Emmy Catch-Up: I May Destroy You

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. Last year, I started watching the entire season of each show to get a better idea of the quality I missed, and I’ve decided to continue that this year.

I May Destroy You: Season 1, Episode 7 “Happy Animals” (B+)

It’s interesting to consider the idea of Arabella as an influencer since she has indeed found a sort of fame after outing Zain in a public forum, but she definitely hasn’t seen that translate into the ability to, say, pay for her groceries or have cash lying around while she’s working on her book. Thinking that she could go directly to Susy after the warm reception she gave her on their first meeting to get an advance on her deal was met with a firm dose of reality and the most stoic response of her having signed a contract. Being a spokesperson for Happy Animals was an unexpected path, and she seemed excited even if it was a bit strange, but Theo telling her that she got paid more to refer someone of color was enough to sour the experience and apparently cause her to go viral for stopping mid-segment and eating fried chicken on camera instead. There’s a real complexity to Arabella’s newfound friendship with Theo, particularly as perceived by the birthday girl Terry, who still holds it against her that she accused a Black boy of assaulting her without knowing the truth of what actually happened, which itself isn’t as simple. It’s good that Kwame finally opened up to someone, and it’s understandable that he chose Terry rather than Arabella because maybe he doesn’t think she’ll think of their experiences as comparable. Terry’s conversation with Simon was laced with aggression on both sides, and the fierce protectiveness she’s trying to exert may not actually be helping.