Lights, Camera, Women!

TV shows and movies have been some of my best teachers, even if the plot was rooted in science fiction, fantasy, or otherwise improbable situations. No matter how much time and money is spent on special effects, location, costumes, or advertising, TV shows and movies don’t stand a chance of truly succeeding without compelling characters. While I’ve learned a lot from all of my years of watching TV shows and movies, I’ve learned most of those lessons from female characters.

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

While she might not have superpowers or high-tech armor and be the only female member of The Avengers, at least before Wanda Maximoff bewitched her way onto the team, Black Widow has shown she’s more than capable of holding her own with a little help from her friends. Natasha shows us how to use our skills to the absolute fullest and look awesome while doing it. She doesn’t seem the slightest bit impressed or intimidated by the fact that she fights alongside a god, an American legend, and two of the smartest men in the Marvel universe.

It’s easy to become jealous of other people, compare ourselves to them, and covet what they have, but what if we were more like Black Widow? What if we knew the totality of our worth and didn’t try to place ourselves in a box in which we know we can’t fit? Maybe we should start asking ourselves, “What would Black Widow do?”

Claire Underwood

Claire Underwood is one of the most ambitious women on television. She plays the First Lady on House of Cards, but she knows all too well that her position and status are directly linked and overshadowed by her presidential husband, Frank Underwood. Claire also realizes she can lose her status just as quickly as Meechum can lose his sense of boundaries after a few drinks. Claire shows us that no matter how high your position, you can quickly and easily be laid low by the whims and wills of others.

Another insight Claire imparts is that we should never settle when it comes to relationships. Like Natasha, Claire knows her worth and isn’t willing to settle for being in an unfulfilling relationship where she’s not fully satisfied and appreciated for all she’s worth. How many people do we know who have settled in a life or relationship where they aren’t happy, aren’t being challenged to do and be better, and are willing to accept “good enough?”

Vanessa Ives

Never in the history of television (at least in my opinion) has there been a character more intriguing and well-composed (or eloquently spoken) than Miss Vanessa Ives. Penny Dreadful’s Vanessa Ives first arrested my attention with her initial interaction with Ethan Chandler (played by Josh Hartnett) and has held me in sway ever since. Touched by the “back hand of God,” Vanessa is at once accepting and sometimes fearful of her supernatural abilities and often seems quite comfortable being far removed from “normal” people, no matter how often she immerses herself in the pool of humanity. She has no qualms or apologies for who and what she is, and that’s a trait we can all learn from.

Miss Ives also teaches us there’s wisdom to be gained in the more melancholy and solitary aspects of life, something I know all too well as an introvert. Rather than despair or attempt to recreate herself to fit in, Vanessa glorifies in going out by herself and is in no rush to be in a relationship with a man who doesn’t operate on the same wavelength as she does, even if she is a product of the Victorian era.

There are several more female characters whom I adore, including Buffy Summers, Joan Holloway, Zoe Washburn, and Christina Yang, but these three have a fond place in my heart. While fictional, the lessons they impart are very real and very relatable. You know you’ve found a truly magnificent TV show or movie when it’s just as educational as it is entertaining.