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Skinny Girl in Transit broke my heart by taking a long hiatus but I quietly nursed my wounds and moved on. So when they announced this year that they would be releasing season 7, I rolled my eyes, thinking “You people should stop stressing me, I’ve moved on.” But have I, really? Absolutely not! Because immediately episode 1 went live on YouTube, I rushed to watch it.
I have watched Skinny Girl in Transit over the years for a couple of reasons – it’s an easy watch, chill, comedic, filled with drama, and the best part? Romantic. Damn, Mide has my heart. But season 7 has been different so far. Beyond all those reasons, I am seeing, in real-time, how Skinny Girl in Transit is slowly metamorphosing from a cute romantic drama series into one that is not shying away from tough but important conversations. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying SGIT has not been addressing issues – after all, fat-shaming, office bullying and politics, the pressure of marriage, and violence against women are some of the themes that have been explored and addressed before season 7. But this time around, it’s refreshingly different and, *stealing the Gen-Z lingo*, it’s giving. It’s taking unexpected turns and certain laudable character development – I mean, look at Shalewa’s growth – while not veering from the fairytale romance between Mide and Tiwa.
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When Didi said she didn’t want a baby, I was shocked. Of all the characters in SGIT, never did I think Didi would be the one to say she didn’t want kids. Her affable nature, laughter, and mannerisms all screamed “mother”. When she told Tiwa she loved children but didn’t want any of her own, I thought “Oh, come off it, Didi.” But then, I thought about it for a while – what about Didi gave me the impression that she wanted to be a mother? When did geniality, laughter and joviality become traits of motherhood? And these are the kinds of debates I’ve been having within me since I started watching SGIT season 7. Like asking myself why I thought Derin was simply kidding when she started her search for a sperm donor. Unlike Didi, she is cold, surly, condescending and very aloof; she doesn’t look like an ideal mother. If Derin had said she didn’t want a child, I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. And if Didi had said she wanted 5 kids, it would have been on brand for her. And that was another bias I had to question – the idea that motherhood looks a certain way or that women who want to be mothers had to be a certain way. There’s a multifacetedness of motherhood and womanhood that is not being talked about enough. I believe it is also beautiful that Derin is looking for a sperm donor. Although she’s gotten to a point where she’s realised she doesn’t want to raise a child all by herself, it is important, in today’s world, to ‘normalise’ having a child how we deem fit, outside the confines of traditional, cultural, and societal norms and expectations. So be it through IVF, surrogacy, sperm donor or whatever legal means, there is no shame in wanting and having a child all by yourself as long as you are capable of taking care of and providing for the child. And, no, I don’t mean only financially; parenthood is far beyond that.
I love how Skinny Girl in Transit is exploring issues of love and relationships too. On one hand, we have young Shalewa who is growing into herself and embracing single life – a major character development from the Shalewa who depended on men for her emotional needs and to help validate her place in this world. Her character shows it’s okay to step back from romantic love to see yourself more clearly. She’s going to therapy, she’s volunteering, she’s working on herself. She’s that girl! And please, Mohammed, I need you to leave her alone.
Then there’s Aunty Dupe who found love – however short – at that age. And Derin… okay, let’s see if Dewunmi is up to any good. But, you know, it’s refreshing to see how people of all ages can find love. We live in a time when so many people are scared of not finding love. Or that it’d be too late before they find their person. But I have always held a strong opinion that love will eventually find us all, 25 or 55. There’s enough love and romance in the world to go round and you’ll find your person. I believe Charles is Aunty Dupe’s person and even though he’s broken up with her, I can’t wait to see how the coming episodes navigate their love story and even explore other themes.
I’ll say I’m loving this season. I’m here for the woke characters, learning, entertainment, checking my biases and questioning my opinion on these matters.
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