12 Times BBC’s The Fall Deserved A Standing Ovation

(Image: The Fall / BBC)

Woman: Subject. Man: Object.

In Season 1, Stella is interrogated multiple times about her decision to have a one-night stand. She’s a single, consenting, adult woman and yet, she’s judged for this information. Also, she’s the one who comes forward with the information when she could’ve totally kept it a secret because she knows it will come up in the investigation. Have I mentioned that she also just happens to be an upstanding human being?

Anyway, instead of shrugging off her co-workers’ looks and ignoring their obvious judgments of her, she makes a point to call them out. Stella confronts what makes them uncomfortable about the situation saying, “that’s what really bothers you, isn’t it? The one night stand.” She continues, profanely noting how the man being the subject of the encounter and deciding to have the one-night stand is totally “ok” but when the woman is the “subject” and the man is the “object”, it’s “not so comfortable for you, is it?”.

It’s culturally acceptable for a man to have a one-night stand but not a woman, and why is that exactly? Often times we don’t notice pervasive sexism until someone points it out and Stella isn’t afraid to point it out to anyone who comes at her. Insert round of applause sound effect here.

Next: Will they be, in some way, less innocent?