The writing of and acting in this show is emotive, nuanced, relatable, honest, raw...just amazing. The portrayal of mental health is very accurate for me, I would even say this show is slightly ahead of it's time. I really cared about the characters when I watched it, I honestly became addicted to it.
My only issue with the show is that, somewhat incoherently, though Rae struggles with many difficult things, there are some terrible things that she seems to brush off.
The effect of the death of Tix on Rae is almost entirely glossed over, an event for which Rae thinks she is at fault. This is something that would surely traumatise and hurt someone deeply.
Then, the sexual assault by Saul. This is something that Rae just seems to get over. Granted, she didn't come to any physical harm, but it was certainly very unpleasant to watch, would be very unpleasant to experience, and would definitely cause emotional harm.
This show dealt with many different complex feelings, Rae's feelings towards herself, her warped perception of her interpersonal relationships, the familial tension between Rae and her mother (some of the best and most poignant acting in the show). In fact, the show explored 'regular' teenage fears and emotions along with emotional unwellness very deftly. So then, why did it seem to brush off these extremely upsetting things?
My last criticism is that, though it's not explicitly clear whether or not Rae's mum moves to Tunisia, I found it very hard to believe, given what Rae has gone through, that her mum would leave her vulnerable 18 year old daughter and move to a different country, even short term, and even when Rae is moving to Bristol.
So, those scruples are why MMFD is nearly perfect. Acting, script, casting, soundtrack/score, most of the screenplay: faultless. The interpolation of scribbled drawings onto real life tableaux, a really nice, grounding touch.
I loved this show, and would watch it again.
My only issue with the show is that, somewhat incoherently, though Rae struggles with many difficult things, there are some terrible things that she seems to brush off.
The effect of the death of Tix on Rae is almost entirely glossed over, an event for which Rae thinks she is at fault. This is something that would surely traumatise and hurt someone deeply.
Then, the sexual assault by Saul. This is something that Rae just seems to get over. Granted, she didn't come to any physical harm, but it was certainly very unpleasant to watch, would be very unpleasant to experience, and would definitely cause emotional harm.
This show dealt with many different complex feelings, Rae's feelings towards herself, her warped perception of her interpersonal relationships, the familial tension between Rae and her mother (some of the best and most poignant acting in the show). In fact, the show explored 'regular' teenage fears and emotions along with emotional unwellness very deftly. So then, why did it seem to brush off these extremely upsetting things?
My last criticism is that, though it's not explicitly clear whether or not Rae's mum moves to Tunisia, I found it very hard to believe, given what Rae has gone through, that her mum would leave her vulnerable 18 year old daughter and move to a different country, even short term, and even when Rae is moving to Bristol.
So, those scruples are why MMFD is nearly perfect. Acting, script, casting, soundtrack/score, most of the screenplay: faultless. The interpolation of scribbled drawings onto real life tableaux, a really nice, grounding touch.
I loved this show, and would watch it again.