Round Two: Shrill

Shrill: Season 1, Episode 2 “Date” (B)

I’m trying to give this show a chance both because I think it has potential and because it’s only six half-hour episodes, which doesn’t feel like all too much of a commitment. This episode was productive in that it doesn’t focus much on Annie’s body aside from the encouraging advice she got from the strippers she met at the buffet about using her assets to her advantage. Writing her big article only to be told that it wasn’t actually interesting was a blow, but it was considerably more affirming to see her win over a coworker who previously thought very little of her. Ryan wasn’t ready to give up on her just yet, and her newfound confidence came into play at exactly the right moment to press him to be better and treat her like a respectable human being. He wasn’t actually doing so badly until his bandmates showed up and what started as a real date turned into a screaming match about the band that embarrassed everyone there. She did set some boundaries when she slept over, and meeting his mom didn’t seem so horrendously awkward until she casually dropped the fact that Ryan had told her that she “went out and got her grandbaby aborted.” At least she managed to stand up to Fran so that she wasn’t the one who ended up with an unfortunate haircut as a result of drunkenly giving permission to the prankster who seems all the more entertaining until the new hairstyle is seen in the light of day.