Jane the Virgin? and other streaming rec's

[untonuggan]

At the risk of spamming everyone's feeds today (hi, I haz been posting a lot in lots of places!), I keep hearing that Jane the Virgin is good but I have no idea what it's about (in like a short non-spoilery way) or if there's any really obvious triggers I should know about (the first scene starts with someone being assaulted/murdered/mainsplained to).

So come at me -- should I add Jane the Virgin to my list of things I'm watching?

FWIW, current list of ongoing shows includes but is not limited to:

• Grimm
• Elementary (but have not seen current season yet because moniez)
• Lost Girl (but not current season yet because SyFy)
• Criminal Minds
• Broadchurch (which I just finished but cannot stop talking about)
• Last Tango in Halifax (which I watch except for when the family drama gets too much)
• Dr. Who (almost caught up, done with season 7)
• Torchwood
• White Collar (on the fence about this, just started)
• Grace and Frankie (love it!)
• Turn (my game is spotting anachronisms, but I'm getting to the end of the season so I've paused before the inevitable cliffhanger)
• Marvel's Agents of Shield
• Marvel's Agent Carter
• Haven (have not seen latest season for reasons)
• Foyle's War
• The Fall
• Orphan Black (only seen first season because of paywall)

Netflix keeps being all: Here are more mystery shows! and I'm like, "No I'm overloaded on mystery shows!" or it's like, "Here are sci-fi/fantasy shows full of white dudes!" and I'm like, "No I think I'm good with those, got any starring women or POC or with disabilities or anything?" So, yeah, if you can rec me some things like that or like period stuff is something I will watch even if there are problems (like the new Upstairs, Downstairs and also Downton Abbey I watch even though I am mentally picking them apart, because reasons)'.

I also haven't watched much anime on Netflix, partly because it all seems to be dubbed (?), and also I haven't really explored the options much. I am kind of an obligatory but devoted Studio Ghibli fan, though I prefer Takahata to Miyazaki. I also love love love The Vision of Escaflowne and They Were Eleven, just to give you a quick sampling of my taste. My favorite Ghibli film is probably Pom Poko, followed closely by My Neighbors the Yamadas.

Comments

[phlox]

I've really enjoyed "Murdoch," from the CBC. No idea if it's streaming, but probably. Set at the end of the 1800s in Toronto. Definitely some mansplaining that happens--but it usually goes badly for the person doing the mansplaining, and they generally learn that it was not the best choice they ever made. :) There's a recurring character who I *don't* like, but that person is avoidable, if needed (I can give you the name if you want it, but I don't want to give spoilers if you don't want them!)

I've not seen the most recent few seasons (I think I am partway through season 6, haven't watched any of 7, and 8 is just being released on DVD), but my mom (to whom I introduced the series) has and continues to really like them (other than that one character I mentioned--interestingly, she's been watching the series with some friends who are *much* less disturbed by psychological scary stuff and violence than Mom is, and they don't like that character either).

Bonuses: the main characters is sometimes clueless and sometimes a bit dense, but generally well-meaning and has a strong moral core. It doesn't always agree with current cultural norms, but I find it very interesting how the writers, director, and actor deal with complicated issues (birth control, premarital sex, things other than heterosexuality, gender norms, religion, bigotry--religious, racial, sexual).

There are also some kick-butt female characters (yes, one is a love interest for Main Character, who is a white dude--but at least he's a Roman Catholic White Dude in a protestant city at a time when that was a big deal), and I love some of the supporting characters--Crabtree is wonderful (and the actor, and how amazingly good he is at that character, is apparently part of why the character got a rather larger role than planned), Dr Grace (doesn't show up for a few seasons) is wonderful, the clueless (and progressively less-clueless) chief constable.

tl;dr: Mysteries set in Canada in late 1800s, early 1900s, main character is a (not-completely-socially-normal) White Dude but there are lots of really good female characters. Frequently tackles challenging social and cultural issues with both awareness of current mores and without discounting historical realities (mostly ;) ). Not generally bloody, sometimes a bit psychologically spooky for those of us who don't do well with that. Oh! Also great costumes, and a number of really amusing guest characters (like Tesla and Alexander Graham Bell and Emma Goldman--who was an US-based labo(u)r organiz(s)er about whom I knew nothing before seeing the show!).