Yes, I know, I’m late to this one (by years), but I don’t have a lot of time to watch new shows in between law school and . . . well, law school. When I do find the time for a new show, it better be phenomenal.
I’ve recently finished the first seasons of The Good Place and The Handmaid’s tale, both of which are so-so-so good, but since they’re still in progress I’ll save my thoughts on them for separate posts.
Now to The Fall and why it’s such a big win for me. I’ll add the spoiler tag for anyone who’s as late as me.
Couple things to spark your interest: (1) Gillian Anderson is brilliant, as usual, and if you loved her in The X-Files, you’ll love her here too. Albeit, this character is darker and grittier than Scully. (2) It’s a crime drama, a deliciously, thrilling crime drama. Even if it’s not your typical genre, it’s worth a watch for reason #1 and #3. (3) ALL THE FEMINISM. I REPEAT: ALL THE FUCKING FEMINISM.
SPOILER ALERT
Gillian Anderson stars as DSI Stella Gibson (a.k.a. badass boss-lady), brought in from London to investigate a spree of murders in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It’s not your regular crime drama where every episode revolves around a new mystery to solve. The Fall is only three seasons and it centers around Stella and her team’s attempt to discover, apprehend, and prosecute the killer. SPOILER: we - the audience - already know who the killer is from the get-go, but watching Stella figure it out still keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Stella’s character is powerful. She’s competent, confident, and unwilling to fit herself into the box all men in the show try to put her in as a woman (many times over). And when I say this, I don’t mean that the writers try “too hard” to write in sexism as a plot device. It’s subtle, but not subtle. That’s the magic. It’s the real world shit. Her sexuality is repeatedly questioned in the quiet way that seems “normal” for women; questions that Stella knows, and often voices, men don’t have to answer. But it’s not just her sexuality being questioned - it’s her ability to do her job as a woman. Despite rarely showing any weakness and always being on top of her game with the help (and sometimes, hindrance) of her team, her male co-workers still express the need - and the desire - to “manage” her. To possess her.
She’s the strong female lead I love seeing: she never questions herself. I see so many strong, female characters written as the type who, although they often eventually pull through, turn their male colleagues’ innate mistrust inward toward themselves, highlighting and building on their insecurities. Stella ain’t having none of it.
She said it best: “We've chosen to work in a masculine, paramilitary, patriarchal culture. Let's not let it beat us.”
