What I’m Watching: Minx (Season Finale)

Minx: Season 1, Episode 10 “You happened to me” (B+)

I wasn’t sure what to make of the opening of this episode, but I was thrilled to see Allison Tolman, an actress who had similarly vengeful aims in her last role on “Why Women Kill,” as Wanda, who found a clever way to respond to her husband’s obnoxious demands by giving him a truly spicy treat. That event led to a premature reunion for Doug and Joyce, where Joyce still wasn’t apologizing but they had to deal with the first of numerous lawsuits about how Minx had spurred women to do things that men couldn’t condone. Willy’s hastily organized M.E.N. group was the definition of chauvinistic and childish, but that didn’t stop them from barging into the Bottom Dollar offices and destroying them until Tina finally called in some backup to get rid of them. It was nice to see some good moments of connection and growth for all of the characters during that time, and, while this show has yet to be picked up for a second season, which makes me slightly nervous, it’s very likely it will return and all of our characters will too. Tina may be moving on to something else and Shelly may have decided that her family – and her husband – are where she needs to be, but Joyce being in charge of Minx should be an interesting new direction. I do imagine that Doug will still be involved, she just may have the creative control she’s always been seeking. This show has been a blast and I would love to see all of the cast – you can watch my interviews with them here – rewarded come Emmy time.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Ophelia Lovibond as Joyce and Jake Johnson as Doug

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 9 “We're gonna need more tinsel” (B+)

So much for Joyce making a quick return to Minx. Taking some time away to be with Maggie felt therapeutic at first, but, after coming to Maggie’s work and getting an offer to write a piece for her publication, she realized that she was being used for her interesting story, something that she didn’t appreciate and didn’t want to have any part in when that was, to a degree, the reason she was championing her feminist ideas. Leaving the dinner party to go meet a random guy was a move that didn’t feel very much like her, and Maggie was upset enough about it to want an apology, something she hardly felt like giving considering how she was made to feel in front of her friends. Doug was understandably frustrated with everyone’s unhappiness that Joyce was no longer there, reminding them that they somehow made magazines long before Joyce was ever a part of the team. It was particularly bad timing for Billy to be an uncooperative model, one who insisted that he had to do things the way he wanted and was aggressive enough to get Richie to storm out and leave Doug to take the pictures. Bambi’s efforts to boost Shelly’s self-esteem after her husband expressed aimless angst about not being able to fulfill her needs were kindhearted and led to an unexpected union that is sure to change the nature of their relationship going forward, even if Bambi is likely to move on without giving it much thought.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 8 “Oh, so you're the sun now? You're the giver of life?” (B+)

I’m not sure I’ve thought too much about what Joyce’s life was like before all this, since she still has such an uphill battle to navigate even with the relatively forward-thinking Doug. This episode provided an informative flashback, one that also introduced us to Gillian Jacobs’ Maggie, who was the same kind of loyal support system for her that Bambi and Shelly are now. Going undercover to write a piece about a chauvinistic commune didn’t turn out to be the game-changing expose she had hoped it would be, but she’s really come into her own in the time since then, going toe-to-toe with Dick and showing that her ideas have plenty of substance. Bringing out Victoria Harnett, played by the always fantastic Hope Davis, who I interviewed last year about her role on “Your Honor,” to chastise her for the way she’s going about her feminism was an unfortunate curveball, but not as impactful as Doug being brought too so that he could undermine her with a cover announcement. She’ll surely be back at Minx before long, but Doug is going to have to do some serious damage control in the meantime. It’s interesting to learn that Tina and Doug have had a thing in the past, and that she wasn’t eager to let Bambi and Richie see who the flowers were from because they know how this has typically ended. Even if it’s not in a romantic context, Doug is going to need his closest advisor now more than ever to keep the young magazine running without its editor.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 7 “God save the Queen of Dicks” (B+)

This episode felt like a slam dunk for Minx, starting with Doug and the team enjoying making up organizations that objected to the magazine to drum up buzz and visiting a newsstand to learn that all the copies had been quickly sold out. Joyce’s big-time celebrity profile didn’t work out as planned after she got bumped for Cloris Leachman, and though the replacement was actually interested in her and had done his research, the direction of the article didn’t show her in the best light. Sleeping with Glenn didn’t necessarily seem like a step backwards, but she did feel that way about it once she heard him suddenly offer to fund and take credit for Minx when he had for years shut it down and claimed they didn’t have enough money for any ventures like that. She scored her biggest win on the radio show when she was ready for all the obnoxious comments from the men and had amazing comebacks all teed up, with many listening laughing and cheering for her. Ritchie also found success after initially being too nervous to go for it, and it was great to see Bambi push him to go. I’m glad we got to see a little bit of Amy Landecker’s militant conservative politician Bridget Westbury again, pledging to go on the warpath at the library and then turning off Joyce’s radio broadcast in horror when she got in the car. Shelly is retreating from work due to everything that’s going on in her home life, and I hope that someone will stop to check on her soon.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 6 “A feminist with frisson” (B+)

