TV Show review
July 21, 2016 · TV-MA
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Fleabag follows a young woman in London as she grieves her best friend’s death, runs a failing cafe, has casual sex, and deals with a dysfunctional family. She speaks directly to the audience about her angry, messy thoughts on life and relationships. The story includes light comedic feminist moments, such as a scene at a lecture where she and her sister admit they are “bad feminists” by raising hands for a perfect body. These stay personal and self-mocking rather than activist. No heavy political dialogue, institutional attacks, or identity politics appear beyond everyday family and dating struggles.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Fleabag.
Woke representation / casting
Natural fit for a contemporary London woman’s personal story; no forced diversity or audience-visible identity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional self-mocking “bad feminist” jokes and references; no lectures or activist speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
Built around one woman’s grief, sex life, family, and struggles with femininity expectations in modern London.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Personal observations on family and relationships; no modern activist reframing of patriarchy, capitalism, or institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Almost no backlash treating it as woke or agenda-driven; reception stayed positive or neutral.
Creator track record context
Waller-Bridge discussed feminism personally; other directors and producers show no activist history.
Production
