| I May Destroy You | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Michaela Coel |
| Written by | Michaela Coel |
| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Raffertie |
| Country of origin | |
| Original language | English [a] |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Cinematography | Adam Gillham |
| Editors |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 28–35 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 7 June – 14 July 2020 |
I May Destroy You is a British black comedy-drama television series created, written, co-directed, and executive produced by Michaela Coel for BBC One and HBO. The series is set in London with a predominantly Black British cast. Coel stars as Arabella, a young writer in the public eye who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped, with co-stars Weruche Opia as Terry and Paapa Essiedu as Kwame, her two best friends. The series premiered on 7 June 2020 on HBO and on 8 June 2020 on BBC One.
I May Destroy You received rave reviews; it was hailed as a masterpiece upon release and was quickly named one of the greatest television series of all time. [b] Its writing, direction, editing, soundtrack, and the performances of the lead trio were all acclaimed by critics. The series won the BAFTA TV Awards for Best Mini-Series, Best Actress, Best Director: Drama, Best Writer: Drama and Best Editing: Fiction. At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received nine nominations including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; it won two awards including Outstanding Writing for Coel, making her the first black woman to win the award in the category. [11] [12]
Arabella is a young Twitter-star-turned-novelist in her late twenties living in London. She has found fame with her debut book Chronicles of a Fed-Up Millennial, and is publicly celebrated as a Millennial icon. While struggling to meet a deadline for her second book, she takes a break from work to meet up with friends on a night out. The following morning, she struggles to remember what happened to her, but recalls the events of the night with the help of her friends Terry and Kwame.
The cast consists of mostly Black British actors. [13] They include:
| No. | Title [14] | Directed by [14] | Written by [14] | Original release date [15] | US airdate [14] | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes" | Sam Miller | Michaela Coel | 8 June 2020 | 7 June 2020 | 0.212 [16] | |
Arabella is on a deadline to finish her second book. She decides to take a break by going for a drink with friends. At some point during the night, she is raped in a bar toilet. | |||||||
| 2 | "Someone Is Lying" | Sam Miller | Michaela Coel | 9 June 2020 [c] | 14 June 2020 | 0.229 [17] | |
Arabella suffers from memory flashes due to the trauma from the rape. While helping Terry with an audition, she tries to remember how her phone got smashed. She decided to go to Simon's place and question him only to get evasive answers. Trying to trace back the route using Simon's Uber receipts, she ends up at Alissa's place who confesses to being Simon's secret lover. Arabella goes to the police to report her assault with Kwame for company. | |||||||
| 3 | "Don't Forget the Sea" | Sam Miller | Michaela Coel | 15 June 2020 [d] | 22 June 2020 | 0.156 [18] | |
A flashback to Ostia, Italy where Arabella and Terry have a wild night out, meeting local man Biagio. | |||||||
| 4 | "That Was Fun" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 16 June 2020 [d] | 29 June 2020 | 0.098 [19] | |
Arabella becomes close with fellow writer Zain. They later have sex and he removes the condom without her knowledge. Meanwhile, Kwame and Damon visit a man from Grindr, and this encounter turns violent after Damon leaves. | |||||||
| 5 | "...It Just Came Up" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 22 June 2020 [e] | 6 July 2020 | 0.108 [20] | |
Arabella exposes Zain's actions at a literary festival. Kwame goes to the police about his attack but is not taken seriously. | |||||||
| 6 | "The Alliance" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 23 June 2020 [e] | 13 July 2020 | 0.128 [21] | |
Arabella attends a support group hosted by Theodora, who was at school with her and Terry. In a flashback to the mid-2000s, Theo accuses classmate Ryan of violent rape, but Arabella and Terry provide evidence to the teachers that her story is not entirely true. [22] | |||||||
| 7 | "Happy Animals" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 29 June 2020 [f] | 20 July 2020 | 0.102 [23] | |
Arabella becomes an influencer for a vegan brand, and hosts a birthday party for Terry. At the party she attempts to matchmake Kwame with another man by locking them in her bedroom. There is tension between Theo and Terry. | |||||||
| 8 | "Line Spectrum Border" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 30 June 2020 [f] | 27 July 2020 | 0.087 [24] | |
After the police close the investigation, Arabella makes a surprise visit to Biagio who refuses to see her. Kwame hooks up with a woman (Nilufer) but it ends badly when he reveals he is gay. | |||||||
| 9 | "Social Media Is a Great Way to Connect" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 6 July 2020 [g] | 3 August 2020 | 0.088 [25] | |
It is Halloween. Arabella's increasing social media presence drives a wedge between her and her friends. | |||||||
| 10 | "The Cause the Cure" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 7 July 2020 [g] | 10 August 2020 | 0.115 [26] | |
Arabella's family meet up for her mum's birthday, prompting memories of her childhood spent between two parental homes. Meanwhile, Kwame meets Tyrone in an attempted hookup, but instead their relationship becomes more romantic. | |||||||
| 11 | "Would You Like to Know the Sex?" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 13 July 2020 [h] | 17 August 2020 | 0.088 [27] | |
Arabella's publishers drop her book as she has still not finished it, after she had reached out to successful author "Della" signed to the same publisher. It transpires that Della is a pseudonym used by Zain, who offers to help Arabella with her writing. [28] Terry finally gets an acting part and goes on a date with Kai, a trans man. | |||||||
| 12 | "Ego Death" | Sam Miller & Michaela Coel | Michaela Coel | 14 July 2020 [h] | 24 August 2020 | 0.121 [29] | |
Arabella imagines multiple ways in which she and Terry could exact revenge on her rapist, but ultimately decides to move on. She uses these thoughts to finally complete her second book, and the episode concludes at her launch party. | |||||||
The series premiered on 7 June 2020 on HBO and HBO Max in the United States, [30] and on 8 June 2020 on BBC One in the UK. [31] [15]
Coel stated in a lecture at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe that she had been sexually assaulted while writing Chewing Gum, and that the experience provided inspiration for the series. [32]
Originally titled January 22nd, the series is produced by Coel's production company, FALKNA Productions. It is executive produced by Coel, Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni, and Jo McClellan for BBC One. [33] Coel is also co-director and writer for I May Destroy You. Coel turned down a $1 million (£800,000) offer from Netflix for the show because the deal would have taken full rights ownership away from the creator. Coel subsequently made a deal with the BBC which allowed Coel full creative control and ownership rights of her project and the BBC brought on HBO as a co-producer to help fund the project. [34]
The series was predominantly filmed in the London Borough of Hackney, with some scenes filmed in Italy.[ citation needed ] School interior and exteriors for the flashback scenes were shot at Acland Burghley School in the Camden.[ citation needed ]
I May Destroy You holds an average score of 86 out of 100 based on reviews from 25 critics on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". [35] On Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 72 reviews are positive, with an average score of 8.55/10. The website's critical consensus is, "I May Destroy You is at once brave and delicate, untangling the trauma of sexual assault with dark humour and moments of deep discomfort all held together on the strength of Michaela Coel's undeniable talent." [36]
I May Destroy You has been considered by multiple publications to be one of the greatest television series of all time. [i]
Writing for The New York Times , critic Mike Hale called the series "touching and quietly hilarious." He praised Coel and the show's willingness to push boundaries. [47] Carina Chocano, also writing in The New York Times, described the series as "the perfect show for an anxious world." [48]
In her review for Time, critic Judy Berman noted the show's unique and complex telling of a story centred on sexual assault after the Me Too movement. [30]