Netflix is home to a million comedies, but some stand out more than others. Crashing, a Channel 4 miniseries, has found a home on Netflix — and a whole new audience. With just six episodes in a single season, few people have heard of this miniseries, which was released in 2016. Short, easy to watch, and incredibly funny, Crashing comes from the familiar and brilliant mind of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
The show follows the journey of six twentysomethings who decide to become property guardians of an abandoned hospital ward. With minimal rent and plenty of space, the six acquaintances manage to juggle the job, which is also a cheeky commentary on the cost of living crisis. But their complicated and wild lives make the show entertaining as they inevitably collide and burn out. Each character is a ball of chaotic energy, bringing their own troubles, traumas, prejudices, and quirks to the forefront, often to non-stop hilarity. The characters in Crashing may be facing constant conflict, but they’re very much like a dysfunctional family that can never quite get along, and have a surprising connection to another dysfunctional family from Bridgerton.
Fleabag is a feather in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s cap, and her warm reception proves just how effective her work can be. Fleabag is a bold yet honest look at a single woman’s life as she navigates dating, making a living, family dynamics, love, and most importantly, grief. The titular character, also played by Waller-Bridge, is reeling from the loss of her mother and best friend, but her hypersexual nature and love of chaos can’t be stopped. Unafraid to be raunchy and completely inappropriate, the show thrives on its imperfections. Fleabag explores the broken parts of humanity in harrowing detail, breaks the fourth wall, and speaks to the audience at key moments. It made Waller-Bridge a household name. However, even diehard fans of the Prime Video comedy don’t know that Waller-Bridge’s first show was actually Crashing, and it went largely unnoticed. Nominated for a BAFTA and a BAFTA Craft Award, Crashing was the Fleabag before Fleabag.
Like its sequel, Crashing revolves around a single female character, also portrayed by the creator herself. At first glance, Lulu is a quirky ukulele-toting dreamer, but Waller-Bridge breaks the stereotype by making her a more twisted version of that trope. Lulu is Anthony’s childhood friend, who lives in the hospital with his fiancée, Kate, so they can save money for their wedding. She enters the scene in a whirlwind of love, heartbreak, hope, and anger, as the attraction between Anthony and Lulu is immediate and obvious. Melody is an eccentric French artist who immediately takes a liking to Colin, a divorcee, and paints his sadness on her canvases. Sam, also a young man with a sex addiction, can’t seem to stay away from shy Fred, nor be with him. While Fleabag revolves around one character, Crashing brings the same frenetic energy to six others, and each is flawed, infuriating, but also relatable in their struggles as young adults. Watching Crashing makes it clear that it is a precursor to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s best work, as many of her ideas can be seen in rudimentary form in the earlier work. Both funny and dark, this work also explores human nature at its most interesting and basic level.
Jonathan Bailey, known for his emotional and heartfelt portrayal of Anthony in Bridgerton, plays Sam in Crashing. As the eldest Bridgerton son, Bailey portrays a man who refuses to succumb to the burden of responsibility but rejects the simple pleasures of love and happiness in order to fulfill his duty to his family. After witnessing the death of his father as a child, Anthony has closed himself off from emotions that he considered trivial as a child. However, as a young man born in the Regency era, he is a true gentleman (albeit with some wild tendencies). The appearance of Kate Sharma in his life erases his misconceptions about life, love and marriage, leading to a breakthrough for him. Anthony is closed off, arrogant, stubborn, but has a heart of gold that needs the right person to open him up. Jonathan Bailey has been praised by critics for his performance, especially when he stands out in a fairly large and talented cast. Bailey’s role in Crashing has similarities and differences to his breakout Bridgerton character.
There’s no denying that Sam is the highlight of Crashing. Dâm
