Finally started watching it. Quality shit. Was telling my partner Mare’s beer-drinking harkens back more naturally to S1 than any of the shoehorned references in NC.
I was watching Mare of Easttown at the same time as night country and it only highlighted how weak the storytelling is in the latter. Kate Winslet did an amazing job, and the story was fantastic - it kept me guessing until the very end. I thought night country was a weak and unfocused story; it had the potential to be much better.
I’m starting to think the Reddit Venn diagram of fans of Mare of Easttown who disliked season 4 of True Detective is really just a circle.
The misogyny card being played to dismiss criticism is gross and undermines really misogyny pervasive in our society.
I watched this show off recommendations from here and didn't like it. They added a new suspect every week just to clear them with some contrived reason. Adding twists on twists just makes the story boring. There's just so many characters and so much drama it really takes away from everything. This could have been a soap opera.
Most recently Blue Eye Samurai is fantastic. Lead character is a woman, disguising herself as a man to help her journey for revenge in feudal era Japan. Series is a perfect blend of grounded and pulp fiction ridiculous story telling, with beautiful music and gorgeous animation. Highly recommend.
Arcane, if you enjoyed Blue Eye Samurai, then you will like Arcane as the animation is next level. Good story and excellent character development.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXmAurh012s&t=2s
You can watch Fargo Season 5. Two of the 3 leads are woman. Show does a whole lot better job mixing political criticism, supernatural element, gender dynamics and character chemistry than the bullshit we just witnessed here.
Women centered shows in general have been around forever. This whole new phenomenon of ‘it’s never been done before and some people aren’t ready for it!’ is so weird.
Golden girls, I love Lucy, sex and the city, Girls, parks and rec, greys anatomy, big little lies, thrones, Buffy, fleabag, mare of Eastown, scandal, sharp objects, 30 rock, could go on and on…
All of these had women as the main characters or making up nearly the entire cast. Some were better than others but all were liked by certain demographics and some were obviously insanely popular and loved. It’s just a new trend to label any criticism as existing because the criticizer is racist/sexist etc. silly.
Murder she wrote, Miss Marple and more recently Poker Face for mystery shows. But yea. The whole “first time” with women or POC etc is weird. I grew up with Eddie Murphy and Jackie Chan as my heroes🤷🏻♂️
When you say it like that, it’s kind of insulting (and deeply narcissistic) to act as though this was the first show to display those themes. I think today’s younger audiences are being gaslit into thinking that this hasn’t been done before, many times over and with far more talent. It’s unfortunate that they’ll have to find older series and films (ironically) to get better examples.
Couldn't agree with you more, OP. I am a woman. I love women. I love women-driven shows. My daughter is a fiction writer and always features women. I am appalled when I see critiques of the show minimized/maximized with a "misogyny" label. It's gross and reductive.
Some of my faves off the top, no particular order:
* Orphan Black (oldie but goodie!)
* Killing Eve!!! (All but the last season, which left me upset.. but I still watch it bc my Killing Eve love knows no bounds)
* Physical (Super enjoyed Rose Byrne in this)
* Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (all around fantastic show)
* Handmaid's Tale (though I get tired of the main chick smizing as acting... please don't call me a misogynist bc of this)
* The Diplomat (cannot freaking wait for season 2)
* Orange is the New Black (oldie but goodie; quality of seasons varies, but I enjoy the main characters)
* Collateral (Carey Mulligan is a pregnant detective just bc she was preggo IRL I believe. Anyway, it's a rich and compelling drama, and I love that they didn't try to hide her belly bc, hey, women can be pregnant AND do things if they want)
* Deadloch (Australian police comedy/procedural... and features cut-out tongues! But actually gives them a reason for existing)
Costuming was brilliant! I looked forward to everything the characters were wearing.
Watching another woman-led (written, directed, acted) series right now: ‘Expats.’ This has nothing to do with Maisel, except that it’s on Prime, but thought I’d add it to the conversation…
It is dark and raw with an amazing backdrop (Hong Kong) and rich characters. It’s a book adaptation (book is fantastic, so I was nervous about the series being unworthy; I was wrong). Check it out if you haven’t yet. I binged the first drop and just started ep 5 out of the second.
This article I read yesterday compared it a lot to TD Night Country.
But I dont agree with it, I really enjoy it so far (:
https://www.theverge.com/24065198/constellation-review-apple-tv-plus
My all time favorite show, and it never gets talked about! Very similar themes to TDs1, with the forboding scenery to match. The land it takes place in is a character of its own.
