TV Show review
Review basis: 2 seasons · through November 7, 2019
October 24, 2017 · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The End of the F***ing World is a British dark comedy-drama series about two troubled 17-year-olds, James and Alyssa, who steal a car and hit the road in search of her father while dealing with violence, family trauma, and unexpected feelings. Across its two seasons it mixes black humor with coming-of-age moments and personal reckonings. The story stays focused on individual mental health struggles, abuse at home, consent in messy teen relationships, and small steps toward connection, without any visible identity politics, diversity quotas, or activist messaging for viewers to notice.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The End of the F***ing World.
Woke representation / casting
Predominantly white British cast matches the working-class English suburban world of the story; limited supporting diversity (e.g., Naomi Ackie in season 2) receives no marketing push or narrative spotlight.
Woke political dialogue
No activist language, political debates, or social-justice framing appears in any episode.
Identity-driven story themes
Core arcs follow personal trauma, family abuse, mental health, and one-on-one relationships; these stay individual and story-driven with no group-identity or movement messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Abuses and crimes come from specific broken people, not framed as systemic patriarchy, capitalism, or cultural rot in activist style.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No documented right-leaning or anti-identity complaints exist in mainstream coverage or social media; reaction stayed apolitical.
Creator track record context
Writer Charlie Covell’s public non-binary identity and consistent push for queer representation in later work (Banana episodes, Kaos) give context, yet this series shows none of that focus in its actual content or marketing.
Production
