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Fleabag finale episode SPOILERS thread

853 replies

HotPriest · 07/04/2019 16:42

Crack open a can of Gin and join your fellow iPlayer stalkers here for discussion of the final episode of Fleabag. Spoilers totally allowed so no peaking if you haven't see the episode.

Hoping it's as good as we all want it to be. Should be live on iPlayer tomorrow about 9.30am

Fleabag finale episode SPOILERS thread
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merrymouse · 09/04/2019 13:34

And Bertrand I am equally delighted at the calibre of people replying advocating a more nuanced approach! Grin

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 09/04/2019 13:40

I really liked the score too. IWB did a brilliant job and I hope she gets an award for it.

re: I love you but I don't always like you. My DM used to say it to me, and it really did me no damage, although I was a hormomal teen at the time, so could kind of see her point. I don't see it as a negative. I see it as the strongest love, almost. Her dad loves her anyway, and he does try (although he's crap).

Interesting point re Godmother and Fleabags Mum. I think that she was jealous of her. That's why she tramples over remembrance events, tries to avoid mentioning her or rearranges facts (implying Dad is divorced not widowed) and is rude about her to Fleabag. Look at her behaviour at the funeral. Now, she's usurped the mum and Fleabag is the inconvenient reminder. A reminder she tries to squash and punishes for existing.

A final point- it's a show scored with grief. When we first meet Fleabag she is grieving but she's also a nightmare. She gets better. I think people respond to her better (although they may still be knobs) as the episodes progress because she is better and easier to deal with. She's healing. We acknowledge the effect that grief can have on people, and that whilst we understand, it's still difficult. If anything, Dad is still grieving. He's not had time to mourn properly, I think.

Love all the ideas. Can we have a thread solely to discuss interpretations of the series, now it's complete? Please MN, can we have PWB on, too!

BertrandRussell · 09/04/2019 13:41

I didn’t realise that “nuanced” also meant “Take me, i’m yours!!!!!” Grin

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 09/04/2019 13:43

@Bertrand yes! Priestyboy always had a whiff of the night about him. Something unstable.

ComputerSaysMo · 09/04/2019 13:43

They were all pretty toxically broken, though. Including Fleabag and Claire. But Claire got a stereotypical “completed by romance” happy ending, Fleabag learned to forgive others for being broken and unable to help her, and the Dad got the seemingly awful marriage he seemed to content to be marshalled into.

I’m not entirely sure why the priest is more toxic than anyone else, unless we’re meant to believe he’s a serial shagger.

The80sweregreat · 09/04/2019 13:45

He is very good looking / hot etc but I think we all agree he did ' have his cake and eat it ' there. He will suffer more than she will ; he is weak and she isn't.

Maybe she can forgive him because of his faith? Most women would be really upset but she 'gets him 'even if he behaved terribly? She knew he would choose God from the outset? Don't know , but I agree his not covered himself in glory here. Quite the opposite.

The80sweregreat · 09/04/2019 13:50

Ricky Gervais in 'Afterlife 'explores grief and being horrible after you've lost a loved one.
You don't care who you hurt as your hurting yourself. In her case it's worse as she feels responsible for Boo's death. So a double whammy there , no wonder she's on self destruct! She is much better this series.

BertrandRussell · 09/04/2019 13:51

I think the priest is more toxic because he was sort of “testing” his celibacy out on her. I think he always knew he would choose God-and FB (I wish I knew her name- I hate calling her that. it’s like when mumsnetters have awful, self deprecating usernames) really didn’t have a chance. He should have backed off right from the start. But, as my dad used to say “Do you want a story or don’t you?”

The80sweregreat · 09/04/2019 13:55

I hate Fleabag too. Awful name.
I wish we knew her real name.

noblegiraffe · 09/04/2019 13:56

Priestyboy always had a whiff of the night about him.

It’s his dark eyes. They’re amazing, they had the same effect when he was Moriarty.

The80sweregreat · 09/04/2019 13:58

He did seem very unstable. Drinking , swearing, questioning his faith! Pam would have had a fit if she knew what was going on.

RuffleCrow · 09/04/2019 13:59

So, now we don't have Fleabag anymore, what are we all going to do with the rest of our lives?

Speaking for myself, the show has brought home to me that I need more deep meaningful connections in my life, and that I need to both detach from emotionally and make polite peace with my toxic family of origin.

