When you're invested in how women are represented on television, it's easy to get caught up in the negative. Prime time has always had a real disappointing knack for failing and offending its female viewers – either with damaging, shallow depictions, or by simply lacking any genuine representation at all.
This year's disappointing return of True Detective reaffirmed that the show had little interest in developing any of its female characters, instead using their violation to drive male storylines, or making them cardboard cutout clichés of little substance. (Sorry, Rachel McAdams.) Game of Thrones furthered its oft-derided tradition of "unnecessary rape as plot device," with one particularly egregious scene causing many a frustrated viewer to abandon the show entirely.
But while I've certainly put up with my fair share in the name of guilty-pleasure entertainment, this year, for the first time in a long time, I was actually broadly impressed and excited without the heap of disclaimers. When it came to women on TV, 2015 was not only a year of optimism, but in some cases an era of truly groundbreaking entertainment.
In June, Orange Is the New Black returned for what was its best season yet, proving (again) that it was possible to cast a diverse ensemble of talented women to great success. Further fleshing out its characters' backstories made for great television.
Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning), for instance – once a crazed, toothless, right-wing religious zealot – was gracefully transformed into a tough yet sympathetic survivor of rape trauma, while queer, left-leaning Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) stepped up as her unlikely protector.
When Pennsatucky was assaulted by a prison guard, Big Boo helped plan out some vicious eye-for-an-eye revenge. The end result succinctly revealed a great deal about the actual emotions women experience in the wake of that dehumanizing violation. In fact, Manning's crystalline delivery of the line, "I don't have rage, I'm just sad," was one of the more heart-wrenching television moments of the year. Game of Thrones should take note.
The women of Hannibal, meanwhile, shone bright in what was sadly the feminist show's final season. Although most of the gushing critical acclaim went in the direction of two deserving male leads, Dr. Alana Bloom and Margot Verger's relationship blossomed into a surprisingly powerful narrative arc, culminating in one of the most satisfying (if gore-tastic) rape-and-infanticide-revenge narratives in recent memory. The pair also managed to escape Hannibal's wrath victorious, with their creatively acquired heir to the Verger fortune in tow.
Over in always-impressive ShondaLand, Viola Davis won an Emmy for her role as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder. Notably, she made history as the first African-American to receive the award for lead actress in a drama, and the hug she shared with fellow nominee, Empire's Taraji P. Henson (another reason to cheer for women on television this year) and her beautiful acceptance speech were both highlights.
The second season of HTGAWM continued to amaze viewers on multiple levels, including its raw depiction of the ramifications of childhood abuse, what it means to be diagnosed with HIV in 2015 and the realities of women in positions of power. Keating proved to be a rare powerhouse of a character – with her complex sexuality and formidable yet flawed personality, she was evidence that we like our female characters strong but believably messy. (Just like ourselves.)
After years of abortion being cautiously alluded to on television, we finally got the historic moment of seeing one depicted. On Scandal, while Senator Mellie Grant killed a bill that would put Planned Parenthood in serious jeopardy, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) exercised her individual right to choose.
In a quiet moment that lasted less than a minute, Pope lay on an operating table and terminated her pregnancy. It was a choice that was hers alone, depicted without drama or discussion, and painfully relevant to our cultural conversation as we reflect on a year in which Planned Parenthood came under brutal attack.
Elsewhere, Supergirl was a fun (if saccharine) surprise, demonstrating not only that a woman saving the day could indeed improve the male-heavy superhero genre, but things didn't necessarily need to be dark and dreary while she was doing it. Law and Order: SVU's Olivia Benson finally got to evolve into motherhood, yet still maintained her leadership and tough-as-nails attitude at work.
But the highlight of my viewing year – and my pick for best show on TV – would have to be the recent 13-episode season of Netflix's Jessica Jones.
A Marvel comics adaptation, Jessica Jones gave us unprecedented insight into the tyranny of rape culture, using mind control as a potent metaphor for domestic abuse.
By thoughtfully portraying a damaged, PTSD-stricken former superhero dealing with the aftermath of torture and captivity, the show spoke directly to survivors, and broke new ground in terms of showcasing female sexual agency. Killgrave (David Tennant) struck a chord with many women who had endured male violence, and Jessica became a surprisingly (and excruciatingly) familiar portrayal of living with trauma.
The long-term future looks promising, too. The next ShondaLand show, The Catch, is set to premiere on March 24, and stars The Killing favourite Mireille Enos as a fraud investigator hoodwinked by her fiancé.
Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and actors Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel are back for a Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix's order, news that has commenced preparatory past season binge-watching in my household. There's also early buzz about Gillian Flynn's novel Sharp Objects being adapted for television by Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumna Marti Noxon, a combination that holds more than a little potential.
It would seem that showrunners are starting to take note that robust depictions of women and their lived experiences is not only a good decision both creatively and ethically, but it makes for stellar ratings in an increasingly saturated TV landscape. The more we tune in to celebrate these characters and their storylines, the more likely we are to see more of them in the years to come.
From where I sit, the future for women on television looks bright, and in the spirit of the season, I'm more than willing to count my blessings.