Hello and welcome to Thelma & Alice #14, a newsletter for people want to watch more movies made by women. You may notice that this month’s edition is a few weeks late. Also, I skipped February. I didn’t intend to go so long without an update, but since the beginning of the year I’ve been revising a big writing project, and I just haven’t had the bandwidth for new movies. Instead, I’ve been hanging out with my old friend, TV. So, this month, I’ll be recommending some television shows that I enjoyed and which also happened to be made by women.
First, though a little bit of movie chat. The Oscars are coming up, and in my corner of the internet, people are talking about the possibility of “CODA” taking Best Picture and unseating “Power of the Dog,” which many think is a shoo-in and clearly the superior movie. While I would agree that “Power of the Dog” is the work of a master and deserves to be recognized, I don’t think it’s a travesty if “CODA” wins. Yes, it’s predictable and sentimental, but there are some lovely performances and singing. (Apparently, it’s going to become a musical, which I think is ultimately the better genre for the story.) What I find remarkable about the debate is the fact that two female filmmakers, Siân Heder and Jane Campion, are favored to win—and if Campion prevails, it will be her second Oscar. (She won Best Original Screenplay for “The Piano” in 1994.)
While we’re on the subject of the Oscars, I am really looking forward to watching them this Sunday, despite the flocks of think pieces about how the Oscars are doomed, film is dead, and movie stars do not exist. I wonder if the Academy Awards might have a slight bump in viewership this year because we haven’t had a red carpet in a while, and we’re all starved for glamour. (Or maybe I’m just starved for glamour, having moved to the suburbs and spent the last two years prioritizing warmth in my clothing choices.) So yes, I’ll be watching the Oscars and the silly pre-show, and I’ll be drinking something bubbly and festive.
Okay, on to my TV recommendations:
Cabaret in Kansas
Somebody, Somewhere, Season 1 (2022)
Created by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen
Streaming on HBO
A show I loved to pieces is Somebody Somewhere, starring Bridget Everett. I was already a fan of Everett after seeing her in Fun Mom Dinner, a mediocre movie that she tucks under her arm and runs off with. Somebody Somewhere is about a woman trying to feel at home in her hometown and figure out a way forward after a difficult loss. It’s about oddballs and sisters and singing and friendship. The characters are so real, and it shows small-town life in a way that is not condescending or sentimental. The cast is full of actors I hadn’t seen before but who I connected with immediately. This is one of the best-written shows out there; it’s incredibly funny without being jokey.
Lenny Bruce to the Rescue
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 4 (2022)
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Streaming on Amazon Prime
You either vibe with the madcap, maximalist energy of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or you find it incredibly irritating. There’s no way I could dislike a show with so many fabulous, matching hat-and-dress ensembles (not to mention the coats!), but a friend complained to me that Midge is just too perfect, that no one would ever be able to balance all those late-night comedy sets and nightcaps and also look terrific first thing in the morning when she walks her children to school. That’s probably true, but I find Midge’s combination of confidence, competence, and overwhelming fury to be a good depiction of a creative person with energy to burn. There’s a contradiction at the heart of her character, because she’s a woman who enjoys domestic life, and is good at it, but she also has an intense desire to express herself and feels stifled by gendered obligations. The push-pull within her often manifests as stubbornness, and this season focuses on Midge’s relationship with her manager, Susie, and the comedian Lenny Bruce, a friend and mentor. They are both trying to help her after a career setback, but she won’t listen and insists on doing things her way. Season 4 is about career detours and mistakes, and has a lot to say about show business, and how creative people find their way in the world.
Women on the Moon
For All Mankind, Seasons 1 & 2 (2019-2021)
Created by Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nevidi, and Matt Wolpert
Streaming on Apple +
I spent most of January immersed in the first two seasons of For All Mankind, an alternate history drama about the space race between the U.S. and Russia—but in this version of history, the Russians land on the moon first. It’s a crushing failure that has cascading effects, including a policy shift within NASA to include more women in the space program. Because I watched For All Mankind before the war in Ukraine broke out, its Cold War subject matter struck me as something from another world. The first season opens in 1969 and covers five years of the space program. The second season begins, almost a decade later, in 1983. This long timeline gives the characters a chance to develop in a realistic way, and for women to advance within NASA.
I couldn’t decide if For All Mankind counts as a show that is written and directed by women since most of the episodes are directed by men, and the show’s creators are men. Having noted that, the executive story editor, Stephanie Shannon, is credited on all 21 episodes as a writer and editor, and the series is very well-balanced in terms of screen time for its female and male characters. This isn’t a show where the astronaut’s wives wait by the phone, looking concerned. (And, refreshingly, there are astronaut husbands, too.) I was drawn into this show slowly, first by premise and then by the characters. By the time I got to the end of the second season (which concludes in a very satisfying way) I was eager to dive into the third season, which I think is filming now.
The Enduring Appeal of Nick & Jess
New Girl (2011-2018)
Created by Elizabeth Meriwether
Streaming on Netflix
Finally, let’s pour one out for New Girl. This is the sitcom I turn to for relaxation and nostalgia. Nick and Jess are my favorite TV couple and pretty much the only reason I’ve keeping my Netflix subscription.