-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Kristyn Gorton, Enlightened melodrama: excess, care and resistance in contemporary television, Screen, Volume 60, Issue 4, Winter 2019, Pages 606–623, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjz035
- Share Icon Share
Extract
Enlightened (HBO, 2011–13) tackles profound social and political issues such as the mistakes of parenthood, the limits of friendship, the desire for self-fulfilment, the need for love and the power of the people. It can be understood as a response to series such as Sex and the City (HBO, 1998–2004) and Ally McBeal (Fox, 1997–2002) in so far as Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) starts where the characters in those series left off: she has been married but is now divorced; she was pregnant but has miscarried; she has worked her way to the top of the career ladder only to be moved down to the bottom. She also lives in an environment where the rise of neoliberalism and associated values has placed an increasing requirement on her to perform and prove herself as someone who cares. The series casts new light on academic discussions around Sex and the City and Ally McBeal,1 regarding ambivalence about ‘having it all’, by articulating the inherent conflict between individualism and community – do you ‘have it all’ for yourself or do you help others?