I May Destroy You's Michaela Coel hints at secret messages in the series
I May Destroy You has been named the TV show of the year by many, thanks to its uncompromising storylines and nuanced portrayal of millennial life. Now, Michaela Coel has revealed the series is full of Easter eggs and secret messages, adding that it gets better the more you watch it.
"There are Easter eggs littered all over that show and I think you have to rewatch and rewatch and rewatch to really begin enjoying it," she told the Obsessed with… I May Destroy You podcast.
Such secret messages might be portrayed through Arabella's [played by Michaela] looks. Hair and makeup artist for I May Destroy You Bethany Swan explained to Metro, "Throughout the series Michaela, Lynsey Moore [costume designer] and I worked closely to create real characters with resonating backstories through a combined use of colour seen in the costume, make-up and even hair.
"When we first meet Arabella, she has pink hair. From an outside perspective, this colour exudes confidence, but it's a pale washed-out pink, it has long dark roots, it feels tired, well-loved and lived in."
She continued, "This is the state of mind we find her in, emotionally drained, and with writer's block. We expanded on the symbolism behind Arabella's pink hair, as it was mirrored on our young Theo with streaks of it through her hair too. Michaela wanted the pink to reflect the trauma that both women experience."
Coel also spoke on the podcast about what she may be working on next, revealing that she's taking some time before moving on from the show. "It is in the back of my mind," Coel said about her next project. "And I keep telling this idea to wait because we’ve got to finish giving birth to I May Destroy You before I start thinking about having other children!"
Too right - we can only imagine how emotionally draining and full on creating a show like I May Destroy You is - and Michaela certainly deserves to enjoy the success.
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