Shrill, a somewhat dark comedy based on Lindy West’s 2016 memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, debuted in 2019 but given how overlooked the series has often been, you’d be forgiven for not having watched it.
The first season followed freelance journalist Annie — played by Saturday Night Live star Aidy Bryant — as she decides to confront an internet troll who has relentlessly bullied her due to her size. Finding empowerment in finally standing up for herself, Annie decides to make some other big changes in her life and starts to live more unapologetically.
Over the course of its three seasons, Shrill really found its feet while also giving more gravitas to both Annie and her best friend Fran (Lolly Adefope) while exploring important themes of friendship, sexuality, body positivity and female empowerment.
In its third and final season, which boasts a killer soundtrack and some iconic fashion moments, Shrill sees Annie newly single — and loving it —and enjoying professional success. While everything seems to have finally worked out for our protagonist, the final episodes delve into whether Annie can really have it all and live up to her full potential.
It’s not entirely clear why the series wrapped after just three seasons, although the pandemic and Bryant’s intense SNL filming schedule could have played a part, but Bryant told Deadline she was ultimately satisfied with where Shrill ended up.
“I think, very luckily, we’re super happy with it as an ending, and we really like how it landed in this more realistic place, as opposed to feeling like we had to tie it up in this perfect bow and give Annie this beautiful sunset,” she said.
You can currently watch all three seasons of Shrill on SBS On Demand and, honestly, we highly recommend that you do.
