![]() The story of the character Kwame reveals how male sexual assault survivors are often silenced by toxic masculinity. Coel uses her writing to represent sexual assault survivors and raise how forms of bigotry affect the way survivors are seen and heard. I May Destroy You is handled with care and grace. From Arabella’s denial and self-destructive spiral, to her use of the power of writing to speak out against the injustice she faced, Coel demonstrates why we need more stories that draw from reality. Arabella’s characterisation is complex, unable to be placed neatly into either of those cliches. However, Coel challenges these depictions through the non-linear aspect of Arabella’s journey to healing. Often, survivors are placed in one of two boxes: the vigilante who seeks justice at whatever cost, or the reserved, hopeless survivor - two stigmas rooted in the toxicity of patriarchal perspectives. What makes this story authentic is its nuanced depiction of the experience, thoughts, and emotions of sexual assault survivors. Unable to place where it happened or who the perpetrator was, Arabella sets out to piece together the events leading up to the assault. One morning, she wakes up with a hazy memory of being sexually assaulted. ![]() I May Destroy You follows the story of Arabella, a young writer. Whatever it is, we already want to watch it.Michaela Coel’s authentically crafted I May Destroy You follows a woman’s journey to uncover what happened on the night she was sexually assaulted, raising the question for survivors of sexual assault: ‘how does one carry such trauma?’ Receiving glowing recommendations across the world from esteemed writers, it’s easy to see why from the moment the first episode plays, this story needs to be told. She recently teased that she has another show "in the back of my mind" that she was waiting to pursue until after I May Destroy You came to fruition. Weruche Opia (Terry) agreed, adding, "I hope it opens a lot of doors for other Black stories to be told and other Black creators to be able to tell their stories."Įven if we don't see more of Arabella, this will hardly be the last we see of Coel. "Hopefully, we’ll come back to this show in 10 years and feel that it’s dated and that we’ve progressed in our collective understanding around sex, consent, gender and race," Essiedu told The Los Angeles Times. If I May Destroy You doesn't continue on, it will still have a lasting impact on shows to come, the stars hope. But I think when you see the final episode, you'll know," she told The Hollywood Reporter. I took it as a piece of work as it is." She added that she'd "be surprised" if the show continued on.Īnd when Coel herself was asked if she planned to expand I May Destroy You, she used few words. Harriet Webb, who plays recurring character Theo, noted to Metro that she had "never spoken to Michaela about. Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, and Weruche Opia in I May Destroy You. Unless we're sitting in denial, we've got to live with the events of our lives." We never eviscerate things that have happened to us. ![]() "I think it's quite short-sighted to think, 'How can we bring closure to Kwame's story?'" he added to Digital Spy. Indeed, a topic as sensitive as this shouldn't be exploited into a franchise, and it's "short-sighted" to assume closure can be forced into the narrative, Essiedu says. While the premise follows rising writer Arabella (Coel) as she puts together the pieces from the night she was sexually assaulted, the story also sheds light on her friends' own experiences with sexual abuse and trauma. I think we're at least going to sit back and let people enjoy this before we think about what the next step would be." He added, "We were all really sure and comfortable in the story we were telling, and we feel like we've done a good job in doing that.
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