We thoroughly enjoy this series. Our one point of contention is the
overwhelming portrayal of the male characters as being weak and
inferior. This trend is apparent in very many media productions these
days, from advertizing to film. We feel that the sexes should be
equally represented on all levels. Thank you, Elizabeth Potvin.
My wife and I agree, it's a big flaw in this show.
shareMy original post 2014: That is par for the course with Sally Wainwright's shows. If you watch Last Tango in Halifax, At Home with the Braithwaites or Happy Valley you will find the same issues. You will also notice some of the same characters appearing in different shows under different names. "Mike" in the final series of Braithwaites is indistinguishable from "John" in series 2 of Tango. Both are portrayed as sad, selfish losers trying to publish a book. The same plot point about giving birth to a stillborn baby was first used in Braithwaites, then later re-used in Scott & Bailey.
Update 2016: Make that TWO re-uses of the stillborn baby! The same story appeared in its third Wainwright show, Last Tango in Halifax.
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remember: tv is called PROGRAMMING, items of news are STORIES
Interesting info, TravisTheSky. Maybe these recurring themes are some of Wainwright's own personal 'unfinished business'?
shareAs an American viewer I was struck by the same thing -- though I really like the series. The guys all fall heavily on the pathetic side and they aren't really portrayed as complex human beings as Rachel and Janet are. Surely, these guy cops must have some redeeming qualities. I just finished watching entire Season 2 (Season 3 in Region 1 format is not yet available in the USA). Sean (Rachel's long lost boyfriend) seems stable and wants to marry her though I doubt she's in condition to sustain ANY kind of committed relationship. She has her own demons, and then there's her brother, Dominic, who can't seem to help himself and repeatedly makes catastrophic choices which only add to Rachel's many burdens. Looking forward to Season 3 and 4 when released in USA. Hope there's a multi-dimensional guy in there somewhere
shareI agree that Sean seems stable & that Rachel isn't in condition for a committed relationship, but I also find Sean very pushy. He seems to be pushing marriage on her & he's not hearing her ambivalence. So, although he appears nice, steady & stable, I think he's self centered. Sean wants what he wants & he disregard's what Rachel wants.
shareNot all! Pete bangs his friend's mom at the friend's wedding!
shareYes you are right ---- especially since for 1000 years women have been represented as so strong in all Literature
share-:)
shareTwo wrongs don't make a right...women can be portrayed as strong without men being portrayed as weak. It's just lazy writing.
shareTwo wrongs don't make a right...women can be portrayed as strong without men being portrayed as weak. It's just lazy writing.
no it is just interesting writing
you can't imagine how many stalkers are weak men like Andy
Also, no matter how pathetic, weak, childish, or murderous the men are, the female leads are still interested in them. Adrian, how did he get to be a dtective he acts like a HS sophomore or a stalker
shareThe series is ,obviously, very often extreme feministic, but at the same time, it's so f_____g good that I as a male don't care for that 😃 About Sean; he practically bullied Rachel into marriage, so sorry if I don't feel bad for him!
"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever" G. Orwell
You know, this is something I've given thought to while reviewing the show (it's on my compulsory rematch list) and while it's true that the men are not emotionless robots, or superheroes, neither are Scott or Bailey. It's interesting how the relationship between Bailey and the barrister is a parallel tale of Scott's with Andy. He's a very cool guy, good at his job, etc. He's in love with Scott, but rolling along nicely until she starts dabbling with him.
The men and women in this show are equally flawed and beautiful, yes, far less time is given to the development of other characters male or female, for the sake of delving into the lives of the titular pair. And boy are they a mess! Neither strikes me as particularly strong, Rachel talks tough but she's the more fragile of the two. Janet seems to feel trapped in her life, but is afraid to strike out and make different choices. Even the way her relationship with Adrian ended. She throws him out in a fight, knowing the relationship isn't what she wants and then takes up with Andy (again choosing what's familiar and comfortable, though not what she really wants), strings him along til she breaks him, goes back to Adrian (why?) then breaks up with him again. You can't tell me these women are towers of strength.
RUBBISH. The OP is a pure idiot. The male characters are well portrayed. there's this real delusion that men in real life are all really strong and superior. The facts couldn't be further from the truth. i'm quite outraged by the oP to be honest.
shareAgreed. For every time they think a man is portrayed as "weak" I could name a time a woman is portrayed in a similar manner. Men are also shown as strong. Janet's husband refused to stay married to her when he'd found out she'd cheated on him and he wouldn't give up the house to her either. Sean left Rachel when he found out she'd been cheating. Janet & Rachel were continually showing flaws and screwing up, just like everyone else.
It's pretty pathetic how people have to divide up the characters by sex & decide how many are weak or strong.