I May Destroy You (Spoiler-Free) Review

HBO’s I May Destroy You is the best show currently airing on television.

That may sound like a grandiose statement, but give it a couple of episodes and I suspect you’ll agree. What Michaela Coel has constructed with this complex, compelling, and emotionally visceral series is nothing short of amazing. And while there have already been far too many attempts to pigeon-hole Coel’s work and compare her to Phoebe Waller-Bridge*, Coel’s work here is original and singular and all her own.

*Coel and Waller-Bridge have some overlap in the topics of their most seminal work, namely a refusal to look at female sexuality as something to be ashamed of. However, Fleabag and I May Destroy You come from very different places and are attempting to tell very different stories. It’s like comparing apples and oranges: useless.

For the uninitiated, I May Destroy You stars Coel as Arabella, a Millennial writer in London whose drink is spiked on a night out with friends (to say much more would both trivialize the story and spoil key elements, so I’ll be as vague as possible – although in-depth looks at the series abound online). What follows that inciting incident explores facets of the modern hook-up culture, the confusion and uneasiness surrounding definitions of sexual assault and rape, the deep-seeded shame in sexuality – particularly for women and within the Black gay community, and fear of looking too deeply at oneself out of the uncertainty of what you will find looking back. Yeah, it’s a lot. But Coel (who wrote all 12 episodes herself and co-directed most with Sam Miller) has such a deft narrative touch that even the heaviest of topics are digestible without too much work on the part of the audience. She’s unafraid to “go there” and force her characters to confront the darker aspects of themselves and others.

Now, lest you think that I May Destroy You is a humorless slog through dark deeds and thoughts, it’s decidedly not. It’s nuanced, smart, funny, charming, and honest as hell. Once you understand the characters and their relationships it becomes easy to slide into the story and become emotionally invested in the show’s intriguing cast of characters. In addition to Coel’s Arabella, Weruche Opia takes on the role of Terry, Arabella’s best friend and a struggling actor (with her own set of neurosis) and the brilliant Paapa Essiedu is Kwame, Arabella’s gay best friend who has his own complex arc to comb through. Unlike a show like Fleabag, in which the audience saw things from the perspective of the lead character (which, in turn, clouded our own understanding of the supporting cast), I May Destroy You presents its characters from a more detached place. We aren’t given an omniscient view into their lives, but we aren’t presented with a POV character to follow either. It’s a much more nuanced and balanced approach to character, wherein we can take their internal thoughts and actions at face value.

Is the series an easy watch? No. It asks its audience to think and feel. It makes us question our own actions and inaction, comparing our own experiences to those of the characters on the screen. And that’s what great television does. I May Destroy You doesn’t provide answers – but the narrative invites us to explore our own pasts and file away tidbits of knowledge for our futures. Coel’s voice, experiences, and artistic brilliance are on full display with the series, and it’s incredible to watch a star being born in such an important piece of work.

I May Destroy You airs each Monday on HBO.