Women of the Week

Boy were there some outstanding performances this past week! So much so that we’ve got a jam-packed selection of picks in our latest edition of Women of the Week. Read on to find out who made the cut and why!

Nominated by Lexie: Vinette Robinson as Rosa Parks on Doctor Who

Nominating Vinette Robinson, who played Rosa Parks in one of the best episodes of Doctor Who I’ve ever seen. It’s the first time I’ve seen an episode where they weren’t really visiting a silly history with no consequences for how the companions looked. Robinson’s portrayal is amazing. Also all the credit to Malorie Blackman, who penned the script with Chris Chibnall. I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING.

Seconded by Karen

I second her nomination. Vinette was amazing. She portrayed Rosa Parks with such detail and talent – the best performance of the week by far. If the Emmys are watching, she needs one.

Thirded by Rueben:

I’ll third the nomination for Vinette Robinson. She did a wonderful job portraying Rosa Parks, and I was really captivated by that episode.

Nominated by Karen: Malorie Blackman from Doctor Who

Malorie Blackman gets a huge kudos from me as well. Especially since she’s not only written what I think will be a milestone episode of Doctor Who, she did it as the first black writer ever on the series. To be black and a woman writing on a genre show is an even bigger feat.

This season of Doctor Who will be more than groundbreaking if this standard of excellence is continued.

Nominated by Roz: The women of Bodyguard (Keeley Hawes, Anjil Mohindra, Nina Toussaint-White, Pippa Haywood and Gina McKee)

I want to nominate all the women from Bodyguard, which just dropped on Netflix this week (I think). The show, which follows a police officer who is in charge of Personal Pertection for the Home Secretary in heightened terror state allowed Keeley Hawes (the Home Secretary), Anjli Mohindra (a potential terrorist), Nina Toussaint-White (another police officer in counter-terrorism), Pippa Haywood and Gina McKee to be strong, vulnerable and complex women in a show that could have thrown all of the officers as men or even the Home Secretary.

The journey for these women is not an easy one – where the show starts is not how I imagined it would end – but they brought it in different ways. They all made difficult choices but made the show all the richer compared to some of the flatter male characters.

Nominated by Rueben: Michelle Gomez as Mrs Wardwell on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

I need to add another nomination to Michelle Gomez on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which debuted on Netflix. Michelle is devilishly delightful as the demon possessed Mrs. Wardwell, a teacher at Baxter High School where half-witch, half-mortal Sabrina Spellman attends. Mrs. Wardwell was taken over by a powerful demon hell-bent on turning Sabrina to the dark side all in the guise of a once-mousy teacher. Michelle is best known for playing Missy in Doctor Who, and she was amazing in that long-running series, and has now established herself, yet again, in this role where you can’t help but love her even when she is being her fiendish best.

Seconded by Cara

I’ll jump on the Michelle Gomez bandwagon as well, she’s just so sexy and terrible as Mrs. Wardwell. I love the moment when she tells the High Priest not to disrespect her because she eats men like him.

Nominated by Melissa: Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

I agree that Michelle Gomez is fantastic, but my selection for this week is Kiernan Shipka who plays Sabrina Spellman. She carries this series with confidence and aplomb (Aunt Zelda would be proud), grounding what could otherwise be a very silly story. As a teenager fighting against bullies both mortal and supernatural, she alternates between youthful exuberance and righteous rebellion with ease. It reminded me of early Buffy, turning the supernatural into allegory and social commentary.

Nominated by Cara: Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto as Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda in  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

I’d also like you give a nod to Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto as the aunts. Davis is impossible not to love in any role she plays, and Otto is so glamorous and heartless in this role.

RELATED ITEMS:

Woman of the Week (October 14-20)
Women of the Week (October 7-13)
Women of the Week (September 23 -29)
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