fleabag season one review
It’s not new for the protagonist of a television program to break the 4th wall. Alf did it. Zach Morris did it. So did that kid from Boy Meets World. The star talks directly to us, the narrative pauses, and we are distracted. Distanced. When Phoebe Waller-Bridge winks knowingly at her imaginary audience (a case can be made for which is imaginary, us or her – imagination inception!) or gives us that famous Waller-Bridge glance, it serves as a reminder that we are there with her. In those moments we might as well exist in the Fleabag universe – that is how intimately connected the show is to those who watch. As Andy Samberg impersonating Nicolas Cage would say, that’s high praise. Olivia Colman is a standout as the “nasty under a veneer of pathological niceness” Brit.
(Editor's Note: This review will seem shorter than normal as it was written back in August of 2020 when The QC first launched. Our initial angle was reviews capturing the essence of a movie or tv show using the least words humanly possible. We aren't as strict nowadays regarding review length but I wanted to provide the original unedited review.)