HBO's 'I May Destroy You' premieres after 'Insecure', fans laud the back to back black women-led shows
HBO's 'I May Destroy You' has just premiered and while Michaela Coel has surpassed all expectations about her funnily tragic exploration of a rape survivor's trauma, that's not the only thing fans are lauding the HBO show for. Touting the network's primetime slate, fans are now commending two back to back shows about women of color — first Issa Rae's 'Insecure', followed immediately by Coel's show that just premiered with the most striking pilot ever. Let's add to that the network's skateboard comedy 'Betty' and voila — representation has never seemed more promising.
Rae's 'Insecure', on its second season now, follows her as the protagonist through a series of ups and downs in a self-explanatory arc. Men, work and relationships in general take an interesting turn in the Emmy-nominated comedy that will now be followed by Coel's triggering, yet relatable brainchild that sees her in the main role as a sexual assault survivor trying to piece together what happened as memories fade to blackouts. Expected to follow an arc of support and healing, while coming to terms with the reality of things, 'I May Destroy You' adds to an interesting club of shows that see sexual assault and its aftermath portrayed with the same air of detachment that Netflix's 'Unbelievable' aced at.
Taking note of the same, a fan of both the shows shared on Twitter: "Something about watching two HBO shows back to back starring Black women sits extremely well with my spirit." Another one reflected: "If there's one thing I know about a black female writer whose emotionally spiraling with a looming deadline: she's gonna hit that deadline (even if she turns in absolute s**t)."
Noting the significance of shows with black women as the lead, as the nation continues to rage and protest against police brutality, fans have also asserted the importance of 'Betty' — a spinoff of Crystal Moselle's 'Skate Kitchen' that sees young girls tackle brazen sexism and misogyny among their community of skateboarders. The characters also go through casual everyday harassment, with creepy old men and steady uncles offering sketchy compliments. "Even if it's a bit triggering both #BettyHBO and #IMayDestroyYou exploring the sexual assault of Black women, who are complex leading characters... Is very important. I can't say much else. I enjoyed the episode. It's also based on Coel's own experiences," wrote a fan, complimenting the idea.
But if it came to specifically Coel's newly debuted series, fans are super thrilled with one writing, "Ain’t nothing better than another Black person recognizing your work #gatheringthepieces #IMayDestroyYou #hbopartner." Another fan ticked off all the features that work in its favor: "Ok family so #IMayDestroyYou is already bringing us — hella black cast (brits) — mental health — bisexuality (black women) — black men disengaging from hypersexuality — hella black brit women-led hip hop might be cute." In short, and in their own words, "Back to back television content with dark skinned black girls in the lead made for a lovely night," for most fans.
'I May Destroy You' will air every Sunday at 10.30 pm only on HBO.
