Such Brave Girls

Not often I binge watch a comedy, but this has made me laugh out loud so many times. It's, a, surprise hit for me, who knew such dysfunction could be so hilarious. I guess it is funny because we can all see things in it we recognise in ourselves or others. Josie brilliant character. Kat's performance and comic delivery is right on point, her pathetic awkward smiles and twisted body demeanor pure funny. Her mum desperate and super funny, her crazed deluded sister. Dev is just so awkward and cringetastic as is the boyfriend. Hope it continues, a great female led comedy of ultimate awkwardness with some great lines.

Favourite scenes include the pregnancy test, the trying to get sectioned by taking two paracetamol and the concerns about giving illicit drugs to a young girl of similar age. And the layers Josie wears on the boat trip cracked me up.

I binge watched this in two days. It's the type of comedy that us Brits do really well. There is nothing 'polished' about it. It's down and dirty and very real. The relationship between the two sisters is brilliant. A combination of disdain, toxicity, combined-delusion and affection. And then I found out that they're sisters in real life! I think it's the raw honesty that makes this so funny. The acting from the whole cast is spot-on. From Louise Brealey as mum, Deb, who plays favourites in the most narcissistically manipulative way, to Freddie Meredith as Seb, the wet-dishcloth 'boyfriend' of Josie. As for Lizzie Davidson who plays one of the sisters, Billie, and Kate Sadler as Josie. Just wow! No doubt the honesty and chemistry between Billie and Josie came from the actresses being sisters in real life. Yet, even so, the acting is top notch. In some ways, I imagine it could be more difficult to play out what was, undoubtedly, certain real scenarios or feelings from their own personal lives. But they put it all on the line in the most endearing, gross, watchable and compelling way. This makes you feel so many emotions. It's laugh-out -loud funny and it definitely makes you cringe at times. These characters should be unlikable, but they're not. And that's because such a good job is done of exposing their vulnerabilities amid the humour and self-serving actions of the sisters and their mum. Each character is multi-dimensional - even Dev (mum's boyfriend). As a viewer, it's hard to get a grasp on his motivation. He's a combination of wet, weird, sympathetic and odd. And it's impossible to know who's playing who as Deb desperately tries to work her way into moving her and their girls into Dev's huge house, yet seems to end up always paying for everything (including his petrol). This is up there as one of the best comedies in recent years. And I think that's because it doesn't 'try' to be funny - it just is. It takes brilliant writing, as well as acting, to pull that off; so I was in awe when I found out Kate Sadler, who plays Josie, also wrote this. And she's still in her 20s! I literally can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Such Brave Girls is definitely one of the best British comedies in recent years. The writing is strong and the performances hit the mark without fail. In some ways I felt I developed a morbid fascination with watching a slow motion car crash of a family dynamic, if that makes sense. It's pretty dark and deals with some fairly serious issues in a totally unsensational way, driven throughout by the sister's dysfunctional relationship with each other and with their mother. The only minor gripe I had was that sometimes the (almost) constant abuse Josie receives verges on the gratuitously cruel and that is walking a fine line. However, the series overall is a gem and the best thing I've watched in quite some time.

It might be because I hyper identify with this family dynamic, but this is the greatest, tight season of comedy tv I've seen in a good long while. Damn, Brits take self deprecation to another level of art and I'm all for it. Kat Sadler is an incredibly talented writer and artist. The most compelling drawing of a horse I've ever seen.

Every character is great. The actor who plays Seb is like a bizarro Michael Cera but funnier. Billie goes all in on being "that girl" and the desperation is palpable. There's complexity in here that mocks tropes and is totally self aware. I also love the nod to bodily functions, and the closeness of female relationships. This show kind of addresses all the qualms I have with quirky sitcoms! Can't wait to see more.

Such Brave Girls is a return to the best of British comedy. With clear inspiration from Peep Show and The Inbetweeners, it is fresh, dark, clever, and hysterical from start to finish. Every character is unique, weird, and hilarious - I have genuinely never seen a show where each character adds so much value like Such Brave Girls. The sisterly love/hate between Billie and Josie is relatable and loveable, and every other line is quotable.

I have not laughed at a show like I did for SBG in about 5 years. Got my girlfriend, her housemates, my family, even my grandparents watching this and every single person has LOVED it. You will be in hysterics!!