Our favorite series and docuseries of 2021 revisited one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals from an intimate angle, introduced us to hilarious new voices like Rose Matafeo and Hannah Einbinder, and examined the toll of systemic racism. Featuring the talents of Kate Winslet, Sandra Oh, Jean Smart, Mindy Kaling, and so many more, these shows told stories about women across time periods, age, race, class, and experience.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s top series and docuseries of the year.
“Hacks” – Created by Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky, and Paul W. Downs
“Hacks”: HBO Max
After years of stealing scenes in supporting roles and ensemble work, Jean Smart finally gets to take the lead in “Hacks.” As Deborah Vance, a fabulous, acerbic Vegas stand-up at the tail-end of her career, Smart is absolutely perfect — that Emmy was much deserved.
A comedy about the art of comedy, “Hacks” sees Smart’s Deborah forming an unlikely partnership with Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a millennial writer with tons of talent but no tact. Ava will help revitalize Deborah’s act, which has grown stale even as it continues to sell out; Deborah will give Ava a job after a mean (and unfunny) tweet leaves her persona non grata in L.A. This duo vacillates between outright dislike of each other and a begrudging mutual respect, but they actually work really well together — they challenge one another in a way no one else does. Deborah calls Ava out for expecting a career to fall in her lap just because she’s naturally gifted, while Ava pushes Deborah to try new things, and take more risks, in her stand-up. Meanwhile, as we learn more about Deborah’s past, it becomes clear how much misogyny she had to overcome to get to where she is, and how much more hospitable the business is to young women like Ava because of legends like Deborah.
What could have been an eye-roll inducing boomer vs. millennial culture clash turned out to be a thoughtful, specific comedy, and the rare TV show that depicts a 60-something woman in all her complicated glory. Deborah is hilarious, over it, savvy, and sexy — and we can’t get enough of her. (Rachel Montpelier)
“Hacks” is available on HBO Max.
“The Chair” – Created by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman
Though it’s decidedly less glamorous, academia isn’t entirely dissimilar from Hollywood. The wealthy and powerful minority convince themselves that meritocracy governs the system, and the underappreciated, underpaid majority struggle just to get their feet in the door and are expected to smile politely when it inevitably gets slammed shut in their faces. “The Chair” revels in all of the ugliness and hypocrisy of life in higher ed, an institution that prides itself on intellectualism but is governed by politics.
The Netflix series sees Sandra Oh starring as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, a Korean American professor who has recently been named the Chair of the English Department at a university. She’s the first woman to take on the role, and one of the few faculty members of color at the school.
While it’s prestigious sounding, Ji-Yoon’s new position and title aren’t quite as empowering as she imagined. “I feel like somebody handed me a ticking time bomb because they wanted to make sure a woman was holding it when it explodes,” she admits. The English department is in the midst of a major crisis. A beloved professor (Jay Duplass) — who also happens to be Ji-Yoon’s crush — is at the center of a scandal that’s causing division among faculty and students. Budget cuts and waning enrollment threaten the department’s future. Ji-Yoon is feeling less like a boss bitch and more like the department’s bitch, constantly having to massage egos and deal with her decisions being questioned and undermined.
Oh’s comedic chops carry the show. She is, as always, a delight, and perfectly captures Ji-Yoon’s declining spirits, and the realization that she was indeed handed a “ticking time bomb” — and there’s only so much she can do to delay its inevitable explosion. (Laura Berger)
“The Chair” is available on Netflix.
“The Underground Railroad” (Miniseries)
“The Underground Railroad”: Kyle Kaplan/Amazon Studios
Gorgeously directed by Barry Jenkins and adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel, “The Underground Railroad” traces a young woman’s journey from enslavement on a Georgia plantation toward freedom in the north via the titular organization, which in this alternate history is a literal subterranean system of tracks, tunnels, and conductors.