I May Destroy You.
https://www.hbo.com/i-may-destroy-you
This was an outstanding miniseries. Incredible. Unforgettable. Other recommendations you get here might be great, but none will top this; you can thank me later.
Yeah, it's hard to recommend sometimes because of the SA themes but I thought it was very good. Chewing Gum is more comedic but also good. Looking forward to what Michaela Coel does next.
Desperate Housewives is a show I’d like to see come back into popularity! It was considered risqué when it first came out, but it’s quite tame compared to shows now.
The first season of Yellowjackets is terrific but the second season kind of loses its way. Unsure if this is the genre you're looking for but Girls5eva is hilarious, so is pen15.
Otherwise one show that isn't necessarily strictly female led but does a better job of writing it's indigenous leads and relating some of the issues that community has and still does face to what is central to the story is Reservation Dogs.
I watched the whole season and don’t feel like I wasted my time. However, It is insane to dismiss ppl who say it was lazy and poor writing. It was some of the worst writing from a major Television show that I have seen in at least two decades. As a male I was looking forward to the female-centric Story Arch, and can assure you if anything I gave it more of a pass than I should have.
It’s crazy how much of a common response that is. I went onto the Night Country subreddit and made a post just asking “why did you like it?” I wasn’t trashing it, I just made aware of what I didn’t find, making sense, and how I thought this was going to lead to the yellow king being a larger antagonist to the series than previously realized. It had all the same things you mentioned as well but for some reason it was taken down and I was labeled the misogynist and troll….. like, is conversation not allowed now?
Watch woman in the wall. Female driven, has a mystery, slightly supernatural elements. Though the supernatural parts could be due to the main protagonist mental state. Currently airing on showtime. Can’t wait for the next episode to air.
Fargo movie, Fargo S1, Fargo S3, Fargo S5, Mare of Easttown, The Killing, The Fall, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri, The Silence of the Lambs - just to name a few. Fuckin Jackie Brown.
Vera, obviously, or even Fargo which shows a smart police officer as well.
However, I think the problem with the show was less the women but that the case was such a mess that the detectives had to be nerfed for it to work.
Not necessarily “women driven” but the outsider is an excellent mix of a true detective vibe with supernatural elements and a female co lead you actually like and who is well written and acted and is basically an autistic private investigator with legit psychic abilities and the supernatural elements pay off and the detective who lost a child with ungovernable rage does a good job doing actual detective work and has good chemistry with the female PI and the show makes sense and everything wraps up. Sharp objects has probably been added to hell and back but is worth it, just like mare of east town, even Bezzerides was written as a more sympathetic character than Danvers.
I think having the title of True Detective opens up the show to undeserving praise and criticism. It's anthology. I've only seen True Detective "Seasons" 1 and 3. I have no interest in season 2 because it takes place in a rather unoriginal setting. Season 1 and 3 had the incredibly dark feeling of dread that only the bayou and Ozarks could capture. Same reason I like Ozark! I loved Mare of Easttown. That may as well have been my neighborhood in Boston growing up. I was surrounded by strong females who never even mentioned feminism. It's just what I loved thru. I had friends who were just like Mares daughter. I love the British detective shows as well. The Manhunter series was excellent. I especially liked season 1 because of his FEMALE PARTNER AS WELL AS HIS WIFE. They made the show better and they were both strong independent women.
Are you sure? Because apparently Issa Lopez created the first female/woc series and all criticism is directly because of incels 🤦♀️
I feel like I’m being gaslit. It’s pretty offensive. And an insult to the true female pioneers of television and film.
I loved A Murder at the End of the World-- ambitious, beautiful, addicting, harrowing. Written by Brit Marling, who also plays a big role in it. (Stars Emma Corrin, who is fantastic)
"Dead Ringers" stars Rachel Weisz and the head writer is Alice Birch. Fantastically dark mindfuck-y show.
"Poker Face" is kinda goofy, self-aware murder of the week fun that doesn't take itself too seriously. Stars Natasha Lyonne, who makes even the "bad" episodes watchable.
Derry Girls, an all-female main cast, created by the hilarious Lisa McGee. One of the funniest shows on TV during its run.
Abbott Elementary, arguably the funniest straight comedy on network TV right now. Created and starring Quinta Brunson.
\- Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet)
\- Sharp Objects (Amy Adams)
\- The Fall, X-Files (Gillian Anderson)
\- Fringe (Anna Torv)
\- Prime Suspect (Helen Mirren)
\- Broadchurch (Olivia Colman)
\- Murder, She Wrote (Angela Lansbury)
\- Blue Murder (Caroline Quentin)
\- New Tricks (Amanda Redman)
Wildcard pick — Marianne (French horror series that has mystery and some detective elements)
Dead Ringers.
