Indeed. I watched on iPlayer which has clear trigger warnings.
Men are always secondary in Wainwright’s dramas. She is all about writing strong female characters; Janet Scott, Rachel Bailey and Gill Murray in Scott & Bailey; Celia Dawson, Caroline McKenzie-Dawson, Gillian Greenwood in Last Tango; Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley; Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack.
The emphasis is always on the bonds that women form with other women, often in adversity. Like it or not, that adversity is often caused by the bad behaviour of men.
In Riot Women, as Kitty’s story emerges over the six episodes, her wild, erratic, self-destructive behaviour makes for uncomfortable viewing but is entirely understandable. The meltdown in the supermarket is caused by a present day betrayal and something else which has triggered a terrible trauma experienced in the past.
The men were useless, feckless, patronising stereotypes.
Were they?
Beth’s brother is a man who resents what he regards as his inheritance being spent on their mother’s dementia care. Are you saying these arguments don’t happen in families? Let’s put mother in a cheaper care home even though the money now being spent on her care is what she worked for.
Her son Tom is dealing with what adopted children who go in search of natural parents have to do - face the uncertainly of what they might discover - the kind of apprehension people taking part in TVs Long Lost Family must face.
Tim is also the kind of young man whose behaviour is complained about almost weekly on this board; the son who ends up spending more time with his in-laws than his own mother.
Jerry is a hard working man who obviously adores Jess.
Holly’s ex-husband Tony has to balance police staffing levels and station morale with knowing that not all his officers are angels and turning a blind eye to it. I suspect Sir Mark Rowley has the same concerns. This was a timely drama not least because of the recent Panorama revelations about continuing misogynistic and racist behaviour in the Met.
Kitty’s father and brothers were a notorious crime gang. OCGs do exist. They are mentioned frequently on this board.
Are these stereotypes? I don’t think so. They are just dramatic depictions of real life issues.
