In My Skin Season 1 Review: A Thoughtful, Biting Coming-of-Age Tale

(Warning: This review contains spoilers for Season 1 of In My Skin).

 In My Skin, Hulu’s latest British import, shares some of the same essence as beloved properties Lady Bird, Fleabag, and Mad Fat Diary but thanks to some bold choices, the coming-of-age dramedy ultimately sets itself apart.

Anchored by a star turn by leading actress Gabrielle Creevy, its far-too-short five episode season is achingly, compelling television.

To be clear, In My Skin is messy, not just in the family drama and teenage anguish that it portrays but also in some of its plotting and narrative devices. Overall though, the strengths far outweigh the faults.

The impact of Creevy’s performance as Bethan cannot be ignored. Bethan isn’t your typical, straightforward heroine. She’s bold and funny, enamored with the flush of a major crush, and protective — almost to a fault — of her mother, who is crippled by bipolar disorder.

However, she’s also at times deeply insensitive, and her defense mechanism of lying to prevent her friends from discovering her mother’s secret has evolved into a compulsion. Bethan doesn’t just lie about her situation at home; she lies about nearly everything. 

Creevy hits all these beats perfectly, managing to make us root for Bethan even when we find her actions frustrating.

She deftly moves from poignant and soft to brash and bold; a quiet moment helping her mother Trina (Jo Hartley) shave her legs on In My Skin Season 1 Episode 4 is no less exhilarating or important than a third act no-holds-barred campaign speech on In My Skin Season 1 Episode 5.

In lesser hands, Bethan’s contradictory nature may not make much sense, but Creevy recognizes how Bethan’s fragmented lives play off one another and how the trauma of her home life influences the life she desperately tries to mold for herself elsewhere in the world.

Her eyes and expression can convey even the smallest change in emotion and the performance feels effortless, though it’s clear from the demands, that it is not.

Creevy’s performance compensates for weaknesses elsewhere in the plotting and script. Similar to other shows, In My Skin utilizes self-aware first person voiceovers and fantasy sequences but not consistently. They pop in and out and given there are only five episodes total, this feels like a missed opportunity.

While the show packs a lot into its five episodes, the pacing and plotting often feels rushed and crammed. So many things are happening over the course of the season: Trina relapses multiple times, Bethan falls out with her friends (James Wilbraham and Poppy Lee Friar), and Bethan both falls for and is rejected by her new popular friend, Poppy (Zadeiah Campbell-Davies).

The arcs for the latter two stories in particular feel rushed. Most of the season tracks Bethan’s fallout with her friends rather than show their genuine closeness, so the quick resolution and reunion on In My Skin Season 1 Episode 5 does not have as much impact as it should.

The queer storyline also sadly feels rushed. While partially a result of having only five episodes to develop the story, the Poppy/Bethan relationship is overly accelerated. They fall into close friendship early but fall out almost as quickly, ending the season in a feud. 

While Campbell-Davies walks the line between manipulative and sincerely alluring well, there are so many unanswered questions about Poppy and Bethan’s connection.

Who is the real Poppy anyway? How long had Bethan held on to feelings for her? Where is the line between a close platonic relationship between women (wild love affairs of their own) and a romantic one? And why is it that Bethan, when asked, denies being queer, though there are multiple bits of evidence to the contrary?

In My Skin manages to do plenty well, but if it had moretime to breathe — whether that’s a longer season or fewer storylines to tackle over the course of its run, it could have been that much better. 

A second season would allow us to follow Bethan’s family, her work as Head Girl, the fallout of Poppy discovering her secret, and would allow the show to explore the breathing room to explore her sexuality properly.

Plus, while the series does not shy away from showing the poverty and poor conditions of the working class community Bethan comes from, it doesn’t fully have her confront these in meaningful way. As she works towards plotting her future — particularly because we know from her teachers she has the potential to have a bright one — this feels absolutely vital to cover.

Overall, the season is strong and a must-watch for fans of coming-of-age television. It is undoubtedly devilishly funny with a heartbreaking, raw, and unique portrayal of the highs and lows of living with and loving someone with bipolar disorder.

There are improvements to be made because clearly, it’s capable of reaching great heights, but that’s all the more reason for it to get a  second season.

What did you think of In My Skin? What would you be most interested to see in a second season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

In My Skin is currently available to stream on Hulu.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Top 10 Most Intriguing Characters on The Great