I’m having a hard time reading Glenn, and that could because actor Michael Angarano has played two characters who have gone through complicated waves, on “Will and Grace” and “This Is Us.” When he had his name chanted and set out to cover Joyce’s press conference, he transformed from the pompous and condescending chauvinist we met in the first episode to someone who didn’t necessarily want to publicly support her but also bore no ill will against her. In this episode, he was all about helping her, offering her up somebody who wasn’t the right fit for what he needed but could be exactly right for him. It turns out that there are those more like her than she thought, who upon learning of a magazine with naked photos in it would feel that it shouldn’t exist even if it does allow an avenue for feminism. Some of their ideas were even more radical and woke than a lot of what’s commonplace now, like the concept that all marriage is rape, and ending the episode with a book burning ceremony of sorts on a college campus was not a great look. Shelly and Bambi also ended up in unexpected territory when they got arrested for distributing pornography too close to a school, and it was interesting to see how the two of them both reacted to it. I’m particularly curious about Shelly’s unwillingness to stay in the work world after she goes home. The dynamic that Doug and Tina have continues to be extremely compelling, and I like that she always knows what he’s going to do before he does. Richie was typically clever and seemed the most at ease with finding a new home for the returned magazines.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 5 “Just relaying news about a wayward snake” (B+)

For all his efforts to try to empower Joyce and help her achieve the version of her vision that he believes is possible, Doug isn’t always great at walking the walk, talking so much when Joyce was just waiting to get a word in that he didn’t get the benefit of her getting to share what she had noticed and accomplished. It’s been more than two decades since Al Sapienza played Mikey Palmice in the first season of “The Sopranos,” yet he’s a great go-to choice for someone in the mafia with a relatable personality that hides a far more violent side that could emerge at any moment. Having to physically rip out the pages with the article about birth control was hardly a sustainable solution, and it was understandable that those involved with the other magazines got upset with Minx for getting too much attention and focus from Doug and Tina. The storming of the photoshoot was quite intense, and it was great to see Tina take charge and chastise everyone, figuring out a way to knock Minx down a peg while still allowing them to get their jobs done. Bambi was the other MVP of the office, stepping in when everyone else was freaking out about the snake to calmly go pick it up without any hesitation. Joyce was trying so hard to figure out her own creative and forward-thinking take on the David, and it was nice to see that, through it all, her brilliant team figured out the perfect interpretation to show her when she got back.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 4 “An exciting new chapter in the annals of erotica” (B+)

It’s a lot of fun to see Joyce try to educate everyone else about what feminism means, and that was particularly true with Shane. He is the epitome of what people think about models, which could have been appropriate given the gender flip that made him just like the female models who might have graced the covers of Doug’s other magazines. But, as we know, even though they may not be well-versed in egalitarianism and other concepts, there’s more to them than meets the eye. In Shane’s case, he was attracted to the fact that Joyce always sounded smart but he was most certainly not on the same page as her regarding the fact that they were just having fun. Doug was enjoying the opportunity to gloat as Joyce was the one being irresponsible for once and mixing business with pleasure, and fortunately Joyce found a way to apologize to Shane while still maintaining a level of professionalism. The press conference didn’t go all that terribly, and it was a relief that Glenn volunteered to take it from his group of cruel chauvinists so that he could help her get things back on track. I like how Tina is trying to keep the company afloat while Doug puts way too much of his own money into this one magazine, and seeing it now come to fruition should be interesting since it’s likely going to be quite popular but also attract some negative attention from those who absolutely do not want it to succeed.

What I’m Watching: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 3 “A roll of film, a 3-iron, and a pearl necklace” (B+)

It’s particularly interesting to see how this new business in which Joyce finds herself is being redefined, classified as something deplorable and almost criminal, as she is beginning to realize is inherent merits. Finding out that they usually get tips before completely expected police raids so that they can expedite the process of paying fines and getting their art and supplies back left Joyce scrambling to figure out how she could possibly get this issue ready in time, while Doug took some unscrupulous steps to try to compel their new contact to work with them. I was thrilled to see Amy Landecker, who played one of the adult siblings on “Transparent,” as Bridget, the woman with no sense of humor and a determination to put Minx and everything associated with it out of business. I love that her scouts had prepared right-wing answers to Joyce mentioning the ERA, and that Doug and presumably Joyce made it so that the uniform they delivered back to her just in time for the photo had a badge reading “Troop 69” for her. Eugene’s visit to the office could have been a lot more scandalous, as Shelly feared that it was when she saw all of the actresses and models gathered around him, but it turns out things can be considerably more wholesome than others expect for people involved in this line of work. Shelly definitely does need to get out of the house, and as long as Joyce learns how to recognize the contributions of those around her, the two of them working together shouldn’t be a problem. Doug complimenting Joyce on making the headlines more relatable should be exactly the kick she needs to realize that there is tremendous value in others helping to interpret, refine, and reimagine her important mission-driven talking points.

Round Two: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 2 “Au revoir, le double dong” (B+)

I like that we’re getting to see the evolution of this magazine and that it’s not an easy process but one that is very slowly headed in the direction that Joyce wants. Bambi asking the director why she would be punishing another girl in detention when there could be something going on at home was a humorous start to it, and Doug wanting to go over after all the expected chauvinistic publications rather than the nonprofits Joyce had suggested dialed that all back. I’m always a fan of Stephen Tobolowsky, and his Mr. Ross was quite the condescending man, eager to comment on how Joyce’s forward-thinking nature was offensive to him and to demean her by cutting her out of the meeting she set up with him and Doug. To his credit, Doug did a great job negotiating with him, and knew that Joyce probably wouldn’t be okay with a night with Bambi being part of the deal. Joyce calling him out in public and then slapping him was quite dramatic but not nearly as well-received as she would have hoped, but at least Bambi got to both save his life and break a few of his ribs in the process. I like the relationship that we’re seeing between Joyce and Shelly, and how Shelly is opening Joyce’s mind up to certain elements of her business that she hadn’t previously considered as anything but negative. The episode’s ending certainly indicated an expansion of her perspective, one that will definitely help her be open to new advertising sources.

Pilot Review: Minx

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.