Anyone else?

noblegiraffe · 09/04/2019 14:01

Drinking , swearing, questioning his faith

Pretty much any episode of Father Ted!

dontloseyourhead · 09/04/2019 14:04

Ha I’m Catholic - I know it’s different to other denominations but he could’ve been a deacon, or gone into other churches - yes that’s not easy but there was no statement about why he had to serve God as a catholic priest. He could’ve chosen God in other ways and that wasn’t very well explained.

merrymouse · 09/04/2019 14:04

Interesting question that I will have to think about Ruffle. I think maybe I need to refer to the gospel of KST in episode 3.

NewAccount270219 · 09/04/2019 14:05

Yes exactly tootrousers - He never seems that tied to Catholicism. For one thing why is he agreeing to officiate at what appears to be a pretty secular wedding?

I wondered about that too - I don't think you can even have a legal wedding outdoors, and normally the 'married by a priest' and the 'married in church' are something of a package deal! My friend's priest agreed to conduct his wedding in a church that wasn't his church, but it had to be a church, and a Catholic one at that (it was some little chapel in the middle of nowhere)

NotMyPuppy · 09/04/2019 14:05

Definitely no 3rd series. I don’t want one. The ending is so complete, with her walking away from us and saying goodbye, I don’t want a third series to mess with it by rolling back from that.

I think the priest was genuine. I think the net effect of his actions was selfish but that he was wrestling with his emotions for FB and was genuinely conflicted for a time.

NotMyPuppy · 09/04/2019 14:06

And on the secular ceremony, I thought you weren’t allowed any religious references at all in a civil ceremony?

merrymouse · 09/04/2019 14:07

I don't think you can even have a legal wedding outdoors

Good point - I also didn't think you could have a legal wedding at your house? Quite a lot seems to have been skated over here.

noblegiraffe · 09/04/2019 14:10

I think mainly he had to be a catholic priest because the plot demanded that Fleabag form a loving and healing sexual relationship with a man but ultimately be on her own, strong and independent. It also had to be wrapped up within a few weeks and 6 episodes.

It couldn’t be a married man - bad behaviour and reminiscent of what she did to Boo. Someone dying - too tragic. Someone from another country - she could follow him etc. Catholic priest - ultimately unavailable and who can compete with God? Perfect.

downcasteyes · 09/04/2019 14:11

“I love Fleabag (obviously) but I thought the (admittedly hot) priest was emotionally manipulative, toxically selfish and dangerously broken, and I also think we’re supposed to think that so I don’t understand why everyone is lusting after him”

For me, lust (not love, and definitely not the enduring kind of love that is a quality of stable, nurturing relationships) isn't necessarily about sensible choices. You can lust after someone and know, for absolute fact, that they are a bad person for you to be with. Or you can lust after someone who is brilliant for you. Lust isn't always a sign of moral approval. (And, c'mon, lusting after the forbidden - a priest - is an age-old thing, right? It's practically a trope of radical eighteenth century literature and porn). Desire isn't always a disciplined feeling - how we act on it, however, is something we can help.

Along with grief, the show is about guilt. Fleabag hasn't just lost her mother - she's lost her best friend. And she played an active role in that loss, by betraying her and sleeping with her boyfriend, which contributed to the (stupid, unstable) self-harming decision that became a fatal accident. In some ways, I think she and the priest are really very similar - which may be why her relationship with him, while dysfunctional on the surface, acts as a kind of catalyst for her to learn to love herself a bit more and to move on to a healthier place.

merrymouse · 09/04/2019 14:12

Yup, that makes sense giraffe.

BertrandRussell · 09/04/2019 14:14

Of all the awful things the stepmother has said that one about the statue being modelled on their mum was up there with the awfullest.

BertrandRussell · 09/04/2019 14:15

I think that’s spot on, Giraffe.

RhymingRabbit · 09/04/2019 14:19

was emotionally manipulative, toxically selfish and dangerously broken,

The same could be said for Fleabag. Why are we more willing to forgive her for her moral weaknesses? Why are we more willing to see her as broken and without agency but him as broken and powerful? Why is it her behaviour that is bad but his soul? He is weak. He needs the church to protect him. She is strong. She can live out with the confines of any structure... family, church.

I would have loved to explore the mother relationship. The nameless, faceless (even in statue form) mother who damaged FB. Again throughout both series we have all made assumptions that Dad was emotionally stunted and was responsible for the darkness in FB, when in fact last night (and the scene after the funeral) he can be incredibly emotionally insightful and honest. FB did not disagree or question when he said that her Mother was responsible for her self destructive tendencies. I think last night allowed FB to accept/forgive her Mother and herself.

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