Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Dietland’ On AMC, A Feminist ‘Fight Club’ For Today’s Toxic Patriarchy

AMC is no stranger to dark drama, and Dietland, based on the hit novel by Sarai Walker, is just up their alley. This darkly funny female revenge fantasy starring Julianna Margulies examines toxic notions of the patriarchy, misogyny, and beauty culture – but in an era where every series is a social statement, is Dietland too on the nose? 

DIETLAND: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The first thing we see is a woman covering up a black eye with makeup, and it is followed by a montage of different women all seemingly attempting to bend to our impossible beauty standards. They weigh themselves, straighten their hair, try to squeeze into a pair of pants, run their hands over blemishes, cut their breasts with a razor. Some of it is hard to watch, but the point is clear: it’s killing us.

The Gist: Dietland tells the story of Alicia “Plum” Kettle (Joy Nash), a ghostwriter for the editor (Julianna Margulies) of one of New York’s top fashion magazines. She is introduced to us via cheeky voiceover, and tells us she’s telling us this from the future – but not a future where fat-shaming has stopped. Plum’s days are spent answering letters for her editor and attending Waist Watchers meetings as she prepares for weight loss surgery, but everything changes when she is sucked into a world of female empowerment and revenge on the men who have abused and assaulted them. This isn’t any walk-in-the-park revenge, either. These men disappear and suffer violent deaths at the hands of these women – they aren’t holding anything back.

While the series initially appears to be Plum’s story, it soon reveals itself to be about something much, much bigger. It’s a smart, innovative blending of Plum’s difficult journey to self-acceptance and the distinctly female rage that drives women suffering in this male-dominated world, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Where many shows would shy away from going too deep into these issues, Dietland tackles misogyny, rape culture, toxic beauty standards, and more without so much as a flinch.

Our Take: It might take a little getting used to out of the gate, but Dietland‘s tone is fresh and resonant as hell. It’s not an exaggeration to say that there’s pretty much nothing like Dietland on TV, and that’s a testament to creator Marti Noxon’s knack for world-building. With a bizarre blend of voiceover, haunting animations, and compelling drama, the series quickly establishes itself as something totally unique. Some of it may be hard to stomach – the violence is unflinching – but when was the last time we got to watch women take revenge on television this way?

Dietland will inevitably be touted for its relevance during this #MeToo movement, and it’s true that it certainly hits home a little harder in this new age of transparency – but Sarai Walker’s novel was published in 2015, long before the Harvey Weinsteins of the world began to see their demise. The series, while set in the near future, is a tale as old as time, a revenge fantasy that has perhaps been spinning through the minds of women for longer than we can really understand. As this social rebellion grows, Dietland plays like a gender-flipped Fight Club for 2018. We can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Sex and Skin: While Dietland certainly doesn’t shy away from skin, the series focuses more on these women taking back their bodies from the men who have sexually abused them. If you’re here for super sexy stuff, you should probably look elsewhere.

Parting Shot: After being approached by Julia to give away the Dear Kitty emails to take part in something of a revolution, Plum is initially hesitant. On her way home, however, a group of young men catcalling her lights some kind of fire in Plum – and she sends the email list. Meanwhile, as one of the murdered men we’ve heard about is examined, a roll of paper is found inside his mouth. It says one word: “JENNIFER”.

Sleeper Star: Erin Darke’s quirky Leeta establishes herself as one of the most intriguing supporting characters from the first time we see her follow Plum out of the coffee shop, and she only gets more interesting from there. Her bold aesthetic combined with her generally sweet nature makes her completely disarming, and while she can certainly get a little intense, she seems to genuinely want the best for women like Plum. Leeta wants a self-love revolution, and Darke’s mischievous eyes and dedication show us she’s willing to do anything to make that happen.

Most Pilot-y Line: The first few scenes are definitely rife with exposition, but after you get over the initial clunkiness of it all, you get used to being inside Plum’s head. The most pilot-y lines are ones where she reveals things about her character, like, “I’d learned to live inside myself. My body was just a thing I used to move my head around.” This all evidently plays into Dietland‘s construction of its unique tone, however, so the auditory awkwardness doesn’t last for long.

Our Call: Stream it. With its deft blending of genres and style choices, Dietland is far and away one of the most unique things on television at the moment. Besides, when was the last time anyone told a story like this on screen?