Hulu's 'In My Skin' is Bitter, Heartfelt and Brilliant

On paper, Hulu's In My Skin is a typical coming of age drama, full of sly observations about the difficulties of high school and painful reminders of how cruel teenagers can be to one another. Yet, though this series does include both those things in spades, its dark atmosphere, complex heroine, and dedication to flouting expectations of what a teen comedy should be and do ultimately turn the show into something entirely different.

In the most basic terms, In My Skin is the story of an average teenage girl. Bethan Gwyndaf goes to school and comes home afterward, complains about homework, and sneaks out without telling her parents. But in truth, she's living a complex series of double lives.  In one, she's got a couple of solid best friends in Lydia and Travis. With them she's bold, loud and unafraid, laughing and playing offensive pranks on the guy who runs a local chip shop. She purposefully takes up space. In another, she's formed a tentative bond with popular girl Poppy - with her she's a detailed projection of her best self. She's a dedicated and ambitious student with a comfortable and easy life, flush with trips to the ballet and burdened by overinvolved parents with dull, everyday jobs who want to be constantly part of her life.

But none of these things are the real truth of who Bethan is. Because she's also a spectacular liar, spinning false realities meant to cover up the painful truth she's desperately afraid the rest of the world will find out.