'I May Destroy You' is perfect TV for an anxious world

It was the show that defined our lockdown viewing, a series perfectly suited to the moment — and possibly the most emblematic TV of 2020

Michaela Coel as Arabella in BBC's 'I May Destroy You'. Picture: Natalie Seery

The sixth episode of BBC’s I May Destroy You opens on a bucolic urban scene: A park under a train overpass, where three young friends are attempting some plein-air spray-painting on canvas. Terry and Kwame have come to support Arabella, whose therapist has recommended painting to help her heal from a recent sexual assault. 

But Arabella doesn’t paint. She stands apart from her friends, engrossed in her phone. Terry, concerned, points this out to Kwame, but he shrugs: Arabella looks fine to him.