Women on TV: Three Shows I'm Watching
This entry moves from gushing to contemplative and critical to critical. This is an entry comprised mostly of pop culture critique along political lines, specifically around issues of sex and race. If that is not fun for you, or you don't think that's a worthwhile use of fannish energy, you should skip this entry.
This entry includes spoilers for all aired episodes of all three of these shows.
Rizzoli and Isles
Have you ever watched a buddy cop show and thought, "If only this were about women"? If so, Rizzoli & Isles is the show for you. Angie Harmon plays detective Jane Rizzoli while Sasha Alexander is medical examiner Maura Isles. Together, they solve cases. They're also the kind of buddy cops who are practically married. They go undercover in a lesbian bar in season one and pretend to be together (unfortunately badly) in season two. They bicker and talk about fashion and facts and people. The show also does a fantastic job of including Jane's family. And I like the male cops. My two favorite things from this season: 1. Jane's parents are getting divorced. Her mom needs a place to stay, so of course she moves into Maura's guesthouse. 2. Jane's brother Tommy gets out of jail and hangs around for a while. At one point, he and Maura play an all-night game of chess that gets interrupted by a murder Jane and Maura have to go investigate. At the end of the episode, Jane makes the move that wins the game and tells Maura, "Who do you think taught him?" when Maura's surprised that she knows how to play. Totally a set up for how perfect they are for each other!
Haven
Earlier this year, norwich36 linked me to an anonymous thread about shows with strong women characters to catch up on over the summer. Haven was one of them, so I started watching it. I was fascinated by how many people commented back about it when I tweeted about it, particularly for a show I'd never even heard of before. It's really good. Those of you reading this might also like it: the lead character is a woman, and there's a fantastic slash pairing. (Nate/Duke forever! Where is my story where they're exes?) But in the context of this post, what I want to talk about is how Audrey is interestingly nonsexual and nonsexualized, which is not something you see in women on TV. In the first season, the show keeps trying to set up a Nathan-Audrey-Duke love triangle, which is thwarted in large part by the fact that Audrey just doesn't go there. She never seems particularly interested in either of them, and the attraction they have to her doesn't really hit a sexual level (despite Duke undressing her on first meeting). In the second season, she briefly has a boyfriend who she sleeps with. I'm not sure what we're supposed to think about this for her, but I found Audrey very nonsexual even in a sexual relationship. I'm not sure how to explain it. She seems very grounded in her work, and she's clearly fond of all three men (Nathan, Duke, boyfriend), but none of it feels like sex on the screen. Even now that she and Nathan are having a little kissing and flirtation, it still seems very innocent, for lack of a better word. It's entirely possible this has nothing to do with the character (although: is there a story out there where she's an angel?) and everything to do with the actress.
All of that said, I still really want Duke/Nathan/Audrey fic. I haven't gone looking for it since novembersmith's Cold Light was pretty much exactly what I wanted, but if you find anything else worth reading, send me a rec!
I was going to leave this section of this entry there, but as I was still working on it, the show did something that needs a harsher critique. At the beginning of season two, they introduced Evi, who shocked characters and audience alike when she introduced herself as Duke's wife. Evi used to run cons and other illegal dealings with Duke, and as the season went on, we learned that she knew more about the Troubles - and Duke's place in them - than she was letting on. We also learned she was in contact with the Rev. Duke finds this out when they're quarantined in the police station. Evi runs out into the street and yells at the Rev's men that he has to tell Duke the truth or she will. They kill her, which sends Duke to try to ally with the Rev in an effort to get the truth from him. At the end of the next episode, Audrey kills the Rev. Now, it's bad enough that they fridged Evie to advance a plot point they didn't really follow through on, but what makes it worse is that Evi was the only Black woman - indeed the only recurring character of color - on the show. In my heart of hearts, I hope they killed her off because the actress got another, better job, but I suspect it's really just another example of the sexism and racism that pervade the TV landscape. I'm deeply invested in Audrey's emotional journey, but this left the very sour taste of disappointment in my mouth.
Suits
In case you haven't noticed, I love Suits. The plot is stupid and gets in the way of a really fun show, but the fun stuff is enough to make up for it. My strategy has been to watch it once, and then only watch the fun parts again. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about women, so let's talk about the women on Suits. Parts of fandom (including me) are very excited about the women: Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson, lawyer whose name is in the firm name and who got Harvey out of the mail room and into law school in some fashion we haven't been made privy to yet; Sarah Rafferty as Donna, Harvey's fantastic assistant who gets all the best lines; Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane, paralegal who's smarter than most of the firm but with test-taking anxiety that's keeping her from taking the LSATs; and Vanessa Ray as Jenny, Mike's best friend Trevor's girlfriend who later becomes Mike's girlfriend. (Okay, fandom isn't as fond of Jenny. I think there are strong possibilities for some interesting stories there, but fandom's "OH MY GOD A WOMAN" thing means no one's likely to write them.)
But what I haven't seen yet (largely because I haven't gone looking for Suits conversation outside of the two email threads I'm on) is any discussion of the ways in which the show's portrayal of women is problematic. I think there's a layer of sexism on the show that's particularly insidious precisely because it's under the surface. The obvious element is the part where even though there are strong female characters, they aren't the main characters. Our protagonists are still men. (And still straight, white, able-bodied cismen between the ages of 18 and 40 at that.)
Secondly, let's talk about the look. While Suits definitely gets points for not populating its world solely with white women, their body types and looks are still very conventionally attractive - and this goes for all guest stars as well as the core female characters. The women connected to the law firm are additionally styled similarly - dresses or skirt suits, generally designed to underscore their femininity. Jenny as a free agent (and wouldn't I love to know what she does) gets to escape this on occasion and wear jeans.
And then there's the sex. In episode seven, Harvey sleeps with Scotty, who he's known since Harvard, and Mike sleeps with Jenny. Harvey and Scotty slap down their file folders and pens, and then Harvey picks her up and they pause with him holding her against the wall before suggesting they use the bed since they have one for a change. Mike and Jenny kiss, pull at each other's shirts, and then she leaps on him and he carries her to the bed. I can't figure out if the sex scenes are deliberately parallel to show us that Mike and Harvey are alike, or if they're that way because that's how the showrunners think sex is/should be. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, and I'm all for people being held up against a wall for sexual purposes, but these scenes don't live in isolation. They're part of a broader culture that is already dictating physical ideals to us. What it really reminds me of is Nomy Lamm's "It's A Big Fat Revolution" where she talks about the messages we absorb from the sizeist/fat hating culture around us, one of which is "I will never fall in love because I cannot be picked up and swung around in circles."
This entry includes spoilers for all aired episodes of all three of these shows.
Rizzoli and Isles
Have you ever watched a buddy cop show and thought, "If only this were about women"? If so, Rizzoli & Isles is the show for you. Angie Harmon plays detective Jane Rizzoli while Sasha Alexander is medical examiner Maura Isles. Together, they solve cases. They're also the kind of buddy cops who are practically married. They go undercover in a lesbian bar in season one and pretend to be together (unfortunately badly) in season two. They bicker and talk about fashion and facts and people. The show also does a fantastic job of including Jane's family. And I like the male cops. My two favorite things from this season: 1. Jane's parents are getting divorced. Her mom needs a place to stay, so of course she moves into Maura's guesthouse. 2. Jane's brother Tommy gets out of jail and hangs around for a while. At one point, he and Maura play an all-night game of chess that gets interrupted by a murder Jane and Maura have to go investigate. At the end of the episode, Jane makes the move that wins the game and tells Maura, "Who do you think taught him?" when Maura's surprised that she knows how to play. Totally a set up for how perfect they are for each other!
Haven
Earlier this year, norwich36 linked me to an anonymous thread about shows with strong women characters to catch up on over the summer. Haven was one of them, so I started watching it. I was fascinated by how many people commented back about it when I tweeted about it, particularly for a show I'd never even heard of before. It's really good. Those of you reading this might also like it: the lead character is a woman, and there's a fantastic slash pairing. (Nate/Duke forever! Where is my story where they're exes?) But in the context of this post, what I want to talk about is how Audrey is interestingly nonsexual and nonsexualized, which is not something you see in women on TV. In the first season, the show keeps trying to set up a Nathan-Audrey-Duke love triangle, which is thwarted in large part by the fact that Audrey just doesn't go there. She never seems particularly interested in either of them, and the attraction they have to her doesn't really hit a sexual level (despite Duke undressing her on first meeting). In the second season, she briefly has a boyfriend who she sleeps with. I'm not sure what we're supposed to think about this for her, but I found Audrey very nonsexual even in a sexual relationship. I'm not sure how to explain it. She seems very grounded in her work, and she's clearly fond of all three men (Nathan, Duke, boyfriend), but none of it feels like sex on the screen. Even now that she and Nathan are having a little kissing and flirtation, it still seems very innocent, for lack of a better word. It's entirely possible this has nothing to do with the character (although: is there a story out there where she's an angel?) and everything to do with the actress.
All of that said, I still really want Duke/Nathan/Audrey fic. I haven't gone looking for it since novembersmith's Cold Light was pretty much exactly what I wanted, but if you find anything else worth reading, send me a rec!
I was going to leave this section of this entry there, but as I was still working on it, the show did something that needs a harsher critique. At the beginning of season two, they introduced Evi, who shocked characters and audience alike when she introduced herself as Duke's wife. Evi used to run cons and other illegal dealings with Duke, and as the season went on, we learned that she knew more about the Troubles - and Duke's place in them - than she was letting on. We also learned she was in contact with the Rev. Duke finds this out when they're quarantined in the police station. Evi runs out into the street and yells at the Rev's men that he has to tell Duke the truth or she will. They kill her, which sends Duke to try to ally with the Rev in an effort to get the truth from him. At the end of the next episode, Audrey kills the Rev. Now, it's bad enough that they fridged Evie to advance a plot point they didn't really follow through on, but what makes it worse is that Evi was the only Black woman - indeed the only recurring character of color - on the show. In my heart of hearts, I hope they killed her off because the actress got another, better job, but I suspect it's really just another example of the sexism and racism that pervade the TV landscape. I'm deeply invested in Audrey's emotional journey, but this left the very sour taste of disappointment in my mouth.
Suits
In case you haven't noticed, I love Suits. The plot is stupid and gets in the way of a really fun show, but the fun stuff is enough to make up for it. My strategy has been to watch it once, and then only watch the fun parts again. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about women, so let's talk about the women on Suits. Parts of fandom (including me) are very excited about the women: Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson, lawyer whose name is in the firm name and who got Harvey out of the mail room and into law school in some fashion we haven't been made privy to yet; Sarah Rafferty as Donna, Harvey's fantastic assistant who gets all the best lines; Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane, paralegal who's smarter than most of the firm but with test-taking anxiety that's keeping her from taking the LSATs; and Vanessa Ray as Jenny, Mike's best friend Trevor's girlfriend who later becomes Mike's girlfriend. (Okay, fandom isn't as fond of Jenny. I think there are strong possibilities for some interesting stories there, but fandom's "OH MY GOD A WOMAN" thing means no one's likely to write them.)
But what I haven't seen yet (largely because I haven't gone looking for Suits conversation outside of the two email threads I'm on) is any discussion of the ways in which the show's portrayal of women is problematic. I think there's a layer of sexism on the show that's particularly insidious precisely because it's under the surface. The obvious element is the part where even though there are strong female characters, they aren't the main characters. Our protagonists are still men. (And still straight, white, able-bodied cismen between the ages of 18 and 40 at that.)
Secondly, let's talk about the look. While Suits definitely gets points for not populating its world solely with white women, their body types and looks are still very conventionally attractive - and this goes for all guest stars as well as the core female characters. The women connected to the law firm are additionally styled similarly - dresses or skirt suits, generally designed to underscore their femininity. Jenny as a free agent (and wouldn't I love to know what she does) gets to escape this on occasion and wear jeans.
And then there's the sex. In episode seven, Harvey sleeps with Scotty, who he's known since Harvard, and Mike sleeps with Jenny. Harvey and Scotty slap down their file folders and pens, and then Harvey picks her up and they pause with him holding her against the wall before suggesting they use the bed since they have one for a change. Mike and Jenny kiss, pull at each other's shirts, and then she leaps on him and he carries her to the bed. I can't figure out if the sex scenes are deliberately parallel to show us that Mike and Harvey are alike, or if they're that way because that's how the showrunners think sex is/should be. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, and I'm all for people being held up against a wall for sexual purposes, but these scenes don't live in isolation. They're part of a broader culture that is already dictating physical ideals to us. What it really reminds me of is Nomy Lamm's "It's A Big Fat Revolution" where she talks about the messages we absorb from the sizeist/fat hating culture around us, one of which is "I will never fall in love because I cannot be picked up and swung around in circles."