2019 is almost over, and it’s time to make a balance: how did this year go? Have we fulfilled our resolutions? And above all, what have we learned?
Every chance is good to gather experience, both for better or for worse, and we should take a leaf from the characters of our favorite TV series: those in which we saw ourselves so many times or those who, on the contrary, we see as someone distant from our reality and that will never resemble us.
Through their experiences, both in comic and dramatic terms, they are often carriers of learnings that stay with us and that, perhaps, contribute a little to our personal development. So, if we should draw our own conclusions of 2019 in terms of TV series, what could we have learned from its protagonists, those who have won our (and the critics’) hearts?
FLEABAG
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Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Who: Fleabag
Fleabag, with her harsh irony and cynical look at the world, has certainly taught us that never taking yourself too seriously is the right choice to live a good, or at least decent, life. Sexy, irresistible, tragic and comical at the same time, Fleabag and her dialogues with the audience represent all the doubts and questions that we ask ourselves daily, and that leads to the ultimate question: when will we be happy?
Bonus: falling in love with a sexy priest is fine, as long as this contributes to our personal growth!
STRANGER THINGS
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Streaming Service: Netflix
Who: Dustin
Dustin is the friend we all look for and that only Steve seems to really appreciate, at least in this third season. He’s loyal, cool and ready to do whatever it takes to save those around him (and the world) and to keep that special bond created with Suzy in what seems to be a real midsummer night dream (while camping). Dustin teaches and reminds us that the power of love, also in terms of friendship, can overcome any obstacle, including creatures from the Upside Down. And don’t forget: “Upon a rainbow, is the answer to a neverending story.”
GAME OF THRONES
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Streaming Service: HBO
Who: Arya
The eighth season of Game of Thrones has shown us that the characters seem to have learned little or nothing from their actions: except for Arya, of course. Arya, with her integrity and determination, teaches us that staying true to your own beliefs and path is always the right solution, and that there is no need to hide behind many faces to face reality and the ultimate truth, that nothing will ever stop us from being ourselves and who we are destined to become. Even if this means sailing away from our loved ones and facing challenges beyond imagination.
GOOD OMENS
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Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Who: Aziraphale and Crowley
Whether our destiny is guided by Providence, whether everything has already been written (even in a prophetic book written centuries ago), whether we believe in God or Satan, whether the Apocalypse is almost there, nothing can scratch us if we have a best friend by our side, regardless of its questionable nature. If an angel and a demon have managed to cultivate a special bond over the centuries and avoid a cataclysm, then we, in our little, can perfectly face every day knowing that we have someone by our side to rely on in every moment!
RUSSIAN DOLL
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Streaming Service: Netflix
Who: Nadia
Nothing in this world is easy, especially if you find yourself stuck in a time loop that forces you to relive your death in an unpredictable eternity: Nadia, however, after a first moment lost, teaches us that the only way to stabilize and to take control of our existence (and of the world around us) is to react, no matter how impossible the difficulties seem, as if they were a labyrinth. Because there is always a solution, which often coincides with our great opportunity to prove who we really are.
EUPHORIA
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Streaming Service: HBO
Who: Jules
Jules, with her already iconic beauty and fashion looks, taught us that difference is beauty, that dreaming is a way to escape from reality as well as to understand it, and that idealism is the key to better understand yourself and the world around us. Risks are everywhere (especially on the web), high schools are tough and the years that should be the most carefree are actually often a source of problems and insecurities, but everything can be faced if you are aware of your own strength and identity.
MODERN LOVE
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Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Who: Lexi
Life is not always perfect. Life is not always black or white. There are also dark moments, grey moments, and that’s where we find Lexi (Anne Hathaway) and her fragility that, in the end, when she is able to recognize it, turns out to be her greatest strength. Lexi teaches us that it is ok not to be ok, that even the worst days have an end, that everyone, even those who seem to live a perfect life, goes through difficult moments. What matters is to accept ourselves and, above all, to look for help: because even when everything seems dark, there is always a glimmer of light to look for. You just have to pay attention.
SEX EDUCATION
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Streaming Service: Netflix
Who: Eric
Being honest with people is important to build long-lasting relationships, but being honest with yourself is essential to live at your best: Eric, with his rich personality, shows us the importance of wearing everyday emotions (and clothes) that fully match our personality, to spread our charisma whenever we go. But, above all, he reminds us that the power of forgiveness comes with the strength of another, essential feeling, not only in this TV series but also in life: love.
BARRY
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Streaming Service: HBO
Who: Barry
These are hard times and you do everything you can to survive: Barry has exaggerated this condition, reaching the point to kill someone to live (even if his dream is to be a protagonist of the theatrical scene). No, this is definitely not the lesson we have to take from the character but, rather, it’s about his willingness to fight depression when it strikes back, his persistence in seeking an alternative and the firmness with which he knows that nothing is lost yet and that, above all, he is not lost yet. This makes Barry a desperately realistic man or, rather, human being.
THE POLITICIAN
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Streaming Service: Netflix
Who: Payton
Determination is the key to success, but no one ever talks about the ups and downs of determination, or at least, no one ever told Payton about it. The young candidate for the presidency of his school board and future President of the United States (?) teaches us that will is power, but that power involves risks, failures and, above all, it often does not correspond to the expectations we have. And he reminds us that, no matter how far we may have come so far, we still have a long way to go…
P.S. The world won’t end if you can’t make it into Harvard, trust us!
