When Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant announced her new series, Shrill, back in 2019, we were instantly hooked. 

Based on the critically-acclaimed memoir Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by blogger Lindy West, it followed ambitious journalist Annie, who had an insufferable boss, a frustrating situationship and a brilliant best friend (played perfectly by Lolly Adefope).

It was funny, smart, modern – and, as one Stylist writer put it, “Finally, a television show that knows how to portray fat women.”

The show’s synopsis said that Annie is “a fat woman who wants to change her life – but not her body”. In a world of television where there always seems to be a trope to lose weight (see: This Is Us, Insatiable), this was a refreshing and necessary perspective. 

The first two seasons were so popular that people couldn’t stop raving about the Pool episode, which starts with Annie avoiding getting into a pool and ends with her diving in.

It’s a celebration of all bodies, all attitudes, all women.  

“It just has a very clear, cogent, linear narrative,” director Shaka King told Vulture. “You have this character who is very ashamed of how she looks, and she goes to this event that’s the first step in her liberation from this negative self-perception.”

“It was really overwhelming and beautiful,” Bryant added. “It felt emotional and sweet and empowering, all those things. That was truly our goal. That’s everything we set out to do.”

The second season of Shrill ended with Annie properly finishing things with her on-and-off boyfriend Ryan. “I want an adult. I want a real partner,” she tells him. The last scene ends with Annie looking to the fireworks at best pal Fran’s party, signalling what we can expect to be a new age of adulthood for Annie.

So, what does season three have in store? Here’s the trailer for it…

It looks like Annie is still facing the criticisms that come with living in a world that only rewards specific body ideals. There are also lots more hurdles in store as she continues to try and break out as a writer. And we can see a lot of dating ahead.

The third season, which is also the last one, dropped on Hulu in America earlier this month. Although it doesn’t yet have a release date, it will likely be available to stream on BBC iPlayer over the coming months. 

That means it’s the perfect time to catch up or re-watch the series so far, because it really is the joyous energy we need more of in 2021.

Images: Hulu