![]() It’s a hard watch, and at times you’ll want to turn away. They are characters you laugh with and cringe and cry for when they release the worst of themselves on others, or when life unleashes on them. She and her friends feel like people you know, or want to know. While the cultural nuances make the series more unique, the way Coel captures humanity makes the story intimately familiar no matter where you call home. I probably would have liked it even more if I were British or had West African parents. The culture is different, which makes the slang and humor different. I enjoyed Coel’s series immensely, but I know I missed a layer or two of insight being American. “Arabella” and her all-Black circle of friends are bonded as much by race as by the unique shared experience of being first-generation descendants of West African immigrants. I May Destroy You is Black, British, and reflective of Coel’s upbringing by Ghanaian parents in the U.K. It’s a Black experience, but not the one Americans are accustomed to. And so are her friends who round out the core cast: girl bestie Terry (Weruche Opia), an aspiring actress with stage fright, and their boy bestie Kwame (Paapa Essiedu), an openly gay fitness instructor with either sex addiction or commitment issues (maybe both?). Arabella is tragically human in her desire to be loved, to be heard, and to be seen. ![]() There’s Arabella (Coel), a pink-haired, influencer-turned-author, who is vulnerable and insecure, but also righteous and adventurous and opinionated and gracious. ![]() The childhood friends exist in a world where hook-up threesomes, cocaine, and urinating with the door open are both routine and mundane. I May Destroy You follows a trio of twenty-something friends as they navigate sex and trauma, but also love, morality, consent, self-care, loyalty, forgiveness, self-esteem, social media, fame, and insecurity too. She utilized her horrifying experience as the inspiration for her latest series, which explores sexual assault-including the definitions (yes, plural) of rape-and so much more. The series is also whimsical and charming, reflecting the personality of its star, a survivor with a tale to tell.Michaela Coel as “Arabella” (left) and Weruche Opia as “Terry” in I May Destroy YouĬoel had a flashback and later discovered she had been physically violated by strangers. Hard as this material may be, “I May Destroy You” won’t destroy viewers. The digital content series “ Gathering the Pieces” was launched to help further the discussion. HBO recognized tackling the issue of rape and recovery, a half-hour episode a time, on TV no less, required more. Like Arabella, she subsequently experienced flashbacks, deep emotional grief and eventually recalled she was sexually assaulted. The result is a series that’s as intimate and authentic as it is topical and necessary.Ĭoel, 32, said the idea behind the BBC series was pulled from her own experience while she was writing the second installation of “Chewing Gum.” She took a break from work, went out to meet a friend and lost consciousness after someone slipped a drug in her drink. It’s a brave effort that dares to pair humor with intense, difficult subject matter. Incredibly, “I May Destroy You” still manages to laugh, and get laughs, thanks to Coel’s undeniable knack for finding comedy in the darkest places. In a furious, unfunny 27-minute set posted to the Netflix Is a Joke YouTube page, Dave Chappelle traces a path from slavery to the death of George Floyd. Television Review: Dave Chappelle’s new special isn’t stand-up. Common ideas about the weakness and vulnerability of sexual assault victims are explored and debunked early on in this series through her personal plight. She’s a smart, savvy feminist who should have seen this coming, right? Wrong. And it’s a harrowing journey.Īrabella, after all, is a creative, independent force, full of snarky, sharp wit and replete with cotton-candy pink hair. She’s plagued by guilt, shame, fear and anger, all of which prove obstacles and then motivators in her quest for accountability and truth. Questions abound, but Arabella’s emotional journey is the real story here. Uber tracking, cellphone data and gum shoe investigation also play a part in reconstructing the chain of life-changing events. To help put the pieces together, she relies on her close confidants Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu). Plagued by flashbacks that Arabella initially believes to be nightmares, she begins to realize she was drugged and raped, possibly by a “friend” or his acquaintances. The night is a blur, and she wakes up the next morning bruised, disoriented, wondering what the hell happened. But their friendships take a sharp turn when Arabella decides to take a break from her writing (which she’ll do anything to avoid) and meet up with mates for a drink.
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