Keeping a good streak going is always going to be difficult. The first season of "Fleabag" made for some of the most expertly crafted television that I had seen from recent years, and with a second season premiering three years after the fact, it was a bit of a waiting game to see whether it would be able to hold up to that great first season. A character like this main character is someone that, while not being a complete reflection of who we are as people, is a great reflection of who we are as "a" people. We all try to hide our grief under a lot of layers, and in her situation, it's a lot of sex with different guys. This season also came after a lot of new success for Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who had started off a new hit series with "Killing Eve" and had been featured on the big screen in such films as "Solo: A Star Wars Story," while also having been courted to co-write Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond. So, it's fair to say that she had tasted huge success and it was exciting to see if she could still go back to her roots. And if this first episode is any indication, her writing is sharper and more crafty than ever. This entire episode is one awkward situation that is drawn out to such terrible lengths that it can't help but to go wrong, and if we know Waller-Bridge as well as we think, it will.
The entire episode is centered around a dinner to celebrate the upcoming marriage between our lead's father and evil godmother. Present at the dinner is their priest, and it's clear that this is someone else who is very much alike our main character, in the sense that he also seems to be dealing with a lot of baggage, but instead of coping with it through sex, he copes with it through his job. This seems to be a very interesting character going forward, and hopefully, we'll get to see some kind of kinship form between the two. They deserve it.
At the same time, it seems like the main character is at a better place in her life. Her business is apparently going well and she's starting to turn down her lust for adventure by saying no to propositions of sex. So a lot has happened in the time since the first season ended, and hopefully, we'll get to see some of those holes filled out as the show goes on. What hasn't changed is her draw to drama and there's a lot of that present here, with a lot of it actually not being about her for a change.
She hasn't forgotten her ability to brilliantly mix comedy and drama, and while this episode is really funny, it also has some very serious and dark moments. It's very affecting in that way, putting knowledge to the fact that life isn't as easy and bright as we'd all like it to be. However, her approach is to still keep the fun element of the show on the surface, so a lot of the darkness is layered with comedy here and there, which is the right approach for a show like this, especially since it has earned it at this point.
It's also the same in the acting department with Waller-Bridge still shining as the lead in this show. She didn't say a whole lot this episode as it was structured, but she had a lot of emotion to show in her face and that, she does brilliantly. The new addition of Andrew Scott as the priest is also a great addition, and he really shines in this very outgoing and cursing priest character. Sian Clifford is great and dry as always, and Olivia Colman hides that smarmy and disgusting behavior under a layer of smiles and is brilliant as always.
The timing in "Episode 1" is perfect as usual, and the writing is still on-point as Waller-Bridge continues to beautifully tackle the different genres. It's a great start to a season that has a lot to live up to, but if this episode signals anything, it's that we're in for another great and fun ride.
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