Top 20 New Shows of 2020: #11

My annual TV Awards, the AFT Television Awards, are given out during the summer. It’s always nice to check in midway through the television season to reflect back on all the calendar year introduced us to. As 2020 closes out and 2021 begins, here’s a look back at the best new shows of the year.

#11: Mrs. America

It’s hard to decide which is more impressive – the characters this show presents or the remarkable actresses enlisted to portray them. Revisiting the fight for and against the Equal Rights Amendment is a wholly worthwhile exercise, with a perfect combination of real-life events and fictional composites to make it a mesmerizing watch. Stream all nine episodes now on Hulu.

Best Episode: “Jill”
Pilot Review | Episode Reviews

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America (Series Finale)

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 9 “Reagan” (B)

I found this final episode to be the weakest of the series, but that doesn’t mean it was bad, just that everything else up to this point was superior. Maybe it was that each hour focused specifically on one woman, and the penultimate one was about the lesser-known women behind the scenes. This hour was more about what happened after as this show rushed to its rather abrupt conclusion that came as a result of Reagan’s election. The biggest casualty was definitely Phyllis herself who, after basking in the glory of getting to mock Bella and Gloria publicly and await a phone call from the president she helped get elected, did in fact get that call, only to be told that she couldn’t get what she had worked for because he needed to placate the pro-ERA groups. Her fate wasn’t all that different from what happened to Alice, which was to realize that she was no longer part of the movement she had worked so hard to support, unwilling to accept the concessions that Rosemary cruelly told her she should have known would have to be made. Bella being dismissed because she wasn’t wanted anymore was another unfortunate retirement, though at least she had the backing of her fellow liberals – including Jill – who showed solidarity by refusing to participate if she couldn’t be a part of it. Ending with cuts to modern-day happenings related to the ERA was very powerful, and this show definitely signed off on a high note. This series is likely headed for major awards recognition, and I for one will be happy to see it collect many trophies. While Blanchett was obviously excellent, I’d also love to see recognition for Elizabeth Banks (Jill), Ari Graynor (Brenda), and Kayli Carter (Pamela) in addition to the big-name stars.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Cate Blanchett as Phyllis

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America (Penultimate Episode)

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 8 “Houston” (B+)

I wasn’t sure what to make of this episode’s title originally since it’s the first one that isn’t someone’s name. I thought it would be a great chance to see all of the characters we’ve met so far converging in one place, and while it was that to a degree, it was also a very worthwhile opportunity to get to see some of the women who have been in the background for most of the show. I had wondered why it was that Sarah Paulson, who has seven Emmy nominations, had such a small role, and now it made sense since she got a major spotlight here. It’s true that this show’s primary weakness is a lack of objective sympathy for the conservative women it portrays, but that didn’t make this episode, or Paulson’s performance, any less compelling. After Alice’s poor performance on camera, her drunken stupor led to some powerful moments, including her belting out what Flo pointed out to her was a Marxist song and Gloria simply complimenting what she was wearing when she failed to deliver the masterful takedown she had been preparing. Having Phyllis ask her only about Gloria and then tell her to fix her face was demeaning, and Rosemary’s treatment of her was far from kind. I was also very impressed with Kayli Carter’s performance in this episode as Pamela. Carter turned in a strong performance in the film “Private Life” as a prospective surrogate whose politics likely align much more with Pamela at the end of the convention than the person she was at the start. As dramatized here, the convention was a very moving event, full of significant interactions and developments that managed to really bring diverse people together, including Betty with her unexpected endorsement of protections for lesbians.