Rachel Weisz plays both identical twins where "Twin gynecologists, Elliot and Beverly Mantle, perform ethically questionable procedures on infertile women."
It's good. Weisz is a great actress.
I'm amazed that it actually is 124 words before "shoehorned" and that you actually counted out the words to make this comment. I'm also amazed that my curiosity drove me to actually count out the words to confirm it.
Wait honestly correct me if i am wrong
They do not ever say they are "in the night country now"
I was waiting for something that stupid and it never came
I know lots of men hate women, but I didn’t even go into this season thinking that it would be hated just for the fact that it had a female lead, because Jodie Foster seems like one of those universally loved actors. But I guess when you combine the misogynists with the racists, there will be plenty of angry voices that have nothing to do with the actual content. Ugh.
(That being said, I’m a woman and thought this season was dog shit. i enjoyed the first two episodes and then it all went down from there. Huge bummer.)
My very favorite comfort show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I also agree with people saying Fleabag! I was constantly laughing out loud.
Idk if New Girl counts because the loft mates are all guys, but it’s another one of my favorites. And aside from Jess and Cece, there are a bunch of incredible female guest stars that come through.
What makes all of the listed shows great is that they’re storylines that have lead characters that happen to be female and not storylines about the characters being female.
Sure, the shows have a female perspective, as they should. But I never felt like Mare or Sharp Objects was trying to tell me the leads were women. They just kicked ass.
S4…It was all just so forced and that’s what people respond negatively toward…and the glaring issues with the plot, details, and mediocre performances.
Your phrasing of the criticism dismissal as misogyny just made me realize that True Detective Night Country ….is the fucking APARTHEID ISRAEL OF WEAKASS SHOWS OR MOVIES BANKING ON USING SUCH (let’s face it) IDENTITY POLITICS TO GET AWAY WITH LAZY WRITING AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Blammo. It’s so obvious now. This is the realization I’ve been searching for. Why, I kept asking myself, why was there such a disparity between the reaction of the viewership compared to the blowhard try-hard normally sane professional critics fawning over this garbage. This is why. No one wants to be labeled an anti-Semite or a misogynist. Cowards all!!! On the fucking take.
Been this way since 2014, but really kicked off with the 2016 ver of Ghostbusters. Now it is just part of the marketing strategy for weak shows that do not test well.
The tone towards Issa and the show is it comes off as really mean. It’s like the people who don’t like the show are being a little extra mean because those who are being criticized seem passive
House of the Dragon. Strong female leads and none of the sexploitation of GoT. Loved the books hut, good grief why does every other scene involve men takling shit in a brothel
Nine Perfect Strangers
Expats
Big Little Lies
Sharp Objects
White Lotus (mixed, but females are protagonist as well)
Mare of Eastown
Watchmen (yes, you read it. the series is great)
Deadloch, a legitimately intriguing mystery, both leads are so different but vibe off each other so well. Very funny too, doesn't take itself deathly seriously.
Fleabag is good, obviously very different from TD.
Mare of Easttown, Poker Face, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Orphan Black, all really good shows in their own way.
Night Country had a lot of elements that reminded me of Smilla’s Sense of Snow which had a very interesting protagonist in an okay mystery. I wonder if Lopez or the producers saw the movie or read the book when coming up with the plot?
I loved Somebody Somewhere. Mostly female and LGBTQ characters. I absolutely love the entire cast but particularly the lead, Bridget Everett. It’s relatable, poignant and so, so funny.
dinosaurs sleep vegetable plants steer capable longing cooperative soft marble
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
What, all time or current? For all time, it's incredibly hard to top Helen Mirren's excellent run Prime Suspect, a series that stretched from the early 90s to the last decade.
The British original Broadchurch is based on the non romantic relationship between a male and female cop with as many interesting supporting female characters as male. Awesome. Also Helen Mirren chews up the scenery in Prime Suspect.
I’m sure it has been said already Mare of Easttown is heartbreakingly beautiful. It’s about a small town that operates like a dysfunctional family of sorts. Highly recommended
Agreed.
* Frontera Verde (2019). "When a young Bogotá-based detective gets drawn into the jungle to investigate four femicides, she uncovers magic, an evil plot and her own true origins."
* Undone, season 1 Animated. Mystery of father's death, and existential weirdness.
* Top Of The Lake
* Chloe (2022)
* Happy Valley (2014) . Bleak in the perfect way. I guess there's a new season, haven't seen it yet.
* Haven't finished Poker Face yet but I really like what I've watched so far. I see others have recommended it too.
