SHRILL presents structurally as a pretty standard half hour series. Annie is our main character, on a journey. Fran is her best friend who gives her good advice, gives her someone to talk to and occasionally gets into hijinks of her own. Ryan is her on again/off again/garbage always boyfriend, Gabe her self-consumed boss and Amadi her work buddy (who I personally would like a whole show about).
But every story structure has its deficits. And in the case of the single protagonist half hour, the main problem usually is that so much of the story gets directed to the protagonist, they start to seem kind of self-centered and all about the drama. We end up pining for more story for some of the others.
This isn't just a half hour issue, either. By the time you get to the fourth or fifth Harry Potter movie, it's enough already with Harry as the constant focus. Even if he does have a spooky noseless nemesis dude who is always after him, still, it's too much. More Ron and Hermione, please and thank you.
The interesting thing that SHRILL does is write that very issue into the show. In the season two premiere, "Camp", written by Aidy Bryant, while Annie and Ryan go off on a ridiculous adventure, Fran is shown literally waiting by her phone for Annie to call. Her life as that sidekick completely dependent on Annie's.
"You can't just disappear and then leave me to clean up all your mess," Fran tells Annie in private. "You have to be my friend, too."
It's a thrilling moment, precisely because it's calling out the flaw we feel in the show.
Then the rest of season two starts to provide a greater balance. Fran's heartache is much the center of the second episode, and gives her a journey all her own for the season. We also get a whole episode where she and Annie go to a family wedding, and a big party in the season finale that ends up being the culmination of her quest.
Rather than "stealing time" from Annie, these choices to focus on Fran have the feeling of expanding the world of the show. In fact it introduces Emily, who will becomes almost a third main character in the final season. All of which is to say, we love the series more for the changes Fran creates, not less.
When you've been on a show awhile, or you're coming onto a show that's been on for some time, it's worth stepping back to ask yourself, What or who is this show ignoring or assuming? Who isn't it giving time to? What is it missing?
Oftentimes your answers will give you exciting new story possibilities. Even just naming the issues can make for some really satisfying story.
