'I May Destroy You' Recap: Episodes 4 & 5 by Michaela Coel

Pop Fiction Women

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*** Episode 4 shows Arabella dealing with the uncomfortable and difficult aftermath of her assault, seeing a psychologist and finding her own coping mechanisms. (00:46)

*** The way the episode is structured with Bella’s struggle vs Kwame’s story feeds into our discomfort as viewers. Kwame’s story starts on a positive note with his empowering exercise class and vulnerable talk with Damon about his sexuality, but quickly turns from there. We feel it coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch. (03:20)

*** At the same time, Arabella is still having trouble focusing so gets hooked up with Zain by her agent to help with her novel. The two get off to a rocky start and Arabella can’t shake her flashbacks, including one where she is standing over herself, making us discuss the title once again. (08:30)

***Kwame and his threesome leaves us disoriented and off-kilter for the entire scene. What is good? What is bad? What is consensual and when does it turn? This show expertly explores so many different types of sexual encounters and explorations of consent and the reactions thereto. But Kwame’s face in this scene says it all. Also, Kwame’s flexibility astounds us! Carinn, our resident yogi, is impressed. (11:03)

*** Arabella and Zain...ugh, we’re confused at the attraction, then pissed at Zain pulling the condom off and gaslighting her after. (16:40)

***How could this be happening to Arabella again so soon? We are being bombarded by violations of consent, but the brilliance of Micahela Coel is she doesn’t back off. This show is a much needed education. (20:49)

*** Episode 5 starts with Arabella with Zain and we are still scratching our heads about this connection. Bella has taken up yoga and painting and it seems like it is helping her process, but she still seems distracted, wandering into the hair salon and leaving as her gorgeous bald self. Is Arabella finally digging herself out of the hole? (25:28)

*** The police have DNA evidence that could assist in identifying the suspect in her assault. She learns under UK law that what Zain did was rape. Arabella’s positive, supported experience at the police station contrasts so starkly with Kwame’s as a gay black man. (29:39)

*** The reading doesn’t go as planned once Terry gets stage fright and Arabella realizes that this isn’t the first time Zain has removed protection with a woman. Arabella’s public takedown is a moment of true power for her and the timeliness of this episode in light of recent discussions about cancel-culture have us marveling at this show. (34:50)

*** The episode ends with Arabella fighting with Biagio again and vacillating between her pain caused by his victim blaming and her positive public persona. Like everything else with this show, it’s complicated, and we can’t wait for more. (43:20)

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