心向快乐第一季

她其实是需要被人保护的

外表帅气内心脆弱的像只小绵羊🐑

特别能够理解她的焦虑 不安 依赖

可能有时候像是一种投射

和父母的关系

和喜欢的直女怎么相处(这种相处模式有些消耗乔治)

和lesbian怎么相处(lava在某些时候还是挺迷人的，不过生气打翻碗的时候还挺吓人的)

和异性怎么相处 ，要知道在某些异性恋男性眼里

只要你是个女孩，就可能是他们的猎物

所以不存在纯粹的异性好友 (mae和那个男人只是，在逃避问题)

看完了。我觉得很好看。囊括了我们女同性恋群体会遇到的许许多多的问题，当然我觉得同样，这其中的一些感情问题是谈了恋爱的人都会遇到的。唉，觉得篇幅还不够长，但是其中真的蕴含了太多。

想到什么就写什么吧。

乔治父亲的离开和她后来和梅的父亲坐那个小车车的样子——她真的很怀念父爱吧。虽然她和梅的父母见面的时间很短暂，但是我觉得能看出她对那种久违了的父爱的憧憬。

然后就是当你陷入了这个群体之后，你才意识到之前认为只是寻常的事其实是多么的充满偏见。乔治所教的课程和班级上发生的事情，在她和梅交往之前肯定是存在的，但那时候，大概就像现在很多人的“事不关己高高挂起”一样吧，她不觉得是什么大不了的事——毕竟不发生在自己身上。而当她自己差不多也算成为其中一份子的时候，她才能被这些伤害到或者意识到有些曾经自以为正常是多么伤人。

哈哈哈哈哈直女被掰弯后的心路历程

梅的困惑，我觉得以前也曾是我的困惑，对方到底想让我成为什么样子？什么样子是我真正想成为的我自己？一开始看预告的时候，是的梅的外形就非常T呗，也有那么一丝丝忧虑是不是会包含着刻板印象。我觉得本剧某方面比较神就是它虽然篇幅不长，但是仅仅通过几个画面就让我感受到了想传达的东西——比如梅会想尝试穿一件小吊带裙，但是同时又羞于让乔治知道这件事。在她心里还是害怕乔治只是把她当男性伴侣来看待——这在女同性恋+直女的组合中很常见，其实就算是两个拉拉在一起我觉得也会有……

看到这句的我：呵，直女

这算是刻板印象的余孽吗？当然也有人喜欢这种相处模式，这也是我最近很纠结的一点，好像这种模式你无法确切地评价好与坏，但是希望大家在谈恋爱的时候都能找到和自己模式相同的人。

不过乔治最后在思考了，在了解了，在改变自己了，我觉得就很厉害。她明白了谁才是自己真正的朋友，也知道自己究竟想要什么，以及去尝试接纳新的自己。（这可能是大家追直女过程中的理想画面了吧XD）

家庭问题我觉得也算本剧表达的一个副中心？无论是梅那强势的母亲还是乔治选择离开的父亲以及对爱情失望的母亲（但我们也可以看出，你越表现出嫌弃反而越证明你在乎）。家庭问题有时候反而是一个很容易被忽视的问题，家长们有时候会说“每个家庭都这样！”来逃避应该承担改变的责任。都这样的家庭就正常吗？

看到此处有笑到

不知道会不会有第二季，因为觉得还是有些地方没有说清楚，也有些地方表达得蜻蜓点水一般。但此时打下这些文字的我又觉得，不用说清楚我们也可以顺着畅想下去。

乔治正视了自己的内心，她选择了更值得当朋友的人，她也会对梅给予支持；

梅虽然复吸了orz（而且那个Day1的小牌牌还是掖着藏着），但是剧的最末尾，我觉得她下一句就要向乔治坦诚自己复吸了，这是一个好的开始，我想也是她收获安全感的开始。

最后想到的是那个（完了我忘了名字了就是互助会最后和梅一起吸Du的那位）。

他竟然是打电话叫来了自己的保证人，我还挺震惊的，因为他俩一起吸的时候我内心真的“oh fuck”。保证人那番话真的蛮感人的……是一个，特别合格，值得当做依靠的保证人了。

