Done with feeling like an outcast in a city of size zeros, Alicia Kettle (nicknamed Plum because she’s so “succulent and round”) is ready to transform her body with a dangerous stomach-stapling surgery—but Plum’s transformation journey doesn’t exactly follow the path she expects it to.
Although funny and relatable, Dietland is sending a serious message about weight stigma and sexual violence against women in the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp. It’s starting a conversation that’s been long overdue, and doesn’t shy away from the serious stuff—from sexual assault, to fat-shaming, eating disorders and mental illness. The damaging effect that unrealistic beauty standards have on women is a huge theme (the opening credits even change the name to “Die Land”), and although she can be hilariously sassy at times, some really messed up things come out of magazine mogul Kitty Montgomery’s mouth—like how being caught eating is so terrible for “optics”.
TFW someone starts telling you about their day. #Dietland pic.twitter.com/VJG3BFmbQl
— Dietland (@DietlandAMC) June 12, 2018
Although many of the scenes are dark, there’s moments of hope sprinkled in—like when women in a grocery store band together against a man blatantly harassing a woman in line, or Verena Baptist’s attempts to get Plum to accept herself the way she is. But the best parts of the show have to be when Plum’s loveable personality shines through to gives us some seriously relatable moments.
Here are five scenes from episode three of Dietland that had us saying “me AF.”
1. Plum totally feeling herself before she went out
Feeling absolutely amazing strutting around the apartment before going out? Me AF.
Even though it’s a dream (or maybe a hallucination from her detox), Plum is feeling ~fine~ and isn’t going to let anyone bring her down—not even the creepy fashion photographer that somehow shows up in her dream.
When the Instagram filter hits you *just* right. #Dietland pic.twitter.com/knSfLeJ20b
— Dietland (@DietlandAMC) June 12, 2018
5. Watching heavily made up women taking a selfie in the street
“Return of the glamazons…” It’s fashion week, beautifully dressed women are everywhere, and Plum is not amused.
It’s the look of pure annoyance that we all know so well. If this isn’t your exact reaction when people take selfies in the middle of the street, then you’re lying to yourself.
3. “I’ll juice with you about everything after”
Nothing’s more millennial than juicing, and Plum promising to “juice” with her best friend about all the Jennifer conspiracy theories after she withdraws from her medicine (aside from the withdrawal part) sounds eerily similar to us and our friends.
Just like hour-long coffee dates to spill the details on everything that’s happened since we last saw each other, juice and gossip dates is pretty much the same, if not better.
4. Watching the animal channel (aside from the detoxing part)
“At least I was safe in my apartment with my nature documentaries” says Plum when she can’t seem to escape from her detox hallucinations. Although that’s not a regular thing for most of us, who doesn’t watch Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel when they’re feeling sad? Those adorable creatures can fix anything.
#Dietland is GRRRRREAT! Join the revolution this Monday at 9/8c! pic.twitter.com/s5dN578M1v
— Dietland (@DietlandAMC) June 9, 2018
5. Plum saying the FBI agent isn’t her “type”
Too afraid to take a risk and try to get to know him (which is a good thing considering he’s both pretty creepy and married), she uses the excuse that he’s not her type….even though she’s only dated one other guy ever. And her best friend telling her to go for it, “You’ve only dated one person. Singular. You have no idea what your type is.”
If that doesn’t sound like us and our best friends then we don’t know what does.