Fleabag

[scenicdesign71]

Okay, for once I'm going to actually start a new thread instead of piggybacking on existing ones that have little or no relevance.

Last weekend I finally watched Season 1 of Fleabag on Amazon, after years of lazily avoiding it out of some conviction that it couldn't possibly live up to its nearly Hamilton-level hype.  Not an unreasonable assumption, I might add; but, as with Hamilton, it turns out the hype was justified.

So last night I dove back in and binged Season 2, again in a single evening -- and lo and behold, it's just as good if not better.

Writer and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge brought her original one-woman play of the same name (from which S1 was expanded) to NYC earlier this year, but at the time I was still avoiding it (and probably couldn't have gotten tickets anyway, since its six-week run sold out almost instantly).

But more recently she took the show to the West End for another limited run (ending just about a week ago), where it was streamed live to cinemas on Sept. 12, followed by encore dates including an astonishing battery of showings (up to twelve per day, now extended through October 3) at the IFC Center downtown.  So I might try to catch that at some point.

Anyone else watch the series?  Among its other virtues, it's astoundingly bloat-free, with each season running a sleek three hours (six 30-minute episodes apiece), and Waller-Bridge has said that S2 will be the last.  Granted, she had said the same after S1, but given how well that change of heart turned out -- both seasons really are exquisitely-constructed -- I'd watch a third in a heartbeat.

I should probably check out the first season of Killing Eve, which she wrote, as well.

[KathyB]

It's been on my "things I need to watch" list since June, and I'm thinking the Emmy success (plus your review) will push me into finally making time for it.  (Waiting until after Ken Burns's Country Music is over, though.)

[Chris L]

It was nice to see it win so many awards last night, if only because Waller-Bridge gave entertaining acceptance speeches. I also loved Jodie Comer's speech, where she seemed genuinely startled at having won. And, of course, thanked Waller-Bridge, her show's creator.