WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Hulu’s Shrill is back for a third and final season, and we could not be sadder! If you’re a fan of the show, you know just how amazing it is and are probably sad to see it go too. Especially with BFF Fran at the helm; the Black lesbian best friend from Britain, played by Lolly Adefope.
Shrill‘s third season is unfortunately their last, and with that you would think that the writers would wrap it up in a nice, neat bow. However, Aidy Bryant (who plays Annie) wanted the show to run for a fourth season, so there really isn’t any closure at the end. Some would argue, though, that closure isn’t the name of the Shrill game; and they would be right. The show itself likes to examine real issues that often don’t have a sense of closure, rather, it highlights how the characters move on and what their process is like.
Fran has entered the chat. Speaking of the character’s process, something that is really interesting about the final season is that Fran has stepped up from side character to the main character. Fran and Annie’s stories are strikingly parallel as they deal with their relationships and issues within them. At the end of season 2, Fran and Emily were really hitting it off and having a lot of fun together. *swoons in lesbian* As we head into season 3, Fran and Emily are continuing down relationship lane, and could not be any cuter if they tried. Plus, they make it official this season and are now girlfriend and girlfriend.
However, this season Fran and Emily are facing some major issues that they hadn’t thought about before. Once they are officially in a relationship, they start actually learning more about each other. Emily takes Fran to her childhood home, and the audience can really see how out of place both Fran and Emily are there. Em comes from a wealthy, white family that isn’t accepting of her sexuality and who she is. Fran is a plus-size, Black lesbian from another country and the tension in the room is palpable as they sit down for dinner. Fran takes it all in stride, is comfortable in who she is, and loves Emily regardless. They move through it together, but then Em starts to pry into Fran’s life and her family, which Fran is reluctant to talk about. This creates a weird dynamic between the two.
From there, things get even more serious as Emily asks Fran to move in with her, and leave Annie. Fran pretends to be on board but ultimately does not want to leave Annie and their life together. This causes enough tension between Fran and Em for Em to end their relationship, letting Fran know that her relationship with Annie is too co-dependent and it’s preventing her from moving forward in her life. Thus, we have the theme of season three! While Fran has always been an important part of Shrill, season three propels her story forward and run it parallel to Annie’s to highlight their deep relationship and co-dependent dynamic.
For example, throughout the season we get to see flashbacks of Annie and Fran’s time in college. Initially, it’s about Annie losing her virginity and to the viewer, you think that’s all the flashbacks are for. However, as Fran confront her issues with Em, the flashbacks start to focus on her. In college, Fran discovers her sexuality for the first time – she falls for a girl, kisses her, etc. This is the first time fans of the show get to see Fran’s true backstory and cross reference it with what they know about Fran’s family history, and the way she is handling things with Emily now. Fran is scared of committing to anyone and everyone, unless it’s her BFF Annie, because Annie is her safe place.
Annie was there for Fran when she discovered herself, and Annie has been there through every family battle Fran has gone through. When Annie writes something that is accidentally privileged, and the editors change it to be blatantly racist, it causes extreme tension between her and Fran. Fran tells Annie she cannot help her out of this situation, and the two pretty much break up. When Annie goes through her relationships ending and Fran runs the same parallel track, the two eventually come back together. Em leaves Fran, and she leans on Annie. The end of the season ends by basically saying Annie and Fran are soulmates that belong together forever, in a friendship kind of way. Major “NO HOMO” energy here. Although, it is pretty cute that they are best friends and soul mates, right?
It could be argued that the writers pushed Fran’s story to the front because of the recent push in media to talk about topics like BLM; however, Fran has always been a focal point in Shrill. Fran stands for so much as a character from the plus-size perspective, to being gay from a British conservative family, to interracial relationships… the list goes on. Fran is the BFF everyone wants and reminds us that it’s okay to love yourself exactly as you are. At the same time, season 3 highlights Fran’s journey to self-discovery and love, showing that it is an uphill battle that she will always be fighting. Shrill tackles privilege in a way where other shows should be taking notes, and Fran is an intricate part of that narrative. We hate to see it go. Fran, we love you!
All three seasons of Shrill are streaming now on Hulu.