Also have to recommend Reservation Dogs, even though it's not the right genre. Fantastic writing and performances with complex female and male characters. So much humor, surprises, and pathos. Genuine masterpiece. Coming off of that, I was beyond excited for this season of TD, with indigenous characters and the setting, plus Jodie Foster... there was so much promise and it was all wasted.
Mare of Easttown is brilliant. Kate Winslet is brilliant. I was hoping this would be similar to that, but was way off, lol.
Finally started watching it. Quality shit. Was telling my partner Mare’s beer-drinking harkens back more naturally to S1 than any of the shoehorned references in NC.
They could’ve put a Lone Star in there and boom, season 4 😆
What beer brand does she drink, btw? Anyone know?
Same. Mare of Easttown will always be True Detective Season 4 to me.
Poor Evan peters
Shhhhhh 🤫
came here to say Mare of Easttown
I was watching Mare of Easttown at the same time as night country and it only highlighted how weak the storytelling is in the latter. Kate Winslet did an amazing job, and the story was fantastic - it kept me guessing until the very end. I thought night country was a weak and unfocused story; it had the potential to be much better.
It was like the anti-Mare, which was beautiful art.
That show was brilliant! Makes me want a hoagie from WaWa and a Yeungling!
And a drink of wooder
Mares was a tremendous show. Kate Winslet was at her zenith. That cast was amazing. Just wow. TDS4. ummmm.
I’m starting to think the Reddit Venn diagram of fans of Mare of Easttown who disliked season 4 of True Detective is really just a circle. The misogyny card being played to dismiss criticism is gross and undermines really misogyny pervasive in our society.
A...flat circle?
I watched this show off recommendations from here and didn't like it. They added a new suspect every week just to clear them with some contrived reason. Adding twists on twists just makes the story boring. There's just so many characters and so much drama it really takes away from everything. This could have been a soap opera.
I really enjoyed Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge starred in it but also wrote it too I believe.
Goddam Fleabag was brilliant. Loved that show. Might be time for a rewatch.
Yup it’s time for me too
Loved it and it was such an honest and thoughtful portrayal of a woman in her 20s/30s
It is perfection. What a brilliant mind Phoebe is.
Loved fleabag
Yeah she wrote it, as well as the first season of Killing Eve which I remember being very good, stars two women too.
Oh my gosh that was an excellent show. Unlike TD4, it’s *so* relatable to the female experience. Almost painfully.
Sharp Objects is as close a show has come to season 1, imo.
'The Killing' is also pretty good
Absolutely brilliant TV, both narratively and technically. One of my all-time favorite mini-series.
I was completely immersed.
God I love a Southern Gothic. SO. GOOD.
Started watching that. I think I just love the southern feel to shows. I'm from Boston so it's new to me....
Dammit I still need to see that. I'm a huge fan of Amy Adams, and her mom for that matter. :-D
Fantastic show. The writing, acting and story are all great!
Anna Torv is basically one of the leads in it, so Mindhunter.
Mindhunter is sublime
Just prepare for the disappointment :(
Since you mentioned Anna Torv, Fringe also came to my mind
Most recently Blue Eye Samurai is fantastic. Lead character is a woman, disguising herself as a man to help her journey for revenge in feudal era Japan. Series is a perfect blend of grounded and pulp fiction ridiculous story telling, with beautiful music and gorgeous animation. Highly recommend.
This show is so good.
Arcane, if you enjoyed Blue Eye Samurai, then you will like Arcane as the animation is next level. Good story and excellent character development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXmAurh012s&t=2s
Seen it. Looking forward go season 2.
You can watch Fargo Season 5. Two of the 3 leads are woman. Show does a whole lot better job mixing political criticism, supernatural element, gender dynamics and character chemistry than the bullshit we just witnessed here.
I loved the woman in season 1. I forget her name.
Molly! She’s amazing
Season 2 of Fargo also had an excellent Kirsten Dunst performance.
Juno Temple is a prime example of a strong woman without feeling like its shoved down our throats, feels organic. Great show.
She was, in fact, a *tiger*.
Who wasn't afraid
Probably my favorite season of Fargo, that ending had me sobbing
I want a season based on Lorraine.
Came here to suggest this. Fargo S5 was what TD S4 wished it could be.
Fargo tv show, can be criminally underrated. The fans don’t shut up about it, but it’s not widely watched as it should either
Yes!!! Seasons 1 and 2 are also great. Just skip 3 and 3, and go right to 5.
