Page 268 - FINAL_Guildhall Media Highlights 2019-2020 Coverage Book
P. 268
•
•
Two BAFTAs and a string of other roles followed - including in BBC2's Black Earth Rising - but it is I May
Destroy You that has catapulted Coel to the level of global renown that many feel is long overdue.
The series fearlessly dives into hard-hitting issues affecting the lives of young London-based writer Arabella
(Michaela Coel) and her friends Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu).
The show explores consent from every angle, starting with Arabella's sexual assault in a nightclub bathroom,
a storyline rooted in Coel's harrowing real-life trauma.
It culminated last night in a gripping finale that returned to the night of the assault and explored it through
three alternative scenarios. In each iteration, Arabella was given more agency until eventually she was able to
release her demons.
Fans have hailed it 'the best episode of TV ever written' and critics claim it will be discussed 'for years to
come'.
Here, as fans reel from the final hour of TV, and others rush to catch up on what they've missed, FEMAIL
looks at how Coel became Britain's most celebrated TV talent of 2020.
The finale of I May Destroy You, which was released on BBC iPlayer yesterday, has been hailed the 'most
important' episode of TV ever made by fans.
Hundreds of viewers took to Twitter to share their praise for the long-awaited twelfth episode, which explored
the night of Arabella's assault and the trauma it caused through three alternative scenarios.
Through each iteration, Arabella was seen gaining more agency over the situation. Viewers praised the
'cathartic' ending to the series and said it has stayed with them for hours.