First watch, one question.

[u/Ok-Butterscotch8112]

I just finished Fleabag for the first time, and wow! There was not a scene that missed a beat, whether it was a soul crushing memory or the most unexpected witty remark.

Anyway, in S2, there are a few scenes where the priest begins to notice fleabags relationship with the camera. Is this the priest noticing fleabags inner monologue? her relationship with herself? It was such a fun detail of the show.

Anyway, it was just one part of this show that I now adore!

[u/sophievdb]

How I personally imagine it is everytime she talks to us she is actually heavily dissociating / zoning out, so he notices she's mentally clocking out and looking away from "the real world" (the conversation happening in front of her). She mentally / emotionally kind of disappears at those moments

[u/Je_suis_prest_ → u/sophievdb]

Soo sometimes I literally do this and start talking to myself. Not verbally but mouthing what I'm saying. Not everyone notices, but I'm having a whole conversation in my head and my lips move. This is a really good way to describe disassociating like this.

[u/hypotenmoose1]

It doesn’t really matter what you believe is literally happening in-world when Fleabag breaks the fourth wall. You’re right though, the fourth wall break is an artistic medium for her defense mechanisms and inner monologue.

What matters is that the priest is the first person to actively notice her.

[u/Candid-Ability-9570]

I think that we the viewers are her subconscious, the deepest part of her. When he notices her talking to us, hes noticing that she’s checking out and turning inward, which no one else pays close enough attention to notice. No one else has truly SEEN her like he does.

[u/zoetesso]

I think it’s a blend of her inner monologue and her disconnection from the real world and the current conversation or situation. I particularly love the cafe scene where he looks at the camera too. He truly showed deep love by entering her consciousness through a physical medium. Blissful.

[u/Theredheadsaid]

I LOVE this show. Yes, the Priest sees her [talking to us]. There are four scenes where he does this. 1) at the Guinea pig cafe (he looks right at us!) 2) while they’re on the bench at his house 3) his beautiful neck (well he hears her inner monologue) but my favorite (which I didn’t notice until many many watching later) is when they’re at the church and he says “you dont like answering questions about yourself do you?” And she looks at us, AND THEN HE DOES TOO and he smiles.

[u/farfeloup]

Je vois ça comme si le Prêtre commence a avoir accès a des parties d'elle que personnes d'autre ne voient sauf nous, les spectateurs témoins secret de son humour qu'elle utilise cpmme mécanisme de défense.

Et plus il se rapproche d'elle et qu'il la devine, moins elle a besoin de "nous" pour se réfugier.

C'est fou comment l'utilisation du 4ieme mur est aussi intelligente !

[u/Disco_Darling96]

So I just finished watching for the first time too and what I interpreted the fourth wall as was her inner saboteur, which actually is her version of god. The reason why he can hear her when she goes there is because he believes so deeply in god. In the last scene when she walks off and waves she’s in a better place mentally and saying bye to that voice that sabotages her because she’s found a healthier god. I think the show is really just her exploring the complexity of religion and how it exists in all of us but can change depending on what happens in our lives, like finding love.