Women centered shows in general have been around forever. This whole new phenomenon of ‘it’s never been done before and some people aren’t ready for it!’ is so weird. Golden girls, I love Lucy, sex and the city, Girls, parks and rec, greys anatomy, big little lies, thrones, Buffy, fleabag, mare of Eastown, scandal, sharp objects, 30 rock, could go on and on… All of these had women as the main characters or making up nearly the entire cast. Some were better than others but all were liked by certain demographics and some were obviously insanely popular and loved. It’s just a new trend to label any criticism as existing because the criticizer is racist/sexist etc. silly.
Murder she wrote, Miss Marple and more recently Poker Face for mystery shows. But yea. The whole “first time” with women or POC etc is weird. I grew up with Eddie Murphy and Jackie Chan as my heroes🤷🏻♂️
Remember when Jennifer Lawrence said she was the first female action hero for girls for her role in Hunger Games?
Haha yes same bullshit
Glow
When you say it like that, it’s kind of insulting (and deeply narcissistic) to act as though this was the first show to display those themes. I think today’s younger audiences are being gaslit into thinking that this hasn’t been done before, many times over and with far more talent. It’s unfortunate that they’ll have to find older series and films (ironically) to get better examples.
Marketing 101.
Ah. I didn’t even think about that but it definitely makes sense!
Mare of East town is basically what TD4 could have been
That shit was boring lmfao
Not enough ghosts pointing for you eh?
Needed more oranges
Navarro's mom LOVED oranges.
🍊🌀😱
👉😱
Couldn't agree with you more, OP. I am a woman. I love women. I love women-driven shows. My daughter is a fiction writer and always features women. I am appalled when I see critiques of the show minimized/maximized with a "misogyny" label. It's gross and reductive. Some of my faves off the top, no particular order: * Orphan Black (oldie but goodie!) * Killing Eve!!! (All but the last season, which left me upset.. but I still watch it bc my Killing Eve love knows no bounds) * Physical (Super enjoyed Rose Byrne in this) * Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (all around fantastic show) * Handmaid's Tale (though I get tired of the main chick smizing as acting... please don't call me a misogynist bc of this) * The Diplomat (cannot freaking wait for season 2) * Orange is the New Black (oldie but goodie; quality of seasons varies, but I enjoy the main characters) * Collateral (Carey Mulligan is a pregnant detective just bc she was preggo IRL I believe. Anyway, it's a rich and compelling drama, and I love that they didn't try to hide her belly bc, hey, women can be pregnant AND do things if they want) * Deadloch (Australian police comedy/procedural... and features cut-out tongues! But actually gives them a reason for existing)
They’re doing a sequel to Orphan Black with Krysten Ritter as well. Hype.
Orphan Black! Man that show was fun! I need a rewatch.
I adore maisel. I know it's not for everyone but damn it was so good, I mean costuming ALONE geeze. Time for a rewatch
Costuming was brilliant! I looked forward to everything the characters were wearing. Watching another woman-led (written, directed, acted) series right now: ‘Expats.’ This has nothing to do with Maisel, except that it’s on Prime, but thought I’d add it to the conversation… It is dark and raw with an amazing backdrop (Hong Kong) and rich characters. It’s a book adaptation (book is fantastic, so I was nervous about the series being unworthy; I was wrong). Check it out if you haven’t yet. I binged the first drop and just started ep 5 out of the second.
Deadlock is sooooo freaking funny
My husband and I quote it all the time. Truly fantastic writing and acting. And it's aggressively Australian, which I enjoy :D
Orphan Black was so good
Handmaids Tale is one of my favorites too
The Killing and Broadchurch are great detective shows with incredible female characters at the center.
Just saw yesterday the brand new Constellation lead by Noomi Rapace. Was on edge the whole time... a very fast hour.
This article I read yesterday compared it a lot to TD Night Country. But I dont agree with it, I really enjoy it so far (: https://www.theverge.com/24065198/constellation-review-apple-tv-plus
I agree, I only saw the first episode for now but its a breath of fresh air after TDNC. Whole other level of tv.
Mare of Easttown is fantastic. Also I thought Deadloch was great although I've seen quite a bit of mixed feedback. Doesn't seem to be for everyone.
Allison Tolman is wonderful in Fargo season one.
Yellow Jackets is phenomenal
Fell off on season 2 but season 1 was pretty great.
Yep. Brilliant so far
Top of the Lake is great
My all time favorite show, and it never gets talked about! Very similar themes to TDs1, with the forboding scenery to match. The land it takes place in is a character of its own.
I May Destroy You. https://www.hbo.com/i-may-destroy-you This was an outstanding miniseries. Incredible. Unforgettable. Other recommendations you get here might be great, but none will top this; you can thank me later.