哎，仍在回味中。

附上梅对成瘾的一个新的解读，我觉得，哇，内心的有些问题豁然开朗。

我们都在对什么东西成瘾呢？

看完了，我一直疑问这竟然标签是喜剧诶，明明很多时候我看的都心碎的说

上图

当Mae复吸后

剧中梅在经历了女友的分手，一度失落丢失自己，甚至想要再次借助毒品摆脱失意，我深有感触，当生活糟糕的时候就会想忘记一切地放纵，但我们都知道，放纵过后只有无尽的后悔以及未解决的问题罢了，或许我可能应该想想一切的根源，与自己和解才是问题的答案

George诉说当年的伤心事

看到这里真的感同身受，自己所在意的所难受的常常是不为他人所感同身受的，我们失落在朋友无意的嘲笑中，把悲伤放在心里耿耿于怀，除了自己谁也不知道除了自己谁也伤不到，我认为剧中的朋友根本算不上朋友，不过是会耍耍嘴皮逗逗乐的一群派对伙伴，但真正的朋友，即使不懂你的痛也不会随意的戳你的伤疤，而是小心翼翼地保护着你。希望你可以在爱你的人面前褪去伪装。

年少时总是想出去看看，家好像是个束缚自己的地方，但后来遇到了大风大雨第一个想到的还是回家。

梅总是以为母亲不那么爱她，她好像永远在批评她，但其实她只是不把爱放在嘴上，伤心时一句话妈妈就会为你准备好一切等你回家。

多多少少有人迷失在自卑的世界里，我们感觉不到爱，接受不了爱，无法付出爱，什么都不说了跟着台词念一念吧，你是个可爱的人。

最后放几个图

第一次写长评，留个赞呗ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉﾞ❀~

First of all, it brings some feelings back to me when I am feeling nothing. I appreciate that. Always think a relationship is like “I got issues and you got’em too.” And we live with them together as a partners. Mae and George have their issues. They tried to cover or deal with them in the series. Maybe there’ll be no ultimate solution. It’s just a process in daily life.

As for Mae, who is always go with the feelings and chase the feelings, which is to find the approach to FEEL GOOD. George is more tend to be traditional and hard to open up utterly. They are vivid characters and I can relate from some plots.

It’s a huge world. There are various people and perspectives. Sometimes I just watch it and think: it’s ok to say that??? Just embrace the diversity and try to be more open minded.

Talk to people who care about you or just try to be these people.

It’s ok to be passionate or just want to save everything for oneself. Accept everyone’s tendency.

George said: “I just can be an island. That’s how I operate.” 🖐🏾 It could happen. I’m more relaxed now. Thank you guys:)

我是T。我想被女孩推倒。我曾对亲密关系关系成瘾。我沉迷于女孩们的暗面。

注视着Mae Martin的时候，我感到被看见。

我的初恋来自离异家庭。我15岁的crush有抑郁症。我的前任同时有躁郁症和人格分裂症。我从未刻意因一个人的过去而选择她们，但somehow，they turned out that way.也许因为那种人格的张力不必隐藏也会隐约浮现吧。也许是因为我天生喜欢戏剧性，喜欢刺激。

And all didn’t end well.

情绪是会传染的。在高二的时候我曾经那么厌恶自己。一边大哭一边猛抽着雾化咖啡因的时候，在大雨里奔跑的时候，觉得自己空虚，孤独，一无是处。虽然我没有真的产生substance addiction，但那段为了控制睡眠而交替大剂量服用褪黑素和咖啡因的日子，现在想起来还觉得后怕。

...还有对亲密关系的焦虑。只要觉得无聊就会想找对方。只要对方不回就会觉得生命被抽干，觉得自己是一无是处的垃圾。会不安，会百爪挠心。

我在初三毕业的暑假打电话给我的心理老师，告诉她我爱上了一个抑郁症的女孩，我想帮她，我想和她做爱。老师要我保证我们会在“能闻得到阳光的地方”发生关系，然后告诉我，我救不了任何人，我做不了任何人的英雄。

如果受不了，我必须走。我必须先爱自己。

《心向快乐》回应了非常非常多有关LGBT社群生活的亚主题：挣扎的自我认同、痛苦的过去、“出柜”对伴侣关系造成的张力，甚至当George眉飞色舞地描述自己对某位理想型男性的痴迷时，Mae的感受对我来说都熟悉得令人痛苦。

