Mae tries to break out of her destructive patterns in the new season of “Feel Good” — which means she has no choice but to face her past head-on. The second and final season of the dark comedy explores the lasting effects of trauma, and how sex, relationships, work, and drugs can be used to keep them (temporarily) at bay.
Fresh off her split from George (Charlotte Ritchie) and a relapse, Mae (co-creator Mae Martin) returns to Canada and rehab at the beginning of Season 2. It’s a short stint, but Mae manages to reconnect with an old friend (John Ross Bowie), a reunion that brings repressed memories to the surface. Mae begins having panic attacks and nightmares, and needs a way to cope. It’s not long before George is back in her life — first as a friend, then eventually as a lover.
If you’re thinking that the relationship between Mae and George is problematic at best, toxic at worst, well, you’re not alone. It’s a testament to the show’s subtle, nuanced storytelling that it’s never completely clear if Mae’s love for George is somehow influenced by her addictive personality. Would their intense connection survive without Mae’s history of substance abuse, her tendency to substitute love for drugs? Maybe, maybe not. Then again, maybe her feelings for George and her recovery don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Mae grows this season, taking a big professional step, deciding it’s time to reexamine her past, and further exploring her gender identity. (I should note here that while the character of Mae no longer identifies as a woman, she does continue to use she/her pronouns — at least she does in the three episodes I’ve seen.) George evolves, too, taking time to define herself outside her relationship with Mae, and stepping up the support when Mae struggles. That’s a far cry from the George of Season 1, an emotionally immature woman who hid her relationship with Mae and didn’t really care about anything aside from sex and goofing off with her terrible friends.
Basically, Mae and George begin to grow up this season, as a couple and as individuals. As the show comes to its conclusion, the protagonists realize that adulthood doesn’t always feel good. Things get hard, the past catches up with you, and sometimes problems don’t have clear solutions. However, once they commit to being real with themselves and each other, they discover there’s plenty of fun and beauty to be enjoyed, too.
“Feel Good” Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
