Furious is a must-watch new crime series that’s streaming on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally), and it’s female-led story is a huge part of why I love it.
The series, created by Elizabeth Meriwether, centers around FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) on the hunt for a calculating female serial killer, Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew). As their lives intertwine, we meet a lot of other important names, including Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who is the head of the FBI’s sex crimes unit.
I spoke to Bernstine about what drew her to the series, and she said: “Liz Meriwether drew me to the series because she’s an absolute genius and I wanted to work with her. It’s funny, I was in the middle of watching Dying for Sex [another Hulu series by Meriwether] when I got the interview and the audition request, and so of course I jumped at that!.
“I was sent a few scenes and the pilot episode. And I was blown away by the material,” Bernstine added. “I had just never seen characters like this before. I was so interested in the idea of a female serial killer, because that’s obviously a very rare thing.”
Female characters are at the center of Furious‘ narrative, on both sides of the law, and I noted that their stories were told through a sympathetic lens which can often make us feel uncomfortable.
Each character felt well-rounded, and we got to experience things from their perspective, especially when it’s a point of view that exists to challenge us and make us think. These psychological deep dives into flawed characters are just one part of why Furious is such a great piece of TV.
‘I’m watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can’t believe it’
Bernstine added: “I was just talking to someone this morning who’s like, ‘I’m watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can’t believe it.’ And I’m having the same experience, you know, it’s funny because I know the show. I’ve seen the show, many times, but I’m watching it each week with like fresh eyes.
“I feel like I’m watching it with the world. With my husband, with my mother, with my brother, and everyone is like, ‘I cannot believe I’m rooting for these people’.
“But that’s the genius of Liz Meriwether, it’s so surprising. Because it’s very uncomfortable, but at the same time, you can understand what all of these women are going through.”
Nora Washington is an interesting character because, despite the serious nature of her job at the FBI, she is also a very funny character. Much of the comic relief comes from Nora, something that I’m a huge fan of.
Speaking about her characterization, Bernstine told me: “She is down in this dark basement with no air, no light, like going into this room to watch this awful material, so that she can try to catch the bad guys, as it were”.
She concluded: “And yet she has some of the funniest lines in the whole show. You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth, but 9 times out of 10, it’s gonna make you laugh.”
I’m so impressed by Furious and highly encourage people to seek it out if they’re looking for a unique crime series to binge on the best streaming services.
We’ve also explored why Furious is a game changer for disabled actors and what Furious star Scoot McNairy what he thinks you should stream once you’ve finished the series.