Cora (Thuso Mbedu) is initially convinced to run by Caesar (Aaron Pierre), another enslaved person on her plantation who believes Cora is good luck because her mother managed to escape. Throughout her travels, Cora meets many new people on the Railroad and otherwise, some of whom are cruel, some duplicitous, and some kind. All the while, she is doggedly pursued by Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton), a bounty hunter who has tracked down every enslaved person he’s ever been hired to find, except Cora’s mother, Mabel (Sheila Atim).
“The Underground Railroad” covers a lot of ground, geographically and thematically. The series, like its source material, explores the overarching legacy of white supremacy and anti-Black racism in America — not only slavery, but eugenics, lynchings, sexual violence, and the whitewashing of history as well. It’s an epic tale, and, as the quiet yet willful Cora, Mbedu acts as its anchor. One of the most pivotal lines from Whitehead’s book is delivered by someone Cora meets early on in her journey: “If you want to see what this nation is all about, you have to ride the rails.” It’s a sentiment that stays with Cora, and reverberates throughout the miniseries. If you want to see the truth of what America is — its past, present, and current trajectory — you should watch this show. Cora’s story is often very bleak, but it’s threaded through with resistance, resilience, courage, and hope, too. (RM)
“The Underground Railroad” is available on Amazon Prime Video.
“Allen v. Farrow” (Docuseries) – Directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick
In the #MeToo era, under new scrutiny about the sexual abuse allegations from his daughter and his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, his former partner’s daughter, Woody Allen has mostly weathered inconveniences — actors vowing not to work with him again, studios taking his movies off the schedule, a publisher dropping his new book (only for it to be picked up by another). The way his defenders frame it, his life has been ruined since his daughter, Dylan Farrow, once again came forward with accusations that he molested her in 1992. His life has very much not been ruined, but watching “Allen v. Farrow,” you wish Allen would have to deal with ramifications other than switching up the release plans for his latest memoir.
From directors Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick — who previously explored facets of rape culture with “The Hunting Ground,” “On the Record,” and “The Invisible War” — this docuseries takes another look at the allegations against Allen, from a post-Harvey Weinstein vantage point. Most of the information presented in “Allen v. Farrow” — Allen’s relationship to Mia Farrow’s large family, the affair with college-aged Previn, the details of the abuse Dylan suffered, the custody battle — is a matter of public record. But crucially, this story is told from Dylan and Mia’s perspectives, which the media pretty much stifled or ignored when the accusations first came out. A beloved figure because of his films, Allen used the press to his advantage, framing Mia as a spurned ex-lover making up crazy stories to get back at him and using their daughter as a pawn. (Mia was initially portrayed as manipulating Dylan into hating Allen in order to gain full custody — a bogus phenomenon that many parents, usually mothers, continue to be accused of.) And, for the most part, he won: up until the #MeToo resurgence of recent years, the entire world knew about the allegations and essentially shrugged them off.
It’s unlikely Woody Allen will ever have to face real consequences for what he did to Dylan — “Allen v. Farrow” makes that infuriatingly clear. But, even if they can’t get true justice, at least Mia and Dylan were able to speak their truths in this project. We, as a culture, let them down. Hopefully, having seen “Allen v. Farrow” and heard all the stories that have come out since Weinstein, we won’t be so quick to make the same mistake in the future. (RM)
“Allen v. Farrow” is available on HBO Max.
“Mare of Easttown” (Miniseries)
“Mare of Easttown”
Kate Winslet returned to the small screen after a long hiatus in “Mare of Easttown.” A decade after her last major TV role, HBO period drama “Mildred Pierce,” she gave another Emmy-winning performance in this crime drama set in small-town Pennsylvania.
A former basketball star, Mare Sheehan (Winslet), AKA Lady Hawk, is a detective responsible for the proudest moment in Easttown sports history, but her glory days are far behind her. She’s been working to find the missing daughter of her former classmate for a year with no leads, and when another young woman is found murdered, her community begins to unravel. Mare’s home life is also in disarray. Her ex-husband (David Denman) just moved across the street, and though she lives with her mom (Jean Smart), the two can’t seem to stand one another. Haunted by the feeling that she’s not good enough to be the person others want her to be, Mare’s fears seem to be confirmed when her daughter (Angourie Rice), so used to being disappointed by her mom, urges Mare’s new co-worker to “lower [his] expectations.”
