In the summer of 2019, a specific, strange sound echoed across the internet: the quiet sobbing of millions of people who had just watched a man in a clerical collar tell a woman, "It’ll pass," before walking away from her at a bus stop. That scene, the final two minutes of Fleabag ’s second and final series, didn’t just conclude a show; it ended a cultural fever dream.
Fleabag, which premiered in 2016 on BBC Three in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the US, was born out of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's own experiences and observations. The show's protagonist, Fleabag, is a dry-witted, fast-talking, and endearingly messy young woman navigating modern life in London. Waller-Bridge drew inspiration from her own life, including her relationships, family dynamics, and struggles with grief, to create a character that is both relatable and refreshingly honest. Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has said she will not write a third season. The story is complete. Fleabag finally lets herself be loved – and lets go of us. In the summer of 2019, a specific, strange
Fleabag shakes her head at us – telling us to go. She doesn’t need us anymore. It’s one of the most powerful endings in TV history. The story is complete
To understand Fleabag , you have to understand the woman behind the eyes. On the surface, Fleabag (Waller-Bridge) is a "slutty, angry, sad woman in her 30s"—her words. She uses sex as a currency of self-harm. She masturbates to Obama speeches. She steals from her own stepmother. She runs a hamster-themed cafe that is failing spectacularly.
If you haven’t watched Fleabag , stop reading this. Go to Amazon Prime. Watch Season 1 (it’s rough, stick with it). Then watch Season 2. Then wait 24 hours and watch Season 2 again. You will notice the fox. You will notice the statue. And you will finally understand why, when someone says "Hot Priest," your heart still breaks a little.