Creating the Perfect Female Monster
The Atlantic explores the cultural significance of the crime drama 'Furious,' which features a female protagonist seeking revenge against abusers. The piece discusses how the show reflects contemporary societal anger regarding sexual violence and the evolution of female characters in media.
Why it matters
It highlights how popular culture serves as a mirror for collective social frustration and the ongoing discourse surrounding justice and gender-based violence.
Furious takes revenge on a fictional Jeffrey Epstein.
Sarah Shatz / Disney September 3, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 23:26 Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts
The breakout crime drama Furious opens with a scene that’s hard to watch: Catherine, a serial killer played by Lola Petticrew, is keeping a man prisoner in a row house and taunting him as he dies: “I don’t like the sounds you’re making.” The show’s creator, Liz Meriwether, is announcing right away that you will be spending time with a monster, and the discomfort amps up from there. As the show progresses, we learn that Catherine has been trafficked, and the men she is killing were involved in her abuse.
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