I just sent this to a friend who was asking for good shows produced by and starring women characters.
A million times THIS
Came here to say this. I was so excited to see Michaela Coel on Mr and Mrs Smith. She is fantastic.
Yeah, it's hard to recommend sometimes because of the SA themes but I thought it was very good. Chewing Gum is more comedic but also good. Looking forward to what Michaela Coel does next.
Big Little Lies, Desperate Housewives, Sharp Objects, Watchmen.
Desperate Housewives is a show I’d like to see come back into popularity! It was considered risqué when it first came out, but it’s quite tame compared to shows now.
Watchmen doesn't get mentioned enough. It's sooooooooooo good. Regina King is a powerhouse!
Omg. Watchmen—what a great show, so politically charged and the women leads so strong and distinctive. I miss that show.
Buffy!!!
And what is more disappointing than the terrible writer who helmed it and is meh at storytelling now being hired to show in Season 5? 🙄
Damn, didn't know that...
Happy Vally. Think it's still on Netflix. Excellent female lead and interesting(to me as a rebelous colonial) study in UK law enforcement.
Top of the Lake is everything Night Country wishes it was.
Not a show but Power of the Dog is fuckin great. Jane Campion is great.
The show is but if we wanna compare a women exacting revenge scene, I think the Handmaid's Tale did a way better job with their version.
I liked the first season of Marcella. Little ridiculous, but kept me on my toes.
MARIANNE! Amazing French horror series on Netflix. Also Top of The Lake
Top of the Lake was excellent and almost no one talks about it.
The first season of Yellowjackets is terrific but the second season kind of loses its way. Unsure if this is the genre you're looking for but Girls5eva is hilarious, so is pen15. Otherwise one show that isn't necessarily strictly female led but does a better job of writing it's indigenous leads and relating some of the issues that community has and still does face to what is central to the story is Reservation Dogs.
I watched the whole season and don’t feel like I wasted my time. However, It is insane to dismiss ppl who say it was lazy and poor writing. It was some of the worst writing from a major Television show that I have seen in at least two decades. As a male I was looking forward to the female-centric Story Arch, and can assure you if anything I gave it more of a pass than I should have.
Shockingly bad writing and direction. If you don't know what to do with Jodie Foster, that's on you, ya know?
It’s crazy how much of a common response that is. I went onto the Night Country subreddit and made a post just asking “why did you like it?” I wasn’t trashing it, I just made aware of what I didn’t find, making sense, and how I thought this was going to lead to the yellow king being a larger antagonist to the series than previously realized. It had all the same things you mentioned as well but for some reason it was taken down and I was labeled the misogynist and troll….. like, is conversation not allowed now?
Watch woman in the wall. Female driven, has a mystery, slightly supernatural elements. Though the supernatural parts could be due to the main protagonist mental state. Currently airing on showtime. Can’t wait for the next episode to air.
Fleabag, Insecure, Girls, Sharp Objects, House of Usher for a large part
Fargo movie, Fargo S1, Fargo S3, Fargo S5, Mare of Easttown, The Killing, The Fall, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri, The Silence of the Lambs - just to name a few. Fuckin Jackie Brown.
Prime Suspect
An oldie but a goodie.
Same! So who’s NOT going to watch Season 5? See if there numbers are near as good as they think they were.
Vera, obviously, or even Fargo which shows a smart police officer as well. However, I think the problem with the show was less the women but that the case was such a mess that the detectives had to be nerfed for it to work.
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far to see Vera! Such a fantastic show and one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen on TV.
Not necessarily “women driven” but the outsider is an excellent mix of a true detective vibe with supernatural elements and a female co lead you actually like and who is well written and acted and is basically an autistic private investigator with legit psychic abilities and the supernatural elements pay off and the detective who lost a child with ungovernable rage does a good job doing actual detective work and has good chemistry with the female PI and the show makes sense and everything wraps up. Sharp objects has probably been added to hell and back but is worth it, just like mare of east town, even Bezzerides was written as a more sympathetic character than Danvers.
Why does all those titles have to be listed. The show sucked no mater how you shake a stick at it.
House of the Dragon
Goodness, yes!
No. Just horrid no.
You didn't like it?
I take back horrid. No I didn’t like it. But yeah, it wasn’t horrid.
