Fleabag Reminds Us That It’s OK Not To Be Perfect
Would people enjoy a show about a woman that is an absolute wreck? Though studio executives might be apprehensive about showcasing female anti-heroes, the popularity and pop cultural impact of the BBC series Fleabag showcases the beauty of imperfection.
Fleabag—available on Amazon Prime Video—is a TV show written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on her one-woman show of the same name. It tells the story of a witty, pessimistic woman living in London maneuvering through adulthood.
The unnamed protagonist, who is only referred to as “Fleabag,” has an obvious brokenness and uses sex as a socially acceptable way to ignore her emotional issues, which continuously does her more harm than good.
Fleabag also has a habit of using humor to deflect and distance herself from others, making her disconnected from her love interest, as well as quite lonely. As she suppresses her pain through humor, she inevitably has outbursts from it leading to dire consequences. Rather than breaking the fourth wall for comedic effect like The Office does, Fleabag talks to the audience directly to build a connection with it.
Ironically, Fleabag’s first love is the picture of unattainability—he’s a priest. Also, unnamed “The Priest” appears to be the only one who understands Fleabag as a person and the only person that notices her fourth wall breaks, which represents the depth of their connection.
Fleabag drops her humor for him, sharing that her only self worth is in her ability to have sex, and she feels incompetent in her responsibilities. Fleabag is asking for guidance and he makes the situation sexual, conveying these two characters’ similarities, as he breaks away from the one moment they connect.
The show also touches on the complexities of familial love. Her strained relationship with her high-achieving and seemingly perfect sister slowly becomes healed, and Fleabag learns to cut out toxic people.
Ultimately, she confesses her love to The Priest, but like most star-crossed lovers their romance does not have a happy ending. The Priest chooses God over her, which feels heartbreaking because this was Fleabag’s first time confessing her feelings without using sarcasm or dry wit. It also represents the first time she accurately understands her emotions and communicates them thoroughly.
This is the last scene where the audience is with Fleabag, because she isn’t scared of vulnerability anymore, which gives her the maturity to seek meaningful connections with others.
Fleabag may not be the happiest show, but it is realistic. Learning to care for yourself and have the willpower to take action in responsibility is hard work that is only accomplished by the people who are willing to do it.
People are far from perfect, and yet the narrative that women are meant to be perfect is constantly perpetrated by the media through tropes such as the “girl boss” and the “sexy lamp.”
Sometimes we do not have it all together and that’s okay. It is important to represent real women, and Fleabag does exactly that.