TV Series – UK | 2013-2015
This series is based on a real story from the novel my Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl, an oversized young girl who was suffering from mental illness and was sent to a psychiatric hospital. After being discharged, she reunited with her best friend, Chole, and was introduced to a group of friends to create a beautiful youth memory. The show is set in the mid-90s in Stamford, Lincolnshire, with 3 seasons and 16 episodes in total.
The protagonist, Rae Earl, starring Shanon Rooney, was raised in a broken family with her mother who married the other man later in the show, and because of her outlook, she was always depressed and even attempted suicide. But luckily, she had a big heart for everyone and was surrounded by good companions, her friends, her therapist and her family are key in healing her from the illness. In fact, Rae had the ability to fix every relationship step by step which was much braver than many people who procrastinated to escape the problem.
Chole Gemell, starring Jodie Comer, was a little bit bitchy and selfish, but end up she was an absolutely adorable and warmhearted girl in the show. She was popular, but somehow she lost her shininess when she compared with other girls of the same age in college, this led her frustrated and had low self-esteem. Love to see a young Jodie there, every facial expression has developed so naturally and authentically since then. It was a heartbreaking one when she was found by Rae in a stash house of a gang of busters, her acting is unbeatable.
Several scenes are remarkable in particular, in season 2 when Rae found Chole’s diary and started to read it. She found out they had interpreted different versions of the things they experienced. Well, this happens in real life all the time, and sometimes it is hard to define whose one reveals the truth. The “I’M NOT YOUR MUM” scene was dynamic when Rae narrated her version of blaming Chloe for not caring about her feelings while in Chloe’s perspective, she was suffering from a toxic relationship and wanted to talk to Rae so badly. Every time when Jodie was mad in the scene is impressive.
And the next one is in the hospital scene in season 3, when Chole was so weak on the bed due to an accident but she was still worrying about Rae who kept hurting herself. Chloe lost her chance to attend the exam and Rae decided to fake the exam for her. There are ups and downs in a relationship and because they are true and loyal friends of each other since childhood, it was a touching moment when they confronted each other.
Some nuances were hilarious though. In season 3, when Chloe was preparing for an A-level exam, her daily costume was changed to a business suit because she desperately wanted to study Business, but Rae revealed that she was highlighting every single sentence on the note without understanding. And in the finale, during the “rubbish bin” scene, when Chole found out she damaged the wrong car for revenge, she stood behind the scene and wondered what was going on while Rae was speaking her lines. These are cute.
This show tells good memorable events for those teenagers who have been studying together and gone through such a long way. This post has not gone through other characters’ stories which they also experienced struggle in a certain period of their life. But life goes on, and when they had to go to university, separation is inevitable.
Everyone wishes they could have a gang like this and especially have a friend like Chole and Rae, this duo is sweet!