The Fall: Men Who Hate Women
The evolution of television means that concepts get revisited every few years, adapted, improved upon. Sometimes when TV returns to an idea it makes the idea much better the second time around. Other times, the second go-around is middling (or worse) than the first time. The Battlestar Galactica reboots are examples of both. While Galactica 1980 was a horrible attempt at cashing in on the first series’ success, the 2005 reboot was a masterpiece. Funny enough, I consider the 2005 Galactica an improvement not on the original, but on Star Trek: Voyager. Ronald D. Moore worked on both series, and it always seemed like 2005 Galactica was what Voyager should have been. I see similar improvements in BBC’s The Fall, which is a direct improvement on a specific element of The X-Files: Dana Scully.
Thanks to its availability in full on Netflix, the wife and I have been attempting a series run-through of The X-Files. It’s been slow going, mainly due to how badly the series has aged. Make no mistake: Dana Scully is an iconic character, one of the most badass women on TV at the time and the inspiration for women of that generation and younger to enter the STEM fields. But she’s still a woman on TV in the 90s, meaning she’s subject to all sorts of casual misogyny from the other characters. The writers treat her no better; Scully is often the damsel in distress, and for as smart as she is she needs to be rescued more often than I would have guessed.
The writers’ treatment of Scully has made a rewatch difficult, especially in light of Gillian Anderson’s character in The Fall. As DSI Stella Gibson, Anderson is the undisputed head of a serial murder investigation. She’s treated with respect, with none of the casual dismissal Scully faces on a regular basis. When Gibson ends up in trouble, it’s for logical plot reasons, not because the plot needed someone to be rescued. The two series premiered almost 20 years apart, but the attitudes the new series have regarding women make the earlier series seem very quaint.
The Fall is only 17 episodes long, which is typical of most British shows. It makes for a great binge-worthy show, although keep a puppy on hand to hug once each episode finishes. At the beginning of the series, DSI Gibson (Anderson) is called to Belfast from her home precinct of London. DSI Gibson is initially only brought over to conduct a review of an ongoing investigation of a strangling victim. Once she arrives; however, all hell breaks loose. A second victim is found, and Gibson quickly realizes that both victims are the work of a serial killer (Jamie Dorman). As she takes over the investigation and the bodies start to pile up, the killer starts to taunt Gibson, and she becomes more resolved than ever to catch him.
Plotwise, The Fall is nothing like The X-Files; there’s no overarching alien conspiracy theory in play. But the line from Scully to DSI Gibson cannot be ignored. Both characters are the best in their field, navigating a mostly male-dominated world. Both are after ruthless killers who show no remorse for their actions. There’s no real Mulder character in The Fall for Anderson to play off of, but her DSI Gibson doesn’t need one. In all instances Gibson remains cool, calm, and collected, in touch with both herself and her surroundings. This is especially apparent early in the first season, with a shooting at the police station. While other officers freeze, Gibson does her job with robotic precision. No Mulder, but The Fall doesn’t need one.
The closest thing to a foil for Gibson is serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dorman). After watching The Fall, I’m prepared to take back every bad thought I had about Dorman’s acting abilities. While he was the most wooden thing about 50 Shades of Grey, here Dorman is a master actor. Paul Spector is a terrifying human being, and Dorman sells the character to the audience with little effort. If Dorman had tried as hard on 50 Shades as he does here, that movie would have been so much better.
Props also go to writer/creator Allan Cubitt, who fleshed out all his characters. With The Fall, Cubitt has created a truly modern series, which makes no apologies for its characters’ lives. At the same time, it offers no easy answers. It’s easy to hate on Spector until the third season, at which point the lines become more blurred. The Belfast police department are the heroes, yet their investigation is wracked with mishaps and incompetence. Even Gibson isn’t above reproach, as her motives are questioned by nearly everyone.
And here is our X-Files problem. Yes, Scully was a pioneering character, but the limits of TV writing of the time make her adventures less than ideal. After watching The Fall, it’s hard to go back to the earlier series and not see its flaws. Chris Carter may have opened doors for Gillian Anderson, but Alan Cubitt perfected them.
The Fall tl;drs
Quick summary: DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is called to Belfast from London to review the investigation of a strangling victim. She quickly realizes; however, that the victim isn’t alone and she’s dealing with the work of a serial killer.
Too many writers? All writing credit goes to the series creator Allan Cubitt.
Recommended if you like: Scully (when she was being a badass), intense and complete story arcs.
Better than I expected? Jamie Dorman, hands down. If he’d bothered to put in half his performance here on 50 Shades of Grey, he might have gotten more respect for that role.
Worse than I hoped? There’s a tone shift in the third season that you’re either going to love or hate. I was fine with it, but I recognize that the switch from police thriller to hospital drama was the only place the series could go.
Should it be rebooted? Too early for this. I would like to see a fourth series though.
Verdict: If you like badass women doing badass things, then you should have watched this by now.
Related Reading: Wiki article
Related Viewing: Catatonia: “Mulder and Scully”
