‘I May Destroy You’ expected to incite heated discourse

Lewis Reeves

The cautionary HBO Original series “I May Destroy You,” which begins its 12-episode run exclusively on HBO Go at 10:30 a.m. today, isn’t easy to watch.

It will surely incite heated discourse between liberals and conservatives as it explores issues of sexual consent and criminal culpability in the age of #MeToo and political correctness.

Does a woman with reckless behavior deserve to be sexually abused or raped? With contentious issues like this, there’s a lot of frank and fearless talk that often drags viewers into the gray areas of the moral divide.

With an initially confusing exposition that constantly hopscotches between the present and the past, the show, starring writer-actress-producer Michaela Coel as troubled but talented writer Arabella Essidieu, doesn’t immediately hook you right into its fearless but flawed protagonist’s woes, foibles and quirks.

Karan Gill

But the cast’s performan­ces feel too real and compelling to be ignored, so we ended up bingeing the series in one go—and it sure has been worth the time and patience! The show is a slow burn that eventually reflects the polarizing ambiguities of the issues at its core.

With the help of her partygoing posse—newbie actress Terry (Weruche Opia) and sexually promiscuous gay fitness instructor Kwame (Paapa Essiedu), who have “adulting” issues of their own—Arabella has to come to terms with the sexual abuse she conveniently blocks out of her memory after one “drunken and drugged-out” night on the town.

But, first, Arabella has to figure out who among her exciting new male acquaintan­ces—Italian drug peddler Biagio (Marouane Zotti), sexy party boy David (Lewis Reeves) and sensitive writer-editor Zain (Karan Gill)—can truly be taken seriously.

Of course if you’re as much of a mess as they are, why should you even expect to be treated more than the shallow party girl you seem to be? Tit for tat.

Michaela Coel —PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO