TV Shows/Movies with female protagonists.

[hafital]

I've been thinking. About a lot of things, so let's pick one, shall we? Strong female characters. Where are they and why aren't there more of them? What do I mean by "strong" anyway? I had more thinky thoughts about it, and then my work day got in the way. So annoying

Comments

[cyberducks]

I really like Deb and Rita from Dexter - some people find them annoying and whiny, but I like them because they seem like real women to me.

also, the women from Deadwood, Alma, Martha and Trixie.

Kate and Philippa Somerville from the Lymond Chronicles.

George from The State Within

all the women in State of Play

there are more, but my brain is not cooperating.

[hafital]

I really need to restart my Deadwood watching. I thought of those women when making this list, for sure. Especially Alma. :D

One day I will watch Dexter.

[yahtzee63]

FWIW, though Sydney was the victim of a lot of people's decisions, I thought she always had a lot of agency and power in the series, even from the get-go. And you had a sense of her as having a fulfilling life in many areas, and though her job sometimes got in the way due to time, you never once heard anybody utter any crap about how her work ruined her as a woman. (She worried about it ruining her as a person, but that's different, and that particular fear applied to most of the characters, save the ones who knew themselves already ruined.) I loved that nobody ever asked Sydney to compromise who she was or wished for her to be less strong.

[hafital]

I think I should not have used the word "victim" for Sydney. I also love that Sydney kept going to school, etc etc. You're totally right about Sydney had plenty of agency.

[popfantastic]

YAY, I love these ladies.

And the issues I think people have with Kathryn Janeway -- the parts where she comes off as unbalanced, which often seem more like careless and/or inconsistent writing than a true craziness inherent in the character -- made the show more interesting to me. I don't need my strong female characters to be right or perfect in their strength or how they exercise it.

[hafital]

Yeah, I know a lot of people thought she was unbalanced, and the complaint about the writing, not only with her but with everyone. Certainly the show struggles at the end -- although, rewatching, so far I think season 7 isn't that bad, actually, but season 6 is dreadfully boring.

*shrug* It totally made the show more interesting for me, too!

I don't need my strong female characters to be right or perfect in their strength or how they exercise it.

Exactly!

[teresa_c]

I remember in the early nineties, strong female characters on TV were extremely thin on the ground. Gillian Anderson landed pretty much the only female lead role who was competent and professional, and not just as a label so that when she tripped and fell the hero was saving a competent professional (which is how most shows handled "strong" women up 'til then). I saw her interviewed after getting the role of Scully, and she was very aware that Scully was the only new part on TV at the time that qualified as a strong woman.

[hafital]

Oh! I can't believe I forgot Scully. She should totally be on the list. :D

[moonprincessnat]

Brenda Lee Johnson from The Closer. She's very determined and almost always right at work, but in her personal life she's a bit of a mess. Still, she manages to muddle through.

[hafital]

Oh yes. I've heard a lot of great things about that show and I've always loved Kyra. Thanks for bringing that up. Perfect. I'll definitely be checking that out.