“Fleabag” is available on Amazon.
Amazon / Contributed photo /With the ice and the snow blustering about outside, I took the time to (finally) watch “Fleabag,” a British sitcom that has made Phoebe Waller-Bridge a household name as she created and starred in the oddball series.
With a name like “Fleabag,” the series certainly grabs the viewer’s attention as Waller-Bridge plays the titular Fleabag, a woman who, when audiences first meet her, is in a lousy relationship and is saddled with a struggling business. Fleabag (we never actually get a real name for her) has a complicated relationship with her family. Her sister Claire (Sian Clifford) is strikingly Type A and is married to an alcoholic nitwit. Her father has yet to come to terms with the death of their mother and is verbally inept but happens to be dating Fleabag’s godmother. Now, Godmother is a particularly interesting character (yes, she also doesn’t have a proper name) as she is a talented artist and passive aggressive woman played by the brilliant Olivia Colman.
When audiences meet Fleabag, she’s trying to keep her oddly-themed cafe afloat and the series jumps to flashbacks revolving around her dearly departed business partner, Boo. As the series progresses, Fleabag tries to deal with the loss of her friend while trying to get her life together. Given that the entire series is a quick 12 episodes, it should be noted that the second season of “Fleabag” is absolutely brilliant and features Andrew Scott (“Modern Love” and “Sherlock”) as The Priest. Scott’s addition to the cast only enhances the existing humor in Waller-Bridge’s series. Scott and Waller-Bridge have wonderful chemistry on screen and together they cultivate dynamic and hilarious scenes. Those that have not yet watched “Fleabag” yet certainly should if they have an interest in characters who break the fourth wall or a taste for British humor.
“Fleabag” has two seasons available on Amazon. Parents be warned the series does involve a considerable amount of sex and jokes that are less apporpriate for younger audiences. Regrettably, it appears that two seasons is all viewers will be getting of the show for now. Audiences who enjoy “Fleabag” might also enjoy “Sex Education” on Netflix. The series follows a group of teenagers, where one acts as a sex therapist for his peers.