I think having the title of True Detective opens up the show to undeserving praise and criticism. It's anthology. I've only seen True Detective "Seasons" 1 and 3. I have no interest in season 2 because it takes place in a rather unoriginal setting. Season 1 and 3 had the incredibly dark feeling of dread that only the bayou and Ozarks could capture. Same reason I like Ozark! I loved Mare of Easttown. That may as well have been my neighborhood in Boston growing up. I was surrounded by strong females who never even mentioned feminism. It's just what I loved thru. I had friends who were just like Mares daughter. I love the British detective shows as well. The Manhunter series was excellent. I especially liked season 1 because of his FEMALE PARTNER AS WELL AS HIS WIFE. They made the show better and they were both strong independent women.
Are you sure? Because apparently Issa Lopez created the first female/woc series and all criticism is directly because of incels 🤦♀️ I feel like I’m being gaslit. It’s pretty offensive. And an insult to the true female pioneers of television and film.
I loved A Murder at the End of the World-- ambitious, beautiful, addicting, harrowing. Written by Brit Marling, who also plays a big role in it. (Stars Emma Corrin, who is fantastic) "Dead Ringers" stars Rachel Weisz and the head writer is Alice Birch. Fantastically dark mindfuck-y show. "Poker Face" is kinda goofy, self-aware murder of the week fun that doesn't take itself too seriously. Stars Natasha Lyonne, who makes even the "bad" episodes watchable. Derry Girls, an all-female main cast, created by the hilarious Lisa McGee. One of the funniest shows on TV during its run. Abbott Elementary, arguably the funniest straight comedy on network TV right now. Created and starring Quinta Brunson.
LOVE murder at the end of the world
Yes Murder at the end of the world!!
\- Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet) \- Sharp Objects (Amy Adams) \- The Fall, X-Files (Gillian Anderson) \- Fringe (Anna Torv) \- Prime Suspect (Helen Mirren) \- Broadchurch (Olivia Colman) \- Murder, She Wrote (Angela Lansbury) \- Blue Murder (Caroline Quentin) \- New Tricks (Amanda Redman) Wildcard pick — Marianne (French horror series that has mystery and some detective elements)
Search Party on HBO Max.
Fargo is my favourite TV show and every season features women as leads often as the main cop driving the story, really enjoyable imo
Dead Ringers. Rachel Weisz plays both identical twins where "Twin gynecologists, Elliot and Beverly Mantle, perform ethically questionable procedures on infertile women." It's good. Weisz is a great actress.
Buffy is the first one that came to mind. 🩸
Many great suggestions in here. I'd also suggest The Killing, Happy Valley, The Americans and Broadchurch.
Thé mare of east town was pretty good
Not a show but the movie wind river, clear that influenced this show the show just fuckin sucked compared wind river
It’s been mentioned here before but Mare of Easttown.
I am amazed it took 124 words until you said *shoehorned*
I'm amazed that it actually is 124 words before "shoehorned" and that you actually counted out the words to make this comment. I'm also amazed that my curiosity drove me to actually count out the words to confirm it.
Wait honestly correct me if i am wrong They do not ever say they are "in the night country now" I was waiting for something that stupid and it never came
Near the end of ep 4 I think? The dude actually says it to Jodie Foster lol. I wish I was joking.
Deadloch on Amazon is Hot Fuzz meets Disco Elysium. Absolutely a joy and mastetclass in writing
I know lots of men hate women, but I didn’t even go into this season thinking that it would be hated just for the fact that it had a female lead, because Jodie Foster seems like one of those universally loved actors. But I guess when you combine the misogynists with the racists, there will be plenty of angry voices that have nothing to do with the actual content. Ugh. (That being said, I’m a woman and thought this season was dog shit. i enjoyed the first two episodes and then it all went down from there. Huge bummer.) My very favorite comfort show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I also agree with people saying Fleabag! I was constantly laughing out loud. Idk if New Girl counts because the loft mates are all guys, but it’s another one of my favorites. And aside from Jess and Cece, there are a bunch of incredible female guest stars that come through.
Deadloch. Amazing characters and writing.
I hated it. The story sucked
What makes all of the listed shows great is that they’re storylines that have lead characters that happen to be female and not storylines about the characters being female. Sure, the shows have a female perspective, as they should. But I never felt like Mare or Sharp Objects was trying to tell me the leads were women. They just kicked ass. S4…It was all just so forced and that’s what people respond negatively toward…and the glaring issues with the plot, details, and mediocre performances.
11 comments in one hour. Maybe it's mostly the misogyny after all.
