New Shows This October That Will Make You Say, “Girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep.”
Goodbye Bechdel Test, Hello Meredith Scale
Whether it was Mercury retrograde or the full moon in Aries, television has women tapping into some divine feminine energy this fall, and we love to see it. From suburban murder sprees to major criminal investigations, our favorite leading ladies served us top-tier performances this October, while others were literally served. Now, you’ve heard of the Bechdel test, but let me introduce you to the Meredith Scale — in which any show can be classified into three major categories: girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep. Here’s a list of some of my favorite viewings this month and the categories they so beautifully represent.
Girlboss: You Season 3
The ultimate girlboss of streaming this October was none other than You’s Love Quinn, played by Victoria Pedretti. In season three of You, which premiered on Netflix Oct. 15, Love and Joe (played by Penn Badgley) ditch their scandalized lives in Los Angeles for a quiet dwelling in the suburban town of Madre Linda, filled with tech moguls and mommy influencers. But if there’s anything we learned about Love and Joe from season two, it’s that they’re absolutely incapable of doing anything quietly.
While we love Penn Badgley for his scruffy sensibility and that video of him dancing, which lives in my head rent-free, the true star of the season is Victoria Pedretti. Fans of the show fell in love with Love back in season two for her girl next door vibe and her chill California aesthetic… actually, scratch that, she’s not chill at all and turns out to be completely crazy. But finally, Joe has met his match! Between the face she makes when you know she’s about to murder someone and her hatred for anti-vaxxers, Love proved to viewers that she’s willing to do anything to protect her family, even if that means killing anyone that crosses her (total girlboss behavior). But the only person that doesn’t seem to appreciate her dedication is Joe! Leave it to men to ruin a girlboss building her empire.
Gaslight: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Four-Part Reunion
For ten seasons, Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has given us dinner parties from hell, limo fights, and even this meme:
Now, after two stagnant years with zero drama and a ridiculous “puppygate” storyline about a dog named Lucy Lucy Apple Juicy, RHOBH has finally returned to its shining glory. And none other than gaslight queen herself Erika “Jayne” Girardi is to thank for this.
Real Housewife Erika Girardi found herself enthralled in a major legal battle last year when her husband, famous powerhouse attorney Tom Girardi, was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from plane-crash victims and owing more than $56 million to clients, creditors, and lenders. Erika, whose daytime job is performing as alter ego Erika Jayne to original songs like “XXPEN$IVE” and “How Many F**ks?”, was immediately caught in the crossfire.
Watching the ladies conduct their own investigation on RHOBH is like witnessing a Shakespeare play unfold right before your very eyes — Erika’s castmates perform a delicate dance of support to her face but throw shade behind her back. It’s understandable why they don’t 100% believe their friend’s innocence because with every episode, a new scandal is revealed: Tom was cheating, Tom was in a mental facility, Tom’s house was broken into and he confronted the burglar and then he had to go have eye surgery and then her son had to go help and rolled his car five times on the way home.
When it was revealed that this month’s reunion was to be four parts, viewers felt that maybe, finally, Erika would answer all of their questions.
After two parts, and two more to go, the jury is still out. But what we do know is Erika Jayne will gaslight all day if it means maintaining her innocence.
Gatekeep: Maid
Maid, Netflix’s new limited series, which premiered Oct. 1, is neither girlboss nor gaslight. However, it will make you think that maybe nepotism babies do deserve rights.
The series — starring Margaret Qualley, the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell — follows single mother Alex, who turns to housecleaning as she escapes an abusive relationship and overcomes homelessness to provide a better life for her daughter. The show is already on track to dethrone The Queen's Gambit as Netflix's most-watched miniseries, having been watched by 67 million Netflix users.
Maid is equal parts devastating as it is heartwarming and even a little quirky. Much like how Fleabag breaks the fourth wall, Maid draws viewers into Alex’s inner thought process: signing government assistance documents titled “Yer Mama,” or swiping through Tinder and imagining the men with the inevitable “6’1, if that matters” bio right there in her room.
Some may know Margaret Qualley (or, rather, her feet) from Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, where she played a member of Charles Manson’s cult. But in Maid, Margaret Qualley proved herself to be an incredible performer whose Emmy campaign I officially endorse starting now.
Now, referring back to the Meredith Scale, Maid doesn’t necessarily fall into the gatekeep category as easily as people who listened to Tame Impala before they were mainstream. However, Margaret Qualley is dating indie music producer Jack Antonoff, and there’s nothing indie people love more than to gatekeep.