The Fabulous Flop Era: Finding Comfort in Struggling Characters Who Seem a Little too Relatable

Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now, I’m in my flop era. The term “flop era” originated on stan Twitter, pointing to artists who are having a period in their career that lags. Flops now expand beyond struggling artists and exist in all realms of life. They feel lonely and unwanted. They don’t meet expectations. They can’t help but fall into patterns of self-sabotage and loathing.

Luckily for us, there are a few fab flops characters gracing our screens who can make our unfavorable experiences a bit more endurable.

Kendall Roy

“Succession”

Kendall Roy is proof that you can own a private jet and still struggle. If he can flop, so can we. Throughout three seasons of “Succession,” we’ve wearily watched the 40-year-old billionaire go through all the motions. For a mere moment, Kendall appears to have reached steady happiness, only for it to come crumbling down with the ring of a phone call in the boardroom. Kendall has transformed flopping into another one of his motions. Even when he shows glimmers of happiness, we still have an entire Instagram page dedicated to pictures of him looking sad.

He is the embodiment of people who seemingly have it all — fame, money, power — but he has to confront painful realities each night. After finally standing up to his controlling father, Kendall is still climbing his way out of his flop era, but he seems to be making some progress. In the “Succession” season three finale, Kendall hit a new low. In a moment the audience had been anxiously awaiting for since the show’s start, Kendall reached out to his siblings and admitted that he was “all apart.” Kendall realized that drugs, money and power would no longer alleviate his pain, he needed to seek comfort in those who would love him regardless.

We need to find the strength within ourselves to say we need help. Even though it may seem like we should have it all, with private chauffeurs or NYC penthouse views, we can still find ourselves flopping.

Connell Waldron

“Normal People”

Connell Waldron was the first character to make me feel seen amid the chaotic confusion that is college. The show “Normal People” begins with Connell as the star football player in high school, shyly turning away the countless girls who swoon over him. Once his time in college starts, so does his flop era. At Trinity College, Connell is no longer surrounded by people who worship him. Instead, he is suffocated by people he thinks are better than him. The feeling of inferiority manifests into a self-loathing induced breakdown, leaving Connell to cry in a university hallway, wrestling with himself to pinpoint where it all went wrong.

In a particularly poignant scene, Connell attends his first therapy session and tearfully explains his woes, saying he does not think anyone at college truly likes him. This was a raw and vulnerable moment –– one I had been needing to have myself.

We need to be honest about our emotions, even if it feels embarrassing to admit you feel alone. Connell thought he knew who he was, he was certain of his place within his friend group, but that certainty was snatched away. Connell taught an audience that it is normal to flop, especially after you once felt you had everything.

Kayla Day

“Eighth Grade”

I wish I could enter the world of “Eighth Grade” and tell Kayla just how much she means to me. Watching her grapple with the reality of life, all within the last week of the eighth grade, touched me. After officially reaching zero subscribers on her YouTube page and having a panic attack in the bathroom of a pool party, she came to the realization she would never be who she hoped she would be at the ripe age of 13. As a person who has often dreamed of fantasies that seldom come to fruition, this hit close to my heart.

When we fall short of our idealization of ourselves, we can feel like flops. Kayla comforts those of us who thought we would grow into someone different than who we are. She holds all of her hopes and dreams in a box labeled “to the coolest girl in the world,” filled with notes to the future Kayla and mementos of who she once was. After three years of growth and change from when she made the box, Kayla does not feel like the coolest girl in the world, she feels like a flop. She opts to burn the box. This ritual allows her to release herself from the burden of self-imposed expectations and comparisons.

We may feel like flops simply because we are not what our 12-year-old selves pictured. Our past versions had no idea what we would experience — good and bad — that would shape our sense of self. Although it was arriving later than she envisioned, Kayla’s prime was on its way. Her periods of self-doubt and anxiety would lead her to become someone who exceeded her original aspirations.

Regardless of how old we are, we need to do the same. Kindness and forgiveness are two things we need to give to ourselves more often. We make our past selves proud each day.

We rally around these flop characters, always hoping their next scene will bring them some peace of mind. So, whenever you feel like you’re flopping, just know you have fans crossing their fingers that the next season of your life will be a prosperous one.

Strike Out,

Writer: Charlotte Dwyer

Editor: Kate Corcoran

Graphics: Jordan Corina

Gainesville