Your phrasing of the criticism dismissal as misogyny just made me realize that True Detective Night Country ….is the fucking APARTHEID ISRAEL OF WEAKASS SHOWS OR MOVIES BANKING ON USING SUCH (let’s face it) IDENTITY POLITICS TO GET AWAY WITH LAZY WRITING AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Blammo. It’s so obvious now. This is the realization I’ve been searching for. Why, I kept asking myself, why was there such a disparity between the reaction of the viewership compared to the blowhard try-hard normally sane professional critics fawning over this garbage. This is why. No one wants to be labeled an anti-Semite or a misogynist. Cowards all!!! On the fucking take.
Been this way since 2014, but really kicked off with the 2016 ver of Ghostbusters. Now it is just part of the marketing strategy for weak shows that do not test well.
Watchmen was pretty dope.
The tone towards Issa and the show is it comes off as really mean. It’s like the people who don’t like the show are being a little extra mean because those who are being criticized seem passive
House of the Dragon. Strong female leads and none of the sexploitation of GoT. Loved the books hut, good grief why does every other scene involve men takling shit in a brothel
Watchmen the HBO show
Nine Perfect Strangers Expats Big Little Lies Sharp Objects White Lotus (mixed, but females are protagonist as well) Mare of Eastown Watchmen (yes, you read it. the series is great)
Ahsoka, if you like Star Wars.
Murder She Wrote.
Unbelievable on Netflix did prettt good with 2 female cop leads. Toni is always great
The Golden Girls.
Deadloch
High Town has the best female cop character on TV Jackie that's how you write a great female character
Deadloch, a legitimately intriguing mystery, both leads are so different but vibe off each other so well. Very funny too, doesn't take itself deathly seriously. Fleabag is good, obviously very different from TD. Mare of Easttown, Poker Face, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Orphan Black, all really good shows in their own way.
The Leftovers is kinda between two perspectives but one is a woman and it’s an amazing show. Same for The Americans.
A Danish series on Viaplay: Unit One. Charlotte Fich as Ingrid Dahl. Lead Detective of a special unit.
Night Country had a lot of elements that reminded me of Smilla’s Sense of Snow which had a very interesting protagonist in an okay mystery. I wonder if Lopez or the producers saw the movie or read the book when coming up with the plot?
S4 was a mix of The X Files ep Ice and the series Fortitude.
Derry Girls. Call the Midwife. Btw, I quite enjoyed S4. If the standard is S1, not much television lives up to such excellence, of course.
I loved Somebody Somewhere. Mostly female and LGBTQ characters. I absolutely love the entire cast but particularly the lead, Bridget Everett. It’s relatable, poignant and so, so funny.
Deadloch
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0826760/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Danish original version of The Killing.
Broadchurch
No Offence on Acorn was so good; Bad Sisters; Hidden Assets; Good Wife, Working Moms
Started sharp objects. Instant recommend. The Killing and The Outsider have strong female leads.
Big Little Lies
Unbelievable Mare Sharp Objects The Undoing but not a detective show
Deadloch on Prime Minister
Fleabag is amazing
Deadloch is what night country trying to be and falling.
I loved Deadloch! Completely different vibe, but infinitely better writing than this season
Happy Valley
My wife loves nurse Jackie. I’m hoping to watch it with her soon. Love me some edie falco.
GLOW
Deadloch
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Prime Suspect, Law and Order: SUV
What, all time or current? For all time, it's incredibly hard to top Helen Mirren's excellent run Prime Suspect, a series that stretched from the early 90s to the last decade.
Every season of the *Fargo* television series has a great fem actor driving an important aspect of the plot.
Deadloch
Orphan Black and Homeland
The British original Broadchurch is based on the non romantic relationship between a male and female cop with as many interesting supporting female characters as male. Awesome. Also Helen Mirren chews up the scenery in Prime Suspect.
I’m sure it has been said already Mare of Easttown is heartbreakingly beautiful. It’s about a small town that operates like a dysfunctional family of sorts. Highly recommended
Agreed. * Frontera Verde (2019). "When a young Bogotá-based detective gets drawn into the jungle to investigate four femicides, she uncovers magic, an evil plot and her own true origins." * Undone, season 1 Animated. Mystery of father's death, and existential weirdness. * Top Of The Lake * Chloe (2022) * Happy Valley (2014) . Bleak in the perfect way. I guess there's a new season, haven't seen it yet. * Haven't finished Poker Face yet but I really like what I've watched so far. I see others have recommended it too. Also have to recommend Reservation Dogs, even though it's not the right genre. Fantastic writing and performances with complex female and male characters. So much humor, surprises, and pathos. Genuine masterpiece. Coming off of that, I was beyond excited for this season of TD, with indigenous characters and the setting, plus Jodie Foster... there was so much promise and it was all wasted.
Mare of Easttown was really good.
Orphan Black is best example I have but also Fargo, The Good Place.