Dietland
What it’s about: Plum, a smart, funny and kind woman, works as a ghostwriter at a top fashion magazine. She dreams of being thin and, presumably, happy. However, she begins to question her attitude toward weight loss — and her entire life — when she meets the feminist, body positive guru Verena. Meanwhile, a group of militant radical feminists known only as “Jennifer” begins targeting and killing men who hurt women.
The Gilead connection: Plum and June are both trapped in misogynist systems. The only difference between them is that Plum’s world is ours with a shot of surrealism; June’s is a worst-case scenario version of America’s future.
So, it should come as no surprise that, like The Handmaid’s Tale, women’s rage is a major storyline throughout Dietland. At the beginning of the show Plum is seething with anger, but she’s only dimly aware of it. She’s sick of being insulted and harassed because of her body; she’s fed up with everyone, including her boss, treating her like she’s stupid; she’s done with the idea that being fat should preclude personal fulfillment.
As Plum grows closer with Verena and her feminist collective, Calliope House, she gets in touch with her fury and begins to understand — not condone, but understand — Jennifer’s motivations. Plum has repeatedly been humiliated and denigrated by men; she’s even been physically abused by one.
Really, who could blame her for fantasizing about giving dudes a taste of their own medicine?
Where to watch: The first season is currently airing Monday nights on AMC. Previous episodes are available On Demand, or can be purchased via iTunes or Amazon.