“Shrill: Season 1” Review

By: Tosin Faseemo

SNL star Aidy Bryant reinvents herself in Hulu’s “Shrill” as Annie Easton, a young journalist living in Portland. Throughout the course of the first season, she deals with issues relating to her personal and professional dynamics, including her complicated relationship with her body. 

In the pilot episode, Annie deals with an unwanted pregnancy, which forces her to re-evaluate her interactions with Ryan, her oblivious hook-up buddy. She also pursues an opportunity for greater responsibility at work. After an initial rejection, she makes another attempt and receives her boss’s approval.

“Shrill” continues with the highs and lows of Annie’s experiences. Her romantic life is often disrupted by Ryan’s mix of selfish stupidity. Each time it appears their relationship is doing well, he reveals himself to be an inconsiderate man-child. Meanwhile, Annie’s professional successes are punctuated by various mishaps. When her article about body positivity becomes the most popular piece on her company’s website, she finds herself at odds with her fat-shaming boss and an anonymous internet troll. 

At first, Annie’s selfless to a fault, allowing others to step on her with no repercussions. As she gains confidence, she pivots to a selfish version of herself, lashing out at the people who care about her and inadvertently creating conflict with friends and family. 

These events develop the frustrating yet entertaining plot of “Shrill.” The final episode creates a brilliant set-up for the second season. Viewers will have to tune in to see if Annie ever finds a balance between not asking for enough and asking for too much.