![]() However, the single most important moment of realization is when Arabella finally realizes that she has been sexually assaulted. The Moment of RealizationĪs in all the best dramas, there are many moments of realization, as characters – principally Arabella, Terry, and Kwame – discover the truth not only about other people (including those they once trusted) but themselves. Just as Shakespeare sets so many plays in Italy, so too Coel depicts the country initially as a contemporary Eden, where Arabella (played by Coel) first goes to write (but in reality to party with her best friend, Terry) and then meets Biagio, a drug dealer who appears to subvert all the stereotypes about drug dealers until he, too, starts threatening Arabella.Ĭonsequently, like Shakespeare, Coel shows that the sunniest places are also the most shadowy. Most of the series is set in London, but it opens and continually returns (especially in its first half) to Italy, specifically Ostia, ancient Rome’s port city that today is a beach resort.Ĭoel is Shakespearean in her use of Italy, seeing it not just as an exotic location but as a place of escape. Unlike almost all TV drama series, I May Destroy You consists of 12 30-minute episodes, rather than the more common six one-hour episodes.Įffectively, that makes it the first “sit-dram”, or situation drama, whereby a drama series adopts the usual format of a comedy, particularly a “sitcom” or situation comedy, to tell a harrowing but utterly compelling story in relatively bite-sized chunks that are perfect for binge-watching. Its Formal Innovation: Inventing The “Sit-Dram” The words themselves may never be used by any of the characters, but they still stand as an omnipresent warning: that any one individual has the capacity to wreak havoc on another. However, I May Destroy You is both more personal and universal. The only title of a recent film or TV program that comes close to matching that combination is A Most Violent Year, the 2014 US crime film set in New York in 1981, statistically the city’s worst year ever for homicides. Like many viewers of I May Destroy You, I was first attracted to it by its title, with its unique combination of politeness and threat. ![]() To Fully Understand Its Unforgettable Title However, in the interest of brevity, I will limit myself to 12, one for each episode of this remarkable program.įirst, here is the trailer for the first season to get you acquainted: I could probably find 144 reasons why anyone, especially any writer, should watch I May Destroy You, the 2020 BBC/HBO co-production of Michaela Coel's extraordinary TV series about a young black British woman’s experience of being sexually assaulted. If you're not watching Michaela Coel's TV series.
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