Where to begin with Insatiable? Initially you could be fooled into thinking it's a quirky teen drama full of comedic high school moments and, in part, it is. However, there's a much darker side to Insatiable which is utterly compelling, drawing you in to the bonkers world the show is set it. The premise is that Patty is an overweight teenager who struggles at school, enduring bullying on a daily basis. One night, after a particularly embarrassing incident she gets in an argument and ends up being punched in the face, getting her jaw broken in the process. Fast forward three months and with her jaw no longer wired shut, Patty has shed the extra pounds and looks amazing.
On the other side of town lives Bob Armstrong, a reasonably successful lawyer who has a sideline as a beauty queen pageant coach. But when his main client loses a contest, her mother accuses him of inappropriate behaviour and Armstrong's reputation is in tatters. Now, three months on, Armstrong takes on Patty as a client to defend her in the case that resulted in her getting a punch in the face. But when he meets her he sees his chance to get back into the beauty pageant world and so begins a friendship based on both of their needs to seek revenge and redemption.
Now I appreciate that all sounds very heavy but the show couldn't be further from that. Yes, there are some serious moments and you do genuinely empathise with the two lead characters, who through no fault of their own, have found themselves seriously questioning their own self-worth, but it's done in such a funny and unique way that it's more satirical than dramatic.
Kudos has to go to the cast who play their parts brilliantly. Debby Ryan plays Patty with Dallas Roberts (The Good Wife, Unforgettable) as Bob Armstrong but it's the supporting cast made up of Alyssa Milano, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Kimmy Shields that really bring the show to life. It definitely has it's critics with many taking exception to the premise and insisting that it fat shames. I don't agree with that theory. In fact, I think the complete opposite and those who furiously feed the social media machine of outrage have missed the satirical point completely. That despite being exactly the same person, Patty was shunned for being over weight and idolised for being skinny which is hugely problematic in today's society and Insatiable shines a light on that double standard. Beautiful does not equal thin and thin does not equal happiness and Insatiable does that really well.
