Culture Crash: The Rise of Writer and Actress Phoebe Waller Bridge

Writer and star Phoebe Waller Bridge’s TV show version of Fleabag premiered in 2016 after being adapted from Waller-Bridge’s play of the same name. If you don’t know who Waller-Bridge is, you will soon because she’s riding a rocket to the moon. Since the 2016 premiere of Fleabag, she created and executive produced the show Killing Eve, starred in Goodbye Christopher Robin and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and she’s currently re-writing the script for the forthcoming James Bond movie. On Fleabag, Waller-Bridge shocked and thrilled audiences with a mix of trauma and comedy, and was met with universal acclaim, racking up a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The second season, released in the US on Amazon Prime Video, is even better… and has also garnered critical acclaim and a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Season two follows Fleabag… yeah, that’s all we know her by, as she befriends and falls for a Catholic priest, played by Andrew Scott, who you may know as the actor who played Moriarty on Sherlock or possibly from his role as the main character, Chris, in the Black Mirror episode, Smithereens. Scott and Waller-Bridge have undeniable chemistry in their roles as star-crossed lovers and Fleabag’s second season delivers what is almost certainly the best season of television to air in the first half of 2019. It’s hilarious and sweet but retains enough of its edge to stay interesting and shocking.

Fleabag also continues the wonderful British tradition of creating shows that don’t overstay their welcome. Unlike so many US shows which insist on dragging stories out across 12 or more hour-long installments, both Fleabag seasons comprise just six, sub-30 minute episodes meaning we as the audience have enough time to invest in the characters, revel in the journey, appreciate the story’s conclusion and still make it to dinner on time.

Seasons one and two of Fleabag are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

I’m Evan Rook.