To understand what one is getting into before watching Such Brave Girls, we recommend that you look up Kat Sadler’s interpretation of the story. She is the writer of the series and the one who plays Josie. It is a brilliant show through and through, and the pointlessness of its trauma is recognized and elevated through the perfectly comic writing. The following is a recap and ending of Such Brave Girls.
Spoiler Alert
Why is Josie with Seb?
Josie has depression, and she was recently released from the psych ward after an episode. What Josie went through hasn’t been discussed as much, but we are treated to a fair number of jokes at her expense. Essentially, Josie’s family doesn’t like her. They believe that she has the aura of a grim reaper, and no matter what she does, it is not good enough. Billie mentions that she and their absentee father used to bond over how much they did not like Josie.
Perhaps it all started with the fact that Josie was born due to an unplanned pregnancy. Deb went on to give birth to her, and she also had to marry Josie’s father. From the looks of it, it wasn’t a happy marriage. Deb resented being with the same man for so long, though it is a different thing that he walked out on them ten years ago. Deb has since been fending for the family alone, and a huge part of her coping mechanism has been to blame Josie for the troubles. Josie knows that it is not her fault, but she doesn’t fight her family over their hurtful comments. Josie clearly states that she is scared of confrontation, but with time, we realize that she is scared of feelings themselves. Before getting admitted to the psych ward, Josie was seeing a boy named Seb, who is still obsessed with her. Josie has since realized that she is a lesbian, though her family is in denial of it. Josie meets a girl named Sid and immediately likes her. It also helps that this is probably the first girl who is not put off by Josie’s talk of sadness and tragedy, and these two bond over the traumas in their lives. Josie initially runs away from her because she makes her feel things, which is the last thing Josie wants. But with time and some unintentional encouragement, she is able to open up a little to Sid without wanting to run. Sid takes Josie home, where the latter meets Sid’s dad and misunderstands that the man wants to have inappropriate relations with his daughter. All of this because he was affectionate to her. Josie has literally never seen any affection in her life, so she interprets all kindness to mean something else. This is the end of Josie’s relationship with Sid.
As for Seb, Josie says that she likes him because he makes her feel nothing, which is her target. Seb is smitten by Josie, and he never questions the right or wrong of her actions. In fact, he twists them around to suit himself. Seb has never been with Josie in all the time they have spent together because she would literally burn her hand rather than take the trouble of being with him. But Seb still doesn’t get the hint. This suits Deb, who wants Josie to forget that she is a lesbian and pursue a relationship with Seb. According to Deb, being her true self would make Josie miserable. It is true that Josie is working in a tiny shop, so that doesn’t hint at high-income potential. Additionally, Deb strongly believes that if Josie keeps following her heart, it will continue to break, and she will just end up miserable. Therefore, in her misguided motherly efforts, she convinces Seb to propose to Josie and forces her daughter to accept.
Why is Billie obsessed with Nicky?
Billie is not a bright person, and she has largely coped with her father leaving by believing that he will come back with the tea bags he went to bring. She probably liked Nicky, but we don’t believe that she genuinely loved him. In Billie’s mind, Nicky’s leaving would establish the pattern that men always left her, so she clung to anything and everything that could keep Nicky by her side.
Billie doesn’t care about her safety or health as long as Nicky keeps coming back to her. This is why she bleaches her hair and then proceeds to think about keeping the baby since it could convince Nicky to be with her. However, the second she got the hint that Nicky would bolt if she was actually pregnant, she got an abortion. Billie even meets Bianca, the girl that Nicky was cheating on her with, and they end up bonding over him. The bonding gets a little deeper than they could have imagined, and it looks like Billie has figured out something about herself. She had previously insisted that she did not like being with men but did it because ‘that was love.’ Maybe she is the lesbian in the house. As for Josie, she was able to be with Seb when she traumatized him, so perhaps she is bisexual? But figuring this out is not the objective of the drama.
Is Dev really interested in Deb?
Dev is evidently still in love with his dead wife, Lisa, and he is getting over her with the help of Deb. Deb finds Dev extremely boring, but she had long decided that she would not love with ‘all of her heart’ so Dev is a good candidate who fits that philosophy. Deb is with him because he has a good house and is financially well-settled, which means that if they get married, then she would be able to live a comfortable life. However, Dev is a much smarter man. He doesn’t spend a single penny on Deb or her daughters, and for the most part, he doesn’t even pull his own weight. Sometimes, it looks like he is looking for his own way of trauma bonding. Or maybe he is seeking free therapy through Deb’s emotional labor instead of going to a professional. Deb is constantly annoyed that Dev is still hung up on his wife, but she doesn’t give up on the relationship because she is simply that desperate. Maybe Dev senses it, or maybe he doesn’t care, but he has become a part of Deb’s life.
Does the girls’ father come to the funeral?
The story starts with Deb and Dev’s relationship, and it is for this sake that Deb bonds with her daughters to whatever extent she does. Deb is waiting for her mother-in-law to die so that the little money they get from her can be used to get their car back. They get the news soon enough, and the only thing they are looking forward to at the funeral is that they will get to meet their long-lost husband and father. However, the moment they realize that he won’t show up, they get up and leave.
Her dad not showing up prompts Billie to go look for Nicky, where she also finds that Bianca has come for him. Both of them once again decided to unite against him, and they set out to confront him. They say that they don’t want to deal with him anymore and will never look back at him and walk away. Unknown to Billie, Bianca gets back in Nicky’s car, so maybe, just for Billie, there was a happy ending.
As for Josie, she is talking to her mother, and in a moment of clarity, her mother admits that she wants happiness for Josie. Therefore, they agree to leave Seb behind and drive away because the man could never make Josie happy. For a single moment, Deb even acknowledges that Josie is a lesbian, so there is a hidden victory there. Additionally, Deb is becoming hopeful that Dev is ready to include them in his family. After all, he had not paid for anything during the entire relationship, but that day, he offered to pay for petrol, though he asked for the money back later on. The women and Dev visit the fake grave of their father upon Dev’s request. Deb continues with her poise and pretense, but Billie and Josie make it a point to scream and kick at the grave. They know it is all a lie, but this is the only communication they will likely get with the man.
During Such Brave Girls‘ ending, Dev tells them that he ran into a man outside the bar who had come to the funeral but was scared to go inside because he did not want to face his children. Dev thinks it is a big joke, but Billie and Josie realize that their father has almost shown up after all. It makes them happy that he felt some accountability towards them instead of complete disregard. At that time, they see Seb outside the window. He has made his way back to the house and will haunt Josie for a while longer.
Final Thoughts
The comedy writing is golden in Such Brave Girls. There wasn’t a single dull moment, and Kat Sadler has proven that she is brilliant. It might come as a surprise that Lizzie Davidson, who plays Billie, is her real-life sister. To sum it up, this show is simply unmissable.
