Clique often places identity themes front and center, with character arcs shaped more by their backgrounds and social issues than distinctive personalities or skills. Some characters feel like they were cast to fulfill representation quotas. While the show does offer drama, at times it leans so heavily into its messaging that it undercuts narrative depth and tension.

The series tends to depict traditional structures like family and masculinity as sources of repression or danger, while promoting progressive values. Masculine characters are regularly depicted as flawed or suspect, while female and queer characters dominate moral high ground, a common move in modern programming.

There’s very little genuine debate among characters about the show's core values. Traditional or dissenting perspectives are generally shown as problematic or villainous, reinforcing a single ideological viewpoint with little room for dissent or complexity.