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Since there has been a wee bit of discussion, ohhhhh somewhere around fandom lately, about the dearth (or not) of interesting female characters in popular media, it seems timely to talk about my current favorite show, Damages: a show that not only is about two complex, intelligent female characters (and passes that much-bandied-about-lately Bechdel test in virtually every scene), but is also the only program I have EVER come across where it's the *men* who wind up in refrigerators. (I should meta about that sometime, if I can get my thoughts together.)
Season 1 of Damages was one of my favorite television shows EVER. It had everything I would want in a series: a tightly-written, twisty, genuinely thrilling plot; fabulous acting; attractive and multi-layered female protagonists with SERIOUSLY SLASHY CHEMISTRY WOOOOOOOO; morally ambiguous characters who lie and backstab (and maybe even kill) over high-stakes causes; lovely visuals (albeit sometimes really ominous and creepy-feeling)...you get the picture. Of course there is no fandom (to speak of) for it: not only is it about two women, but (to be fair), it would probably be a fringe fandom even with male characters -- I think the writing is so good, it's intimidating for fen to tackle.
Season 2 was good, but didn't live up to S1 -- too much tying up of dangling plot threads (sometimes in careless and rushed-seeming ways), and too many villains/rambling plotlines. Looking back on it, I think it mostly served as transition between S1 and S3. Which needed to happen, but wasn't as gripping as I would like.
If the first episode of S3 is any indication, though, the gripping quality is BACK. OH HELL YEAH!
( Squeeage about S3...includes spoilers! )
Season 1 of Damages was one of my favorite television shows EVER. It had everything I would want in a series: a tightly-written, twisty, genuinely thrilling plot; fabulous acting; attractive and multi-layered female protagonists with SERIOUSLY SLASHY CHEMISTRY WOOOOOOOO; morally ambiguous characters who lie and backstab (and maybe even kill) over high-stakes causes; lovely visuals (albeit sometimes really ominous and creepy-feeling)...you get the picture. Of course there is no fandom (to speak of) for it: not only is it about two women, but (to be fair), it would probably be a fringe fandom even with male characters -- I think the writing is so good, it's intimidating for fen to tackle.
Season 2 was good, but didn't live up to S1 -- too much tying up of dangling plot threads (sometimes in careless and rushed-seeming ways), and too many villains/rambling plotlines. Looking back on it, I think it mostly served as transition between S1 and S3. Which needed to happen, but wasn't as gripping as I would like.
If the first episode of S3 is any indication, though, the gripping quality is BACK. OH HELL YEAH!
( Squeeage about S3...includes spoilers! )