但最关键的是，Mae同时存在于剧内剧外。她同时也是自己的故事有意识的讲述者。她完全接受了自己的过去，并且知道分享它能为他人带来怎样的理解和慰藉。这非常了不起。

我感到被看见，被回应。我感到并不孤独，而这点给了我信心。

所以....谢谢这部剧的存在。谢谢Mae和我们讲述她的故事。

Feel Good is a low budget 6-episode TV show which mysteriously skipped my attention when it was first brought up by a friend: probably because it features no big star (Lisa is one, but in a small role), and British TV shows like Fleabag and Killing Eve have raised the bar very high now.

However, one night, I started to watch the first episode and was very impressed. The not so sub plot of addiction is so well-written. I really like it when Mae (its main character shares the same name with the writer and lead actor, which is a bit confusing) expands the definition of ‘addiction’: ‘it’s all the same feelings, craving, and withdrawl, and relief, and obsession. We are just swapping one addiction for another’. By doing that, Mae Martin (I will use the full name when referring to the creator) connects the love story and Mae’s struggle to stay clean together. Mae Martin challenges the audience to view addiction as not only a struggle among a group of people, but something many of us face when being in a toxic relationship with partners, or, say, social media. By then, I am convinced Feel Good is quite good because the creators know ‘nuances’. Its focus on addiction also reminds me of Killing Eve S2, the key word for its 2nd season is ‘obsession’. While both handle compulsive/toxic feelings between people/people and object, Killing Eve’s take on obsession is disappointing, Feel Good, on the other hand, only gets better episode by episode.

Story aside, I am mesmerized by how the show introduces the love story to the audience. It is fast-paced. As Guardian remarks, ‘Feel Good moves so quickly and lightly that it seems impossible it could also be managing to construct characters and burrow into psyches as deeply and empathically as it does.’ You never need to fast-forward; it’s densely-packed but you won’t feel stressful; the plots mingle effortlessly. It takes 30 seconds for Mae and George to fall in love with each other. I love how unconventional and unapologetic it is. I love how an LGBTQIA (bless Joyce) story focus on how the two lovers enjoy their relationship (at least for the most part) without giving too much attention to how they are unsure if the other is into them, or suffering from loneliness because they can’t find a partner. Of course the loneliness issue exists and there is suffering, but there are many representations of those already. Feel Good shows how the relationship can be the start, rather than the ending, of a story.

I also like how the struggles of Mae and George are more about themselves making choices than them being in disagreement with a suffocating society. It is refreshing to see not only Mae’s parents, but George’s mother, support their sexuality. Mae’s gig pals don’t make a fuss about her having a girlfriend. The roommate Phil is an angel. The lead of the support group is a gay man; Lava is loved by her mother regardless of her sexuality. While Binky’s husband and his friends are ‘piece of shit’, I don’t see them as homophobic (I could be wrong though). The show demonstrates that everyone can and should be nice to LGBT+ community. I like how Feel Good doesn’t use societal approval as a trope; instead, it allows us to see Mae and George as individuals who make their own decisions. Yes, sexuality is and will be important in their lives, but they don’t let it to devour them, they can still breathe.

The relationship is beautifully written and wonderfully performed. I mean THE CHEMISTRY!! Yes there is sex. As Mae Martin said, she didn’t want the lesbian sex to be voyeuristic. I congratulate her in doing a fantastic job!! Feel Good has amazing sex scenes: they are romantic, witty, hilarious, and honest. The director and writers make sure the sex scenes are not about sex/lust only, they are also about female pleasure. Mae and George communicate and share their sexual preferences; they don’t force their fetish on the other, instead, they ask politely. The show doesn’t mystify lesbian sex: even lesbians can’t cum and that’s ok! Feel Good has achieved what Sex Education has done: it has educated people (older than high schoolers) how to have sex, and more importantly, how to discern when the relationship is going south.

