ig Mood is a British dark comedy-drama series that follows the intertwined lives of Maggie and Eddie, two best friends who have shared a close bond for over a decade. Their relationship, which has been a source of joy and mutual support through various ups and downs, now faces a new set of challenges.

Maggie, played by Nicola Coughlan, has been managing bipolar disorder, a condition that complicates her life in deeply personal ways. As she hits a particularly difficult period, the stability she and Eddie once shared begins to crack under the strain of her mental health struggles.

The storyline centres on the impact of Maggie’s mental health on their friendship, bringing into focus the intricate interplay of dependency, care and emotional boundaries. Lydia West plays Eddie, who has always been Maggie’s loyal anchor. However, Eddie begins to feel the weight of this dynamic more than ever before. Eddie finds herself questioning the long-term viability of her role in Maggie’s life. Her own emotional resilience is beginning to wane, making her doubts more pressing. The tension builds as Maggie’s bipolar episodes, marked by manic highs and depressive lows, force both women to reconsider the parameters of their friendship.

As the series progresses, Eddie’s dilemma mirrors the universal struggle of knowing where to draw the line between helping someone and preserving one’s own mental health. Eddie is supportive and empathetic, but she faces the difficult realisation that friendship can sometimes become a draining responsibility. The show offers a nuanced depiction of Eddie’s internal battle, stressing the emotional burden that long-term caregiving can impose, even on someone who truly cares. Maggie, in turn, begins to sense that her reliance on Eddie is becoming unsustainable. It prompts both women to confront the possibility that their friendship may not survive if Eddie steps back.

Big Mood provides a layered depiction of friendship tested by life’s unpredictable turns, using humour and poignant moments to capture the emotional complexity of mental health. Through Maggie’s character, the show gives a respectful and brilliant portrayal of bipolar disorder, showing how it can affect personal relationships and self-image. Coughlan’s performance as Maggie is magnetic, illustrating both her character’s charm and the heavy burden she carries. Maggie is neither pitied nor romanticized. Instead, the show allows her the agency of a multidimensional character finding her way through reality.

Big Mood steers clear of easy resolutions or idealised depictions of friendship, favouring instead an honest approach that resonates with viewers who may have faced similar setbacks in their own relationships. 

The friendship between Maggie and Eddie is given ample room to evolve as they confront this difficult chapter. While Maggie’s trials are at the core of the narrative, the series does an equally strong job of shedding light on Eddie’s experience, making clear that caretaking within a friendship can lead to guilt, frustration and emotional burnout. Through Eddie’s eyes, viewers see the often unspoken cost of staying committed to a friend dealing with a mental health disorder. The show handles these themes without moralising, offering a balanced view that respects both characters’ perspectives and the difficult decisions they face.

Big Mood steers clear of easy resolutions or idealised depictions of friendship, favouring instead an honest approach that resonates with viewers who may have faced similar setbacks in their own relationships. Camilla Whitehill’s script smoothly handles heavy topics without becoming overly grim or sentimental. The balance of light and dark makes the series both engaging and relatable, a story about friendship that is not afraid of its rough edges. Coughlan and West bring gripping chemistry to their roles, creating a believable and touching portrait of a friendship that has weathered storms but now finds itself facing a breaking point.

At its heart, Big Mood questions the idealised notion of friendship by showing how the realities of mental illness can irrevocably shape it. The series confronts the difficult, often overlooked emotional costs of supporting someone with a mood disorder. Instead of offering neat resolutions, it leaves viewers with the uneasy truth that sometimes the most supportive relationships are the ones where the boundaries become blurred and the strain becomes undeniable.

Unlike many shows that lean into melodrama or exaggeration, Big Mood offers a grounded and honest portrayal, which is what makes it so compelling. For fans of Fleabag, Normal People, or Spinning Out, this show is highly recommended for its raw and authentic take on mental health and complex relationships.

The author is a freelance contributor