Relentlessly dark and dour, “Mare of Easttown” — and Mare herself — don’t make for easy company, but are worth the investment. “Mare of Easttown” is the Oscar winner’s latest master class — and one of her finest yet. (LB)
“Mare of Easttown” is available on HBO Max.
“Maid” (Miniseries) – Created by Molly Smith Metzler
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir, “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” “Maid” stars Margaret Qualley as Alex, a young mom struggling to get by after leaving her emotionally abusive partner, Sean (Nick Robinson). She is able to remove herself, and her daughter, from a dangerous environment, but there isn’t really anywhere else to turn. Alex has a car and a little cash, but no job, no reliable family or friends, and no professional skills. Her first night away from Sean, she and her daughter sleep in their vehicle. Alex is able to get some help from Social Services, but it’s hardly a panacea. Accessing SNAP or subsidized housing means being buried in paperwork and red tape. The only job lead she finds is the titular cleaning gig: one shift a week for a service that takes a cut, and requires employees to provide their own supplies and transportation.
“Maid” is often a deluge of bad luck and crappy options for Alex, although it’s also quite funny. (In one particularly memorable scene, Alex has trouble following the lawyers’ jargon during a custody hearing; all she hears is “legal legal legal” as they drone on, a la “Peanuts.”) It can be a tough watch, especially since Alex keeps doing the “right” thing — leaving her abuser, only using welfare services until she’s back on her feet, working hard at whatever job she can find, putting her daughter’s wellbeing above everything else — in a system that is flawed at best, harmful at worst. In the world of “Maid,” as in this one, the social safety net has quite a few holes. (RM)
“Maid” is available on Netflix.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” – Created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble
“The Sex Lives of College Girls”
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” isn’t nearly as raunchy as its eye-catching title suggests. The HBO Max comedy is unapologetically horny, yes, and considerably more invested in what its four leads are learning in bedrooms as opposed to lecture halls, but its driving force is exploring sex and sexuality rather than depicting it.
From creators Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, the series is set at a prestigious New England college and follows four roommates: Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), an earnest and sheltered scholarship student who is struggling to fit in with her wealthy peers; Bela (Amrit Kaur), a self-described “extremely sex positive” Indian-American comedy fanatic who is lying to her parents about majoring in molecular biology; Leighton (Reneé Rapp), a rich, Regina George-type legacy student who reeks of privilege but is struggling inwardly; and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), a famous senator’s daughter who is trying to carve out her own identity as a star soccer player.
Full of cringe comedy and warmth, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” left me desperate for Season 2. TV is and has been full of stories about highschoolers, but audiences haven’t spent nearly as much time watching drama unfold on college campuses. We’re being introduced to Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, and Whitney as they discover, re-discover, and decide who they want to be outside of their parents’ households, and while their sex lives play a role in their coming-of-age stories, their identities — and the show — are about so much more, not least of which is their burgeoning friendship. (LB)
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” is available on HBO Max.
“Black and Missing” (Docuseries) – Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren, Samantha Knowles, and Yoruba Richen
From an all-women of color directing team, this docuseries is an unsettling look into the way systemic racism factors into missing persons cases in the United States. “Black and Missing” introduces us to Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson, the founders of Black & Missing Foundation, Inc. (BAMFI). Through their work, the sisters-in-law advocate for missing persons of color, help families and friends search for missing loved ones, and educate the public about the racial disparity in the police resources and media attention given to missing persons cases.
The docuseries also branches out from the Wilsons and BAMFI, unpacking several past and current cases involving missing people of color and exploring how different facets of white supremacy inform how missing persons cases are handled. One of them, sadly but unsurprisingly, is the criminal justice system’s overall disregard for and dehumanization of Black lives. Police routinely murder and physically harm Black folks; as “Black and Missing” shows us, they’re also quick to dismiss or shrug off cases involving missing people of color.
To be perfectly honest, “Black and Missing” is really, really upsetting. It should be. Nothing will change if we, as citizens, aren’t informed about the issue, if activists such as Derrica and Natalie Wilson aren’t given a platform, and if white folks (like this writer) aren’t forced to recognize our own complicity. (RM)
“Black and Missing” is available on HBO Max.
“Yellowjackets” – Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson
A gender-flipped take on a “Lord of the Flies” with a killer soundtrack, “Yellowjackets” tells the story of an elite New Jersey-based high school girls soccer team who get in a plane accident en route to a national tournament in the ’90s. Survivors are left stranded deep in the wilderness, forced to learn how to fend for themselves. The series shifts between the girls’ experiences in isolation and their present-day lives as adults dealing with the fallout of their trauma.
It’s the second series in two years about a plane full of girls that crashes in a remote location, but “Yellowjackets” and its predecessor, Prime Video’s “The Wilds,” are very different shows. Both are absolutely worth checking out, but it’s “Yellowjackets,” and all of its brutality and ’90s nostalgia, that we’re paying tribute to here.
With a strong ensemble cast that includes Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress, and Sophie Nélisse, “Yellowjackets” never loses momentum, whether it’s focusing on escalating drama in the wilderness or following the middle-aged women struggling to overcome the wreckage of their pasts and to reckon with the disappointments of adulthood. It’s an intoxicating blend of coming-of-age drama, horror, suspense, and mystery. As much as I’d love to binge “Yellowjackets,” having to wait for a new episode each week only adds to the excitement. (LB)
“Yellowjackets” airs Sundays on Showtime. Past episodes are available on demand.
“Starstruck” – Created by Rose Matafeo; Directed by Karen Maine; Written by Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden
“Starstruck”
This may just be 2021’s best rom-com. A “Notting Hill”-esque story starring, created by, and co-written by comedian Rose Matafeo, “Starstruck” sees its protagonist hooking up with, and eventually falling for, a movie star. To its credit, the series takes this outlandish premise, succeeds in making it seem plausible, and explores it in surprisingly poignant ways.
Jessie (Matafeo) is a warm, funny, underemployed Londoner who goes home with the sweet Tom (Nikesh Patel) on New Year’s Eve. The next day she discovers he’s not just some dude, but a famous actor known for action blockbusters such as “Octane.” They genuinely like each other, but could a real relationship ever flourish between a “nobody” like her and an international star like him? That’s the question Jessie and Tom keep asking themselves over the course of “Starstruck’s” six episodes, which span one year, from New Year’s Eve to Christmas.
Between Jessie’s group of nosy friends and the many obstacles the couple encounter on their way to actually being together, “Starstruck” hits a lot of familiar rom-com beats — again, it is knowingly reminiscent of “Notting Hill” — but manages to feel fresh, and honest. When she sees the other women Tom has dated, Jessie feels self-conscious about her looks; Tom is warned that dating a “civilian” would be disastrous; and Tom’s work requires constant travel, so long separations are part of the deal. This show is so charming that you root for these crazy kids to try and make it work anyway. And, eventually, they do. Season 2 can’t get here soon enough. (RM)
“Starstruck” is available on HBO Max.
Honorable Mentions
“Nuclear Family” (Docuseries) – Directed by Ry Russo-Young (HBO Max)
“WandaVision” – Created by Jac Schaeffer (Disney+)
“Made for Love” – Created by Alissa Nutting, Christina Lee, Dean Bakopoulos, and Patrick Somerville; Directed by Stephanie Laing and Alethea Jones (HBO Max)
“Rutherford Falls” – Created by Sierra Teller Ornelas, Ed Helms, and Mike Schur (Peacock)
“Girls5eva” – Created by Meredith Scardino (Peacock)
“We Are Lady Parts” – Created, Written, and Directed by Nida Manzoor (Peacock)
“Blindspotting” (Starz)
“Physical” – Created by Annie Weisman (Apple TV+)
“Sort Of” – Created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo (HBO Max)