There are nudity scenes and they are (quite literally) serving the plot: it is when Mae feels most vulnerable physically. The paradox of the physicality and the personality is, however, not restricted to gay people. Mae is struggling because she believes however hard she tries, she can never have George in the long haul because George is ‘culturally straight’. George, however, insists this idea is just in Mae’s head. (Or is it?) It becomes apparent that the couple is not on the same page on many things. Mae is shy but she wants public validation of their relationship: she wants to be blessed by George’s family and friends. George is popular (win the lottery) but she is ultra private when it comes to Mae. She points out her friends just want to crack a joke and emotions (mind, not sexuality), for them, is gross. Eventually, George will have to face her own real emotions. There is a moment where Mae questions why George never like/retweet her social media stuffs. As Fleabag says ‘Hair is everything’, the (non)usage of social media, I argue, is (almost) everything. This again shows the discrepancy between the couple – which, of course, is normal; in every relationship/friendship, such disagreements happen and that’s what makes this show so relatable.

It is interesting to note that the dynamic between the two flows all the time. I find myself on the side of Mae and then I am on George’s side! For example, the first episode shows Mae concealing her addiction history from George, which is a bit dishonest; but George also makes Mae think she’s already mentioned her to her friends while actually she’s dating some Crenshaw dude. I find it especially interesting that while George is portrayed as a cold person (she leaves Mae alone in a party; she’s rather cold towards Phil etc etc), Mae can also be quite aloof – check what she does to Lava. When she says let’s not share this with Maggie, it is as if George were saying let’s not tell my friends now.

Talking about George and her friends, I really like how the show does about their friendship. It shows that those friendships, even though ‘long haul’, are not necessarily genuine. Indeed, things can be tricky, if not scary, when friends finally choose to be honest with each other, right?

Binky’s husband and friends are hilarious characters, but the show makes sure not all the male characters are caricatured. I like Phil a lot; he’s giving me the neighbor who ended up marrying Hannah’s boyfriend’s sister in Girls, especially when he’s mentioning all the baby stuffs. Mae’s dad is a charming character; but I am not sure if he’s a good dad. His ‘Oh I need to check the garden’ is a specimen of dad type, who leaves all the dirty job of communicating with kids to mums. The show also inserts in a MeToo story plot where things turn sour quickly. In all, the portrayals of male characters are multifaceted. Well done.

Last but not the least: small roles. Does the show even have small roles? Because everyone shines. Even the shop assistant of that sex shop: the scene is so funny and captivating. Lisa Kudrow is funny but in a cold way – which is really nice. I am not crazy about her first appearance in the laptop; seeing her appear in Blackpool is a real surprise for me (and Mae). I love the scene in Ghost Train the most. Arguing in a horror house/moving train, with all the noise and terrifying man-makes while discussing ‘real emotions’, which is the most terrifying of all – what a genius idea!! The fact that the show keeps vague about why Mae is cast out of the family is an interesting one; I quite like how her mother points out her privilege and that she has everything she wants when she grows up. Again, the show is looking at the mysterious and intricate human mind that is not so easily explainable. Apart from that, I don’t think there are a lot of TV shows that discuss ‘privilege’. Kudos to the writers for highlighting this aspect.

The photography is really pretty. It, like TEOTFW, has a consistent tone, which is even reflected when Mae and George are in bed. Note the beautiful blue shadow. The music is nice. The costume looks comfy and lovely (never let the costume steal the show– I’m talking to you, Killing Eve). My favorite, as I said earlier is the pace of narration. Mae has run a lot and it is a signature of Feel Good, like Fleabag’s looking at the camera.

Feel Good is about a female stand-up comedian. In the States, there is The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Both Mae and Midge suffer from a backfire from they using real-life stories with their partner (judging from S1 finale, haven’t watched S2 yet). It is interesting to think how personal the stand-up mateials can be, but having just watched Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, I am reminding myself that in order to make things funny, the ‘truth’ can be compromised. While Nanette is almost metafictional when Hannah approaches/disconstructs what makes comedy, I don’t think that is the angle Feel Good is heading towards. However, it is still fit to think about the show amongst the powerful works by Mae Martin’s fellow female comedians. The freshness of the show also reminds me of Girls (with its minute depictions of modern female life) and Fleabag (with its candidacy about real emotions). Feel Good deserves more recognition and PLEASE CAN WE HAVE SEASON 2 THANK YOU NETFLIX!!