Shrill’s final season is a bittersweet testament to friendship
Over the course of three seasons and a spare 22 episodes, Hulu’s Shrill managed to make its mark as one of the smartest and funniest shows out there. It doesn’t hurt that it was radically body positive and queer, too.
It hurts to write about Shrill in the past tense, but just like Annie (Aidy Bryant) wrote her eulogy to The Thorn, so must we say goodbye to Shrill. With its untimely cancellation, Shrill had to tie things up, despite having way more story to tell.
The final eight episodes manage to do a lot with a little, still showcasing the concise storytelling the show perfected over its run. It’s impressive that in so few episodes overall, Annie was able to become such a dynamic character.
Her shifts were subtle and important from season to season, while also allowing for heartbreaking setbacks. In the final season, Annie once again redefined her self-worth after a confusing rejection from a guy she liked, but it wasn’t something that sent her spiraling indefinitely as it might have in the past.
The final season also managed to delicately balance multiple storylines. In one subplot, Shrill explores the impacts of media consolidation and specifically, how it impacts Annie’s ability to tell stories as a journalist.
Another subplot looks at Annie’s roommate and best friend, Fran’s (Lolly Adefope) growing relationship with her partner, Em (E.R. Fightmaster), even amidst her own commitment-phobia. All the while, Annie continues to date and face her own internalized fatphobia both with herself and how she treats others, particularly a new guy she meets, Will (Cameron Britton).
But the most important relationship of the season is the most important one of the entire series, that between Annie and Fran. Like Broad City before it, Annie and Fran care about each other and their friendship more than they care about anything or anyone else.
Even when they lose sight of each other due to work or relationships, they are each other’s home base. The series finale raises important questions about why that is and whether it’s healthy for them. But it’s also a beautiful testament to the power of those kinds of friendships, which don’t come around every day.
Annie and Fran understand each other in a way that no one else can, which makes them codependent, but also necessary in each other’s lives. Shrill ends on an important question–will these two be able to grow and change without having each other in their lives to the extent they do now?
Unfortunately, that’s a question for audiences to answer, but I think we all know what Annie and Fran would have to say.
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