Ride or Die was everything. Spoilers incoming.
I have loved Thelma and Louise for a very long time, but have always wished it could have ended differently. This show fucking GAVE ME THAT and IT WAS GLORIOUS.
The thing that sets this apart from something like, say, the new Supergirl (which I enjoyed, but wanted more from) is that it puts women as the protagonists of gender neutral stories.
In Supergirl, she's saving a bunch of young women from being trafficked as breeding units. In Ride or Die, yes, Debbie has a shit husband who's decided he can cope without her, but the whole central plot about being on the run from the mob and trying to recover stolen millions? Women almost never get to do that, but somehow it happens to men all the time.
There are ways and ways to tell stories of female empowerment. Supergirl got derided as woke and review bombed by incels because the film's plot was essentially "Men bad, women good". And it's not to say that plot isn't true, or even relatable, but women can do so much more than save other women. When do they get to have stakes on the level of saving the world?
The stakes in Ride or Die aren't quite on the world-saving level, but they feel pretty fucking consequential. Debbie helps send corrupt politicians to prison, Judith learns that someone actually loves her after a lifetime of emotional abuse. And they drive off a cliff with another car attached to theirs via a harpoon gun and the female antagonist dies in a fireball. And in a truly wonderful one-upping of Thelma and Louise, they bail out at the last second. They win and they live. It's a goddamn breath of fresh air to see two women doing that.
And for the most part, all the main characters in this show are competent, both men and women. Yes, Judith is the highly-trained arse kicker, but Debbie is so smart and so brave. It's so refreshing for the stereotypically sheltered and square character to bring just as much to the table. They complement each other brilliantly. And Debbie takes to a life of crime like a duck to water.
And on top of all that, the plot is satisfying, it's funny, moving and gripping. My only quibble is with the first episode where they try a little too hard to establish that they're besties. But once they stop trying to make us believe it, we just get to watch Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer being brilliant and the friendship automatically feels real.
And there are terrible men in this: awful husbands and abusive father figures. But there are competent, supportive and empathetic men too. There's nuance and depth.
I really hope we get a second season. It's one of the best things I've watched all year.
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