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I May Destroy You

TV·2020–2020·1 season, 12 episodes·BBC One·Drama·7.3·Created by Michaela Coel

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Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella, a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01I May Destroy You S01E01Eyes Eyes Eyes EyesS01E01 · 4.9After visiting her aspirational long-distance boyfriend in Italy, writer Arabella returns to London, where she is greeted by a deluge of frantic messages from her literary agents. With a matter of hours left to finish a draft of her second book, she plans to pull an all-nighter - but is soon tempted to join a friend on a night out.
  2. 02I May Destroy You S01E02Someone Is LyingS01E02 · 4.5Lunch with Terry gets Arabella thinking about the hazy events of the previous night, prompting her to probe Simon for answers. Growing increasingly desperate to put together the pieces, Arabella drops by Simon's apartment – and, later, finds herself at an unwelcoming doorstep. Meanwhile, Terry has a lousy audition, and a concerned Kwame rushes to Arabella's side.
  3. 03I May Destroy You S01E04That Was FunS01E04 · 4.5Back in London and two months after the incident, Arabella meets with a therapist who encourages her to find relaxing and creative ways to cope with her trauma. Still anticipating the first draft of Arabella's book, her agents assign another client, Zain, to help her with the writing process. Kwame introduces his modest new love interest, Damon, to a stranger he met online.

Cast

Michaela CoelMichaela CoelArabella EssiueduWeruche OpiaWeruche OpiaTerry PratchardPaapa EssieduPaapa EssieduKwame Acheamong

Episodes by season

Season01Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode12Episodes2020Aired 4.1Season avg
  1. S01E01I May Destroy You S01E01Season's bestEyes Eyes Eyes EyesJune 7, 2020 4.9After visiting her aspirational long-distance boyfriend in Italy, writer Arabella returns to London, where she is greeted by a deluge of fra
  2. S01E02I May Destroy You S01E02Someone Is LyingJune 9, 2020 4.5Lunch with Terry gets Arabella thinking about the hazy events of the previous night, prompting her to probe Simon for answers. Growing incre
  3. S01E03I May Destroy You S01E03Don't Forget the SeaJune 15, 2020 3.8Three months earlier, Terry visits Arabella in Ostia, Italy, where she's living large on her agents' dime. After procuring party favors, Ara
  4. S01E04I May Destroy You S01E04That Was FunJune 16, 2020 4.5Back in London and two months after the incident, Arabella meets with a therapist who encourages her to find relaxing and creative ways to c
  5. S01E05I May Destroy You S01E05...It Just Came UpJune 22, 2020 4.5A tumultuous day finds Arabella reassessing a sexual encounter with Zain and, following a promising new lead in the investigation, opening u
  6. S01E06I May Destroy You S01E06The AllianceJune 23, 2020 3.8Much to Terry's disapproval, Arabella attends a support group for rape and sexual assault survivors run by their high school acquaintance, T
  7. S01E07I May Destroy You S01E07Happy AnimalsJune 29, 2020 3.8Strapped for cash and still unable to produce a draft of her book, Arabella takes a job working alongside Theo at a vegan delivery start-up.
  8. S01E08I May Destroy You S01E08Line Spectrum BorderJune 30, 2020 3.6Reeling from a demoralizing development in the investigation, Arabella hatches a risky plan to "spark joy" – and convinces an adverse Terry
  9. S01E09I May Destroy You S01E09Social Media Is a Great Way to ConnectJuly 6, 2020 3.9Arabella's bloated social media presence finds her more glued to her phone than ever, perpetually internalizing the stress of her followers.
  10. S01E10I May Destroy You S01E10The Cause the CureJuly 7, 2020 3.8After Simon inadvertently drops a bomb on Arabella, she heads to her mom's birthday dinner, where painful, long-forgotten memories bubble to
  11. S01E11I May Destroy You S01E11Would You Like to Know the Sex?July 13, 2020 3.9Arabella's obsession with a fellow young author, Della, leads to unexpected progress on her book, despite a devastating setback. Kwame wades
  12. S01E12I May Destroy You S01E12Ego DeathJuly 14, 2020 3.7When Arabella's memory of January 22nd comes rushing back to her, she drags the last of her demons out from under the bed – once and for all

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

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