Bagging A Fleabag

(Image Courtesy: imdb.com)

The past week was girl crush week for me because I found myself majorly crushing on two different girls..err..women onscreen. One was Naomi Scott, the fierce princess Jasmine from Aladdin (more on her here) and the other, was Phoebe Waller-Bridge from the dramedy series Fleabag. The only thing common between these two characters is that they’re both British. (Well, considering that my last male crush was also British, I think I might have a thing for them, but that is a topic for another discussion!)

A quick synopsis: Fleabag is the story of how a seemingly lost, unstable, sexually voracious woman deals with her family, friends, love, etc and her decisions and the implications of her decisions. This bland, spoiler-free brief I wrote sounds like any other romcom, but Fleabag is a not just another romcom about women pining for men/sex/love/unrealistic makeovers in their life. Most importantly, it isn’t bland at all.

(Image Courtesy: imdb.com)

Fleabag’s writing is like a spider spinning its web - it starts from a particular point and spins out its web radially, all the while forming a connection between the strands, resulting in a pretty-looking, shining trap for a housefly. We, the viewers are the unsuspecting houseflies in this case, who’ve been lured into this series with an intriguing premise, a doomed-looking heroine and the promise of risque comedy.

But Fleabag is no ordinary dramedy - the protagonist is scatterbrained and disturbed for a reason, the wit is more than a defense mechanism, more than half the characters do not have names (even the official credits list ‘Bus Rodent’ and ‘Needy Waitress’ as characters) and the lead ‘breaking the fourth wall’ isn’t a cinematic effect - it is an attempt to bridge the gap between herself and her peripheral insecurities. Note that the lead never talks to the camera when she in the midst of major emotional upheaval (in Season 1) and when she’s with the priest (in Season 2).

(Image Courtesy: imdb.com)

Speaking of bridges, can we just take a moment to appreciate the phenomenal lead actress/writer/magician/British goddess Phoebe Waller-Bridge? Her comic timing is impeccable, her frustration is palpable and her camera talk rivals that of Jim (John Krasinski, yet another crush) from The Office! Lady PWB (as she will be further referred to in this post) knits and dons the rather heavy cloak of the Fleabag, and sashays down all the way to the finale with as much ease and flair as a model on the runway in Milan. There’s really nothing more I can write about her without sounding reverential. (Believe me, I’ve tried!).

A crucial feature of a good dramedy is a strong supporting cast and Fleabag ticks off that box with bright green ink in the form of a solid supporting cast that includes Olivia Colman and Andrew Scott. There is really nothing much I can add about Olivia Colman - she won a well-deserved Academy Award this year, so that speaks for itself. 

(Image Courtesy: imdb.com)

You know an actor really knows his craft when the viewers’ feelings towards him shift with every character he portrays. When Andrew Scott played Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock, I was terrified of the man. He instilled fear and hatred every time he came on screen. However, as the priest in season two of Fleabag, I found myself gushing and blushing at his sight! I can say, quite frankly that season two is way better than season one, and I suspect that the presence of Mr Scott in S2 has a lot to do with my judgment:-p

(Image Courtesy: imdb.com)

Fleabag is another hilarious proof that the shorter the dramedy, the better written it is. The end of Fleabag isn’t muddled or complicated or unrealistically joyful, but poignant, mature and….quiet. With only two seasons with six episodes each, Fleabag is easily binge-able in a day. Lady PWB, I humbly bow to you and trust that in your capable hands, we shall see a more powerful, less sexist Bond girl 😊 (She’s a part of the writing team of the next 007 film, you guys)

Verdict: The Met Department issued a heat wave warning for us in India yesterday, so this Sunday, stay at home, order some lunch and binge Fleabag! BRB, searching for ‘Killing Eve’ now (also a Lady PWB written show)