Naming a character “Fleabag” is a bold move. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning TV series may be spectacular but to learn important life lessons from a character named Fleabag sounds like a rookie move. Still, our broken, charming protagonist surprises us. Spoilers ahead.
It’s OK To Be Vulnerable
One of the most important lessons Fleabag teaches us is that it’s OK to be vulnerable. In fact, it’s more than OK, it’s a part of making yourself open to love. Even though Fleabag’s ending with the Hot Priest was heartbreaking, he reminded her that real connection requires allowing yourself to be vulnerable.
Love Takes Strength
In the Hot Priest’s wedding speech about love, he declares that to love is a strength and not a weakness. It takes tremendous courage to put your heart on the line but in the end, to love is to hope.
Family Matters
Fleabag’s family may be dysfunctional but at the end of the day, Fleabag steps up when they are in need. Her relationship with her sister is strained from the first episode but time and time again, Fleabag turns up when her sister needs her most.
It’s OK To Be A “Bad” Feminist
In the first episode, Fleabag and her sister attend a feminist lecture where the lecturer asks the room whether they would trade five years of their life for the “perfect” body. Fleabag and her sister’s hand both shoot up and Waller-Bridge tells us that she is a “bad feminist.” Later in the episode, she helps a woman passed out on the curb. In her charming clever ways, Fleabag reminds us that there is no one way to be a feminist.
Forgiveness is Essential
Fleabag’s backstory in relation to her best friend Boo is devastating. We eventually learn that Boo accidentally killed herself when she found out her boyfriend had cheated on her. Fleabag later confesses that the “other woman” was her. It’s not clear whether Fleabag ever entirely forgives herself for her crime but when she confesses to the Priest, a weight from her shoulders is lifted.