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 7 “Bella” (B+)

We’ve been seeing Bella mostly as a supporting player making wisecracks over the course of this show so far, and it’s great to put a spotlight on her. I remember seeing Margo Martindale in “The Riches” and the movie “Paris, Je T’aime,” when my friend left the movie theater laughing uncontrollably at her entirely American French accent, more than a decade ago, and then appreciating her for her Emmy-winning turn on “Justified” and other roles. She really does a formidable job here, playing the part in front of the crowds but serving as much more of a mediator in private, juggling the priorities of those closest to her and assessing what she can truly achieve. Asking Betty whether anyone still calls her a radical anymore was one of the hour’s strongest scenes, and deciding that the gay rights agenda had to tabled was an unfortunate decision she didn’t want to make. I recognized Annie Parisse from “Person of Interest” and “The Following” as Midge, a crucial part of the new administration who was helpful to Bella until it became clear that she wasn’t fully willing to return the favor. As we saw the schism between Bella and Gloria, it was interesting to see Phyllis take a step back as her three closest allies all got themselves elected to official positions in the National Women’s Conference, ready to take down the organization from the inside. Calling Lottie to tell her that they couldn’t accept Klan support turned into a very different conversation, one that demonstrates her desire to win above all.

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 6 “Jill” (B+)

This may have been the most interesting installment yet, looking at a woman who doesn’t fall squarely within one camp and as a result has more to talk about it with the other side than everyone else. Elizabeth Banks has barely been featured thus far as the main Republican heading up the pro-ERA camp, and she’s a pretty fascinating character. Her marriage arrangement is most similar to that of Brenda and Marc, with relative equality between them that only becomes an issue when one of them pushes hard in a way that might affect that dynamic. I was struggling to recognize the actor who played Jill’s husband – a problem I’ve experienced with most of the male actors – and I now see that it was Josh Hamilton from “Eighth Grade.” His potential vice presidential bid made Jill’s activities objectionable for his backers, something that did not make Jill happy at all. Seeing how she was able to appeal to conservatives with Bella and Shirley staying silent by her side was very intriguing, and it’s in part because she was willing to accept certain behavior that they would balk at, and which Shirley tried to expose with unfortunately no consequences in a very pre-#metoo era. Jill meeting Phyllis was a fascinating encounter, which at first was full of biting exchanges but then turned very sour when Phyllis flat-out said that many of the secretaries and other women who endured sexual harassment were inviting it. Stop ERA being defeated at the Republican National Convention even after Phyllis partnered with someone who made her look liberal was a monumental development, but not nearly as emphatic and unforgettable as a degrading and crude sexual humor being shared while Phyllis was there before she was explicitly told to stop pursuing her most important issue. This series truly has many dimensions, and it’s an incredible look at a wide spectrum of similar experiences happening to many different people.

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 5 “Phyllis and Fred and Brenda and Marc” (B+)

The last restaged debate involving Phyllis that we saw was a highlight of the first few episodes, and this one was even more enthralling. I was thrilled to see a spotlight on Brenda Feigen-Fasteau, played by Ari Graynor, who starred recently in “I’m Dying Up Here.” It’s a subtler role than some of the other prominent women portrayed, and she was particularly excellent when she kept insisting during the debate that Phyllis name the case she was referencing. I didn’t recognize Adam Brody, whose career started with “The O.C.” and who appears in the upcoming film “Promising Young Woman,” as her husband, who didn’t mind that she slept with a woman but still had some concerns about what it meant for their marriage. Roberta Colindrez from “Ms. White Light” was a great choice to play Jules, and I also enjoyed seeing Jake Lacy as Stanley Pottinger. I also noticed Bobby Cannavale as the moderator, who thought things were testy at first and then watched in amazement as Phyllis responded to her husband referring her to as “submissive.” Aside from the debate itself, the examination of their relationship was probably the most interesting part of this episode. Taking the LSAT because her son decided he didn’t want to was actually resourceful, but Fred was furious because, as her son pointed out, the law is the one thing left that was all his. Cate Blanchett really is terrific as Phyllis, and the Emmy she’ll probably win for this performance will be wholly deserved.

