If you’re a fan of quirky, sometimes-tense-and-sometimes-funny mystery shows like I am, you’ve probably seen Sherlock. But if you’re also a feminist, that show can get a little tiring. Real fast. It’s no secret that there are fewer women-led mysteries on television, and the ones that are out there are pretty grisly, making strong female leads less accessible to people who don't like gory TV. So that leaves "light"-mystery-loving viewers with Steven Moffat's series, which, if you just Google the words “Sherlock feminism,” you can see is a little problematic…
YIKES.
So, what’s a mystery-loving feminist to do? Turn to Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, of course.
MFMM follows the investigative adventures of Phryne Fisher, a flirtatious, stylish, and independently wealthy heiress in 1920’s Melbourne. It’s highly unusual to see any female protagonist over the age of 30 that isn’t a “mom” character, but Phryne subverts all expectations. She’s free-spirited, frequenting Turkish bath houses and jazz clubs for fun, she’s politically opinionated, she’s provocative, and she’s daring above all else. She races cars and flies planes in her spare time and carries a pearl-handled pistol and knife in her garter, to the shock of her conservative Aunt Prudence. Phryne Fisher, independent private investigator, is the stylish, educated, daredevil of a woman modern detective shows lack.
She’s not the only feminist character worth noting, though. He protégé, Dot Williams, is also Miss Fisher’s exact opposite. She’s a devout Catholic, much more reserved and traditional in her views, and begins the show too anxious to even answer phone calls – it literally impedes a murder investigation and temporarily makes her a suspect. As the show goes on and she continues to work for Miss Fisher, though, she begins to come out of her shell, but without the shrugging off of her values that would make the show’s feminism problematic. Without giving any spoilers, she faces her fair share of challenges when it comes to men’s expectations of her and bravely puts them in their place. Other notable feminist icons in the series include a successful and sarcastic lesbian physician and a young thief with a passion for ancient history.
The show tackles the tougher issues of the time period (like abortion, women’s rights, racial prejudice, and the drug trade in Melbourne just to name a few) while still remaining quirky and heartfelt. The mysteries are thrilling, the characters lovable, and the humor is witty, snarky, and surprisingly relevant. It’s a fun, flashy, unusual show with strong women that absolutely deserves your binge-watching enthusiasm. So sit back, procrastinate a liiittle longer (it's only week two!) and give Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries a view.
