I May Destroy You

I May Destroy You is not for your average viewer. It is uncomfortable, disturbing, sometimes gross. But isn't that part of life-the good, the bad, AND the ugly?

I've seen many foreign movies that are graphic, gratuitous, and grotesque, so watching this fast paced drama series (with darkly humorous moments) was not shocking or offensive.

Some reviewers are saying cruel things about the characters, or blowing them off as unlikable. I challenge the viewer to see these as real human beings-immature, reckless and careless. Haven't we all been there on some level? And aren't we ALL worth saving? Aren't we all worthy of empathy and love, even when-no, especially when-we're at our worst?

If you take that into consideration and go in with an open mind, you will find that this show is a master class in writing. The pacing moves at lightning speed. The plot is razor sharp focused. The themes are strong and relevant. The characters experience trauma and grow and evolve over the episodes. Especially the main character, Arabella.

Without spoiling it, by the final episode (which is SO cleverly meta in terms of writing about writing), she is able to come to terms with her trauma in one of the best final episodes I've seen in a dramedy show. It's sheer perfection: fully resolves everything, funny, violent, shocking, thought provoking and smartly written and executed. It would be perfect if this was all there was. Not sure how a second season would fare or what it would focus on.

One last and very important thing: Americans need to watch this with subtitles! I had no clue what they were saying in the first three minutes. Once the subtitles were on, it was smooth sailing.

I watched the whole show today, so my review is about the entire show in general.

The positives:

• Michaela Coel as the leading actor does a really great job. Also big props for writing and producing the show as well.
• There are several different intertwining story lines with different and well- constructed supporting characters.
• The whole cast are actually all pretty good, and I think it's refreshing and important how diverse the cast is.. I'm so used to white washed casts that this show felt unique in terms of representation. The more positive representation the better in my opinion.

The negatives:

• I feel like although I found the show interesting and liked how it focused on different characters and different issues, I found the plot a bit thin or even neglected. Such as the most central story line of the show, focusing around sexual assault, sort of fading into the background. I just found the plot a bit wavering at times.
• I also don't think I saw much character progression from any of the main characters. I was expecting them to sort of go through a change and come out the other side, but I don't really think any of them came out much better than they were at the start? It kind of just felt a bit anti-climactic.
• I think the show suffered from showcasing too many story lines, social issues and politics. I really like a show that isn't afraid to be honest and political, however I thought that there was quite a lot going on, when maybe It would've been more effective if Cole had just focused on a smaller amount of issues but with more depth. I don't know, it's just how I'm feeling..

Good show though- I mean clearly, I watched the whole thing in a day!

What an incredible watch. I binge watched the whole season although it was not an 'easy' watch per say - it was raw and extremely needed.

It was excellently executed and I felt every single emotion. Michaela Coel is nothing short from phenomenal. The acting in this show was fantastic; as a Londoner, I love how true this show felt to reality. The soundtrack was equally fantastic. The throwback in Theo's segment was much appreciated nostalgia, although again, it was raw but needed.

I have learnt so much from this show and will recommend it to everyone I love.

There are lessons here that need to be learnt; this show is the truth. The experiences highlighted are what many of us go through and the world needs to see it - we must see it. We must see ourselves in both the victims and the villains, because you never know what side you may end up on; we must LEARN.

In order to move forward, we must listen to the stories of others and learn from them.

To dislike this show, is to dislike the truth.

Thank you so much Michaela, you're making big waves.

Loved it! As a young British woman from London it's very relatable, from language to interactions. Some hard hitting scenes mixed in with Michaela Coel style dark humour. It's not meant to be girlfriends or SATC and it doesn't pretend to be. It's not a sitcom or light comedy, it's devastating at times, yet humorous. It's witty and real, covers some of the darker life scenes that aren't ordinarily placed on the screen. Think more of skins/euphoria etc... better yet don't compare it to anything at all... yes, people get wasted, do drugs and shock, horror they talk to their friends when on the loo. I'm confused by the lower scores claiming it should be a thriller or that the characters are one dimensional when we see the depth in their nuanced facial expressions and fleeting moments of raw honesty between friends. I can only say that those people appear to have completely missed the story being told. They didn't understand that it's not meant to be a whodunnit or sanitised portrayal of sexual assault according to how society expects victims to behave. It's about consent, the shades of grey, the acceptance/lack of it, how we understand it and how it's interpreted by the aggressor and victim...How sexual assault survivors cope with the aftermath and then have to exist with daily life. It's brilliant and has left me excited for Coel's next project.

I live in France so I only could watch the first episode. I found it great. What exactly happened to her? I want to know !