In yet another casting success for English Teacher , the effortless humor, attitude, and star power that Mars exudes on TikTok translates perfectly to the series. We get glimpses of joy, jealousy, annoyance, and more from Mars, and while her screen time is limited, she makes the most of every second in the spotlight. Just like the great Francis Ford Coppola , we’re hoping we haven’t seen the last of Kayla at Morrison-Hensley High.

New episodes of English Teacher premiere Mondays on FX with next-day streaming on Hulu.

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