‘Work In Progress’ Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Getting over suicidal tendencies does not mean an end of existential crisis
This review may contain spoilers. So, we highly recommend you catch the show if you haven't already!
Showtime’s ‘Work In Progress’ is a comical take on the struggles of a 45-year old ‘queer dyke’ as Abby McEnany considers herself to be. But one cannot ignore the struggles at the same time. Imagine if you had to deal with being single, your weight, your age, your body image, and your sexuality at the same time! Whether you are straight, gay, or queer, any or all of these issues are good enough to trigger an existential crisis.
As the show opened, Abby gave us an overview of what her life as a 45-year old, ‘queer dyke’ is like. She is so insecure about how she holds herself that she admits to ending her life to her therapist. But, as luck would have it, her therapist dies mid-session. This puts her further into a downward spiral. Fortunately, she comes across a very interesting individual, Chris, who is a 25-year old trans-man.
Abby somehow manages to take the leap of faith and starts seeing Chris. It is surely an entirely new experience for her. She sees nothing more than a companion in him, despite the age difference. Abby is conscious at times, but likes being with Chris. And somehow, during this new adventure of hers, her ‘180 almonds’ plan takes a backseat. This is indeed an improvement for Abby, or so her therapist would have said.
But let’s hold onto this thought for a minute and look at her life, like we would at ours. If we were to go through the same struggles as Abby, and we suddenly met someone whom we really start liking, would we be actually over the struggles overnight? We won’t. Because, having a new person not necessarily means that you are liberated from your demons. Yes, the new person can make us feel good about ourselves but it will be very, very topical. Deep down inside, we are still striving to fill in those voids. Like we see Abby still having difficulty coming to terms with the fact that her therapist is dead and she feels awkward being at her funeral. She also feels awkward when she meets Chris’s friend at the club.
It is possibly because Abby is still struggling with the fact that she is much older than the people she is meeting and somewhere that bothers her. She is also not comfortable with her weight issue, which is obvious from how she visits her weight loss group. Unless and until she feels comfortable in her own skin, the various elements of her existential crisis will continue to exist.
Even if Chris turns out to be a great guy and perfect for her, Abby needs to fight her own demons and slay them, if she wants to make her newfound relationship work and be successful. In simpler words, Abby might have found the companion she needed or was seeking, but she still has a long way to go to overcome her existential concerns.
‘Work In Progress’ airs every Sunday 11 pm only on Showtime.