Marvelous Geeks

You’ve probably heard about Prime Video’s Citadel, but judging by the numbers, there’s a good chance you haven’t watched it. Reportedly costing over $250 million, promoted by a huge marketing blitz, and designed to launch a sprawling universe of interconnected, international shows, the spy thriller took five weeks to barely crack the Nielsen streaming top 10. As at other streamers, there was hand-wringing over a lack of brand identity; despite investments in pricey, under-delivering shows, Prime Video still believed it couldn’t find the breakout hit around which it could build its sense of the “kind” of shows they make.  

But the streamer has, in fact, already had two shows that are critical and commercial hits and produced noticeable pop culture impact: Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The problem is these shows aren’t based on algorithm-friendly “four corners” concepts; instead, they center on women’s stories, memorable characters, and smart writing. And apparently, that’s not good enough for brand identity — a problem that goes well beyond one company.  

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Type: Romantic Show: Fleabag Featured Characters: Fleabag and Hot Priest

Whether a romance prevails or ends far too quickly, there’s still an incandescent, haunting beauty within every waking moment of its story. Phoebe Waller Bridge’s dark-comedy sensation, Fleabag, is a love story. It’s a love story about sisters, a forbidden romance that shouldn’t be, second chances, and an homage to friendships. Its carefully crafted, nuanced exploration of grief and the heartaches of loneliness that viewers go through, one relatable episode after another, teaches us we aren’t alone in the trenches of despair we’re fighting through.

Fleabag’s relationship with Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest thus not only makes Season 2 a beautiful exploration of all that can be, but it’s concrete proof of the fact that just because something ends, it doesn’t make it any less memorable. In fact, there’s something about the “what if…” stories—the exhibitions of the heartrending tales that leave lifelong footprints while changing people for the better. It’s a feeling Taylor Swift captures almost perfectly in “august”—the losses, the hope, the gratitude—all entwined in a feeling that’s indescribably significant and beautiful. Fleabag and Hot Priest’s story is heartbreaking and sensational all at once, leaving viewers with a sense of ease despite the profound sadness we’re left with after their final scene in Season 2, Episode 6. It’s a love story that allows two people to not only give in to their feelings but to become better versions of themselves because of the adoration they know they’re capable of by virtue of knowing the other.

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Fleabag is, and will always be incomparable as a series, and while its first season is fantastic, it starts to really solidify itself in season two. And it starts with the opening scene, which seldom in a comedy does it work as wondrously. Five words and we are done for. We’re sold. We’re in. “This is a love story” she promises us and it is, in more ways than one.

But we aren’t here to talk about the season as a whole though as much we’ve done so in the past, really, we could keep going. It is the way this scene pans out from beginning to end with Fleabag and a bloody nose that tells us the aftermath of the finale, though a year later is still haunting. There haven’t been as many resolutions as we’d hoped, and things are grim.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is revolutionary, bold, and unbeatable with the power to evoke so much with five words, one sentence after spending just moments before cleaning up a mess. She is tantalizing in that moment, tuned off from the crowd, and talking to a man, who we do not recognize yet, but later come to learn it is the Hot Priest. (Or perhaps, fans of Andrew Scott had already recognized his voice.) It does however, start to set the stage with enamoring ease because it is easy for us to already wonder: why is Fleabag bloody and in a bathroom? Who is this man saying the others have gone? Who were the others?

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The final episode of a TV series doesn’t just wrap things up in a neat little bow, but it exposes the heart of the series. It could make the series absolutely perfect or completely horrifying. Something can be so good until it’s final moments where literally it could undo everything. We all know that one series, you know the one from last year. We all know it could have gone down in history as one of the best series to exist, but instead viewers were scarred and disappointed. But that’s not what this post is about, we’re here to talk about some of the most satisfying series finales we’ve ever seen and the fact that these have set the bar for what an ending should look like. (P.S. Pursue with caution if you’ve yet to see a series and plan to–this article isn’t spoilers free.)

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We celebrate the gifts that are our families and friends far too infrequently. There’s a specific day set in calendars for couples, and Leslie Knope coined the perfection that is Galentine’s Day (February 13), but even still, while it’s progressive and amazing, it’s just not enough. If a TV show or film doesn’t have a solid, incredible friendship or some sort of platonic relationship, I can’t get into it. As someone who’s so inspired by the people in her life, it’s the one thing I look for in the media I consume. It’s the one thing that keeps me engaged and invested. It’s the one thing that results in excellent character development.  And this year especially, I’m happy to report there were too many gorgeous relationships to choose from. I’d rather have too much than not enough to even fill this category, which is always a bummer. We are not created to be alone as human beings, it’s the relationships we form throughout our lives that effortlessly shape us into the people we become and when we’re surrounded by people who believe in us, there’s nothing we can’t do.

When I first started Schitt’s Creek, I could have never imagined how much I’d adore this family and how far they’d come. The Roses are exceptional because they’re absolute weirdos in the most normal way in this ridiculous town, but they stand out because of the love that’s come into their hearts throughout their stay in Schitt’s Creek. This doesn’t just include the immediate Rose family, but Stevie, Ted, and Patrick, too. The family that once only wanted towels and a car out of this town have extended their hearts to the people around them, welcoming them with open arms and a promise to never abandon them. It’s Moira’s belief in Stevie as an unofficial second daughter. It’s the family’s undying love for Patrick and Ted. And it’s Alexis realizing just how much she’s grown to love spending time with them. The series wouldn’t be as brilliant if it weren’t for the family growing to appreciate one another without ever changing their outlandish dynamic and calling one another out on their craps.

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We don’t all agree on everything, but I feel it’s safe to assume that the majority of us in this community of writers are under the rightful belief that this has been a stupendous year for performances. Especially where limited series are concerned. Vulnerability isn’t an easy emotion to master when acting, but the people who’ve excelled this year mastered it with impeccable and inimitable nuances. Some of these names are familiar ones, but a large majority of the performers in this category are new faces to Marvelous Geeks. Their performances have stood out beautifully throughout the year making my absolute honor to write about them.

I’ll be frank, I didn’t see the appeal in Fleabag while watching the first season, but the moment season two began, I was floored and ready to give every single award to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Waller-Bridge is simply put, a mastermind — the brilliant meticulous decisions in her performances throughout the year have been strikingly moving and filled with flawless range. We see prodigious growth in Fleabag throughout the season, while Waller-Bridge ensures that her charm is stapled inflexibly and rightfully in every corner. The work she does in “Episode Four” alone is unparalleled and should stand as the very example of what it means to find the balance between comedy and drama. In Fleabag’s ways of breaking the fourth wall, Waller-Bridge enlightens viewers with brilliant ease that connects us further to the unbelievably relatable chaos inside her mind. It’s in her eccentric mannerisms and potent transparency that make her such a vulnerable character we’ve all found ways to connect to. Fleabag isn’t perfect, but Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s performances surely are and her expressive features deserve a category on their own, for the breakdown of every compelling look could result in a full length novel. Waller-Bridge leads the audience towards captivating profundities and astonishing pinnacles throughout the course of six episodes, which alone deserves continuous praise for its exclusivity in the world of television.

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