Shrill added – Aidy Bryant’s Emmy-nominated Hulu comedy Shrill—based on Lindy West’s memoir—has landed on Netflix. The three-season series follows plus-size writer Annie Easton as she navigates workplace humiliation, complicated relationships, and the fight to be heard in a
When Annie Easton tries to angle for a promotion at her newspaper. the moment doesn’t land the way she needs it to. Her harsh boss, Gabe, shuts her down. Then she faces another kind of humiliation—being asked to leave through the back door so her friend-with-benefits won’t be seen with her by his roommates. And even after that, she learns the morning-after pill isn’t effective for her because she weighs over 175 pounds.
It’s a bleak, pointed start for a series that’s also sharp, funny, and painfully real—and now Shrill is ready for a second act on Netflix.
The three-season comedy originally premiered on Hulu in 2019 and aired its final season in 2021. The show is adapted from Lindy West’s 2016 memoir. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. and turns West’s life into a fictionalized account. At the center is Annie Easton. played by Aidy Bryant. a plus-size writer simply trying to exist in a world designed for thin people.
In the premiere episode. Annie’s day spirals in a way that feels familiar to anyone who has ever been punished for taking up space. She sleeps with her friend-with-benefits, Ryan, played by Luka Jones, only to be embarrassed after the fact. And when she finds out she’s pregnant. her best friend Fran—played by Lolly Adefope—backs her fully as she goes with her to terminate the pregnancy. From there, Annie’s story doesn’t turn into a neat transformation. Instead. subsequent episodes show her starting to learn to love herself from the inside out. while her journey becomes even more about finding her voice in a world that doesn’t always allow her to speak.
What makes Shrill stick is the way its mess is treated like the point. Annie’s life is described as incredibly messy and super realistic, with relationships that stay complicated. She has to fight for every ounce of respect she gets. and she doesn’t always handle things well—especially when her insecurity takes over. But the writing team, including Bryant and West, builds a character who isn’t perfect and still earns your loyalty.
Annie’s progress shows up in moments that range from workplace confrontation to the messy reality of dealing with a horrible internet troll. The series also gives her a pool party for plus-size women—one of the best opportunities for her to feel truly comfortable in her skin for perhaps the first time. By the time the show moves deeper into its run, Annie becomes more than someone enduring humiliation. She becomes a heroine who doesn’t conform to the societal standards that hold us all back.
Bryant is the engine. The series credits note that she landed an Emmy nomination in 2021 for her work. and her performance as Annie carries that same blend of depression. feistiness. joy. and honesty—never reduced to a caricature. She plays Annie with what the story describes as three-dimensional brilliance. and the same crediting points highlight that her work on Saturday Night Live wasn’t a fluke.
The supporting cast is part of why the comedy feels so lived-in. Lolly Adefope, who has also starred in the UK version of Ghosts, plays Fran as effervescent and dazzling. Julia Sweeney and Daniel Stern appear as Annie’s parents, delivering timing that matches the show’s sharp tone. Jo Firestone. Patti Harrison. and Ian Owens round out coworkers who help create a setting where Annie’s biggest hurdles can land with humor—and with bite.
Shrill aired its final season in 2021. and the show’s late arrival on Netflix comes with a specific kind of regret attached to it: there was so much more of Annie’s journey that could have been explored. and the series was missed by many viewers when it first aired. Now that it’s found a new streaming home on Netflix. the hope is simple—more people will finally get to see it.
This time, Annie won’t be asked to leave through the back door.
Shrill Aidy Bryant Netflix Hulu Lindy West comedy series plus-size Annie Easton Fran Gabe Emma nomination