What I’m Watching: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 4 “Betty” (B+)

Of the women portrayed on this show, Betty Friedan is definitely close to a loose cannon, but this episode featuring her most prominently was perfectly focused. The debate was with Phyllis, but her rivalry with Gloria was also spotlighted, resulting in an olive branch from Gloria at the end in the form of a phone call acknowledging how much of a mentor and inspiration Gloria considered her to be. Phyllis training with her husband for the debate was very informative, and I love how Betty accidentally met Fred when she bumped into him on her way out of the bathroom. Betty established an early lead on the stage when she attacked Phyllis for referring to the audience as girls rather than women, but things got out of control when she lost her temper and told Phyllis that she’d love to burn her at the stake. Many attendees still felt that she performed well and wanted autographs, but it’s understandable that she just needed to retreat. One of the most compelling elements of this show continues to be its examination of the intersection of many sub-movements within both the feminist and anti-feminist causes, with lesbians inside the black power movement and white supremacists with the Stop ERA group popping up in this episode. Gloria and everyone else in the office getting sexually harassed by phone was an unfortunate development, but not all efforts to derail their cause have to be in the form of serious arguments or protests, as such behavior can be both alienating and dispiriting.

Take Three: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 3 “Shirley” (B+)

Casting is key to this show, and we saw yet another instance of that with the latest prominently featured character in this episode. Uzo Aduba is most famous for playing Suzanne Warren, better known on Crazy Eyes, a role that won her two Emmy Awards, on “Orange is the New Black.” Her voice is distinct and recognizable, but she definitely manages to become a different person here as the trail-blazing Shirley Chisholm. Her presence was important in highlighting yet another divisive issue of the feminist movement, which is the intersection of gender and race, with black men feeling like she’s more interested in women’s issues and white women trying to make too many concessions to the mainstream. She held on for a while in her fight to remain on the ballot and in the race against McGovern, and she was clearly disheartened by the waning support she felt from those around her. Gloria had an opportunity to completely lose it when her carefully-arranged compromise felt apart at the last minute, an unsurprising if still agonizing development. Jill Ruckelshaus isn’t the only outlier on this show, as Phyllis and Alice discovered that the sentiments of racism and white supremacy spewed by one of their allies threatened to take their entire cause far too much to the right. Alice wasn’t willing to let it go, and Phyllis masterfully came up with a clever fix that may not change minds but at least makes it so that their platform isn’t subject to personal tweaking by any of its representatives.

Round Two: Mrs. America

Mrs. America: Season 1, Episode 2 “Gloria” (B+)

I’m making an effort to watch all three of the first episodes of this show right away, since I always find it overwhelming to stay up-to-date with Hulu’s offerings when they launch with three episodes at once and then pale down to one a week. This episode was a strong follow-up to the first, retaining the focus on Phyllis and her conservative world while spending a good deal of time with its new protagonist, Gloria Steinem. My issue with the first episode was less prominent here since Phyllis didn’t encounter as much sexism from her own peers, and instead got confronted both by a journalist and by some of her ideological rivals about whether she understood constitutional law and could back up what she was saying, namely her claim that the ERA would lead to unisex bathrooms and women being drafted to the military. Her husband’s advice was appropriate, that she never wanted to present an argument that was objectively and verifiably false, and that’s led to a modern-day sentiment of making statements with no supporting evidence that nonetheless can’t be outright refuted. Elizabeth Banks’ Jill Ruckelshaus is another intriguing figure, representing a subset of the women’s rights movement that doesn’t share the majority’s overly liberal sensibilities. The spotlight on Gloria was interesting, though I experienced much of what happened here in a film that premiered at Sundance, “The Glorias,” which had four different actresses playing the famed icon. I like the casting of Rose Byrne in the role here, and was also happy to see Jay Ellis from “Insecure” as her boyfriend Franklin Thomas. I’m pleased with the storytelling style here and will continue watching this historical narrative.

Pilot Review: Mrs. America

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.