Fleabag; Love, Womanhood and Pain

Full of sex, innuendo, and drama; the beloved series of Fleabag has finally come to an end after its second series.

The series follows the story of a young woman, as she tries to navigate through adulthood after losing her Mother and best friend, Boo. Whilst running a guinea-pig cafe, we become integrated into Fleabag's (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) life as she befriends us with her sassy side glances, sarcastic quips and quirky yet snide remarks.

We follow her relatable story as she copes with her dysfunctional family, raw grief, and depression; a story focusing on family, friendship, love, religion and identity; a bittersweet concoction mixed with lighthearted moments and bellowing humour - topics accompanied by sex, feminism and rejection.

Using sex to 'deflect from the screaming void inside her heart,' Fleabag accumulates a collection of mistakes and bad decisions regarding men and has a dicey relationship with her step-mother (Olivia Coleman) - an artist who has an interest in the female body.

Nudity, and sex are recurring themes throughout Fleabag - particularly the first series. Fleabag does not shy away from topics such as sex and masturbation; giving us a confident and gutsy female lead - the opposite of the sensitive and modest female characters that have graced our screens in previous years.
Fleabag particularly shines with feminism and explores what it means to be a woman. In episode 3 of the second series, Kristin Scott Thomas appears as successful businesswoman, Belinda and announces;

"Women are born with pain built in. Its our physical destiny; period pains, sore boobs, childbirth. We carry it within ourselves throughout our lives, men don't." 

And regarding the menopause, she preaches;

"And yes, your entire pelvic floor crumbles and you get fucking hot and no one cares, but then you're free, no longer a slave, no longer a machine with parts. You're just a person." 

And with that, Fleabag empowers female viewers; giving them hope by exploring what it means to be a woman and the positive elements of what the female body can do and present.

Fleabag may be presented as a 'damaged' character, but she is each and every one of us. She carries around the grief she has after losing her Mother and Boo, looks to dysfunctional relationships and sex for comfort, and has a awkward relationship with her Father and sister; using sordid and amusing humour to uplift her spirits.
But in the end, Fleabag learns what it is to be a woman and that love is the most important thing; the love for her Father, sister and self.

We all carry around our grievances and drag around our pain.
We are all fleabag.