An Anti-Fascist Viewing List

Television to watch for the fight ahead.

Hey friends and family,

So… things are bad. And they’re about to get really, really bad. I think we can all prepare for the worst here, and my heart goes out to all of the people in my life who are vulnerable populations who are going to be most affected by this election. I had actually planned a different post for this month, but in light of the nightmare hellscape we all live in, I figured I’d put together a little list of some of my favorite TV to help get us through this dark time. These are TV shows that find lessons on how to find common strength and empathy while fighting the good fight. Hope these bring some comfort to you all, and please take care of yourselves while we buckle up for the next four years and whatever they’ll bring.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

“Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, have to be treated like they’re worth giving a chance.”

In a fantasy land where trained warriors can harness elemental powers, the show follows a group of ragtag teenagers as they work to take down a dictator who leads the imperialist Fire Nation. Though Avatar: The Last Airbender is a program that aired on Nickelodeon, it handles some pretty adult and complex themes that still hold up today for viewers of all ages. Some plotlines are particularly prescient— including how in the second season, an out-of-touch ruler can be replaced by shadowy forces to overthrow a government from within, as well as in the third season how the team find common ground amongst the unlikeliest of allies (such as Zuko, a Fire Nation prince who defects to Team Avatar). It’s an inspiring watch that is great for kids and adults alike, and gave me a ton of hope when I last watched during the 2020 George Floyd movement. And if you’ve already seen it, the spin-off, The Legend of Korra, is also a great watch that takes on political themes with a similar optimism and timeliness.

Andor

“That’s what a reckoning sounds like.”

This sobering and brilliantly written sci-fi show takes on the world of Star Wars like never before, reckoning with the human cost and sacrifices it takes to fight against injustice. Following thief-turned-rebel-spy Cassian Andor, Andor shows the earliest seeds of the Rebel Alliance being formed against the Empire’s fascist regime. This show refuses to pull any punches with the brutality of what it means to live under an oppressive government, and despite how dark it gets, does ultimately give a sense of hope that effort in fighting the good fight is not in vain.

X-Men ‘97

"Blood is blood. Family is a choice."

I already gave this show a shoutout in my newsletter before, but I wanted to highlight yet again how amazing of a watch this program is. Following the X-Men team after the death of Charles Xavier as they take on a new era of villains, this show is the most powerful representation in the superhero genre I’ve seen of the fight against prejudice and bigotry. X-Men ‘97 really reckons with the violent ends that the oppressed are forced to undertake to defend themselves (even giving the typical radical villain Magneto a sympathetic portrayal), and with a cast of BIPOC, female, and LGBTQIA+ characters, it is a notably diverse program that celebrates the differences amongst us all.

The Good Fight

“I realized it’s alright that the world is crazy, as long as I make my little corner of the world sane.”

Not to be too on the nose, but the very first scene of this show is the protagonist, Diane Lockhart (played by icon Christine Baranski) watching in horror as Donald Trump gets inaugurated as President of the United States. The show goes on to follow Diane and her colleagues as they fight against the Trump regime— though the show is a more standard legal procedural at first, it eventually morphs into a thought experiment of how to best fix the legal system when it is so fundamentally broken for huge swaths of the population. Also, it’s low key a hilarious show that fully acknowledges how ridiculous the world of Donald Trump is— the alternate mirror reality we’ve now all been pulled into. The Good Fight couldn’t be clearer about the villainy of the Trump administration and the necessity, of well, fighting the good fight.

The Plot Against America

“Maybe it’s too early to leave, but it’s not too early to have a backup plan.”

Written by the genius David Simon (Creator of The Wire), The Plot Against America explores an alternate history where Franklin Roosevelt loses the election of 1940 to Nazi supporter Charles Lindbergh. Told through the lens of a Jewish family in New Jersey, the show soberly displays how quickly a democratic society can turn into a fascist regime— pitting family members against each other and unraveling the fabric of society from within. This show is a helpful examination of the ways that yes, America can very quickly end up like any other given dictatorship across the world— and how the roots of these horrible impulses have always been within our country’s fabric.

Angel

 “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do."

Though Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also a fave of mine on this topic, its spin-off Angel is a more direct look at corporate-implemented fascism and the differences between working from within the system versus against it. Initially following the vampire Angel as he takes on supernatural crime cases in the city of Los Angeles, the show in later seasons focuses on Angel’s battle against Wolfram & Hart, a demonic law firm which nefariously influences world events and unleashes evil on ordinary people. Angel and his team try various methods of taking down Wolfram & Hart, from declaring war on it to even becoming employees of the law firm in the last season. But what is always at the forefront is the sacrifices and strength of the team in their never-ending battle against evil. The finale in particular is a rallying cry for hope against all odds, and still strikes a chord for me even having initially watched it over 10 years ago.

The Good Place

“What matters isn’t if people are good or bad. What matters is, if they’re trying to be better today than they were yesterday.”

An incredibly ambitious comedy show, The Good Place takes on philosophical issues with a hilarious and poignant lens in a way that no show has done before or since. The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristin Bell), a selfish human who, after dying, is sent to the mysteriously blissful “Good Place” to spend her afterlife, but still finds herself struggling with moral issues on how to be the best version of herself. The show transforms several times over the course of its run, but at its core, is about the struggle of being a good person in a bad world— and how to resist selfish impulses in the hope of building a better world for the future. Also it’s genuinely so so funny— with one of the best comedy ensemble casts that’s ever been assembled.

Mr. Robot

“If we refuse to budge and fall in line, if we stood our ground for long enough, just maybe… the world can’t help but change around us.”

One of my favorite gems that I think stayed strong throughout the series’ run, Mr. Robot follows tech genius Elliot Alderson as he forms an underground band of hackers to take down the corporate overlords that oppress them. The show magnificently unpeels the layers of oppression that exist behind corporate shadow organizations, while also examining how the wealthy can profit even off an anti-capitalist revolution. All the while, it has action-packed heists, thrilling twists, and fantastic cinematography and acting like nothing else on TV. Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the show remains a startling indictment of our money-focused society, and provides a hopeful path forward how to fight back against the oligarch class.

Plus some bonus recommendations in case you’re feeling particularly fired up:

• Years & Years

• Steven Universe

• The Handmaid’s Tale

• The Underground Railroad

• Mrs. America

• The Man in the High Castle

• Firefly

• Evil

Hope you all stay safe and take care of yourselves out there. Sending lots of love and very thankful for you all during these dark times.

What I’m Currently Enjoying:

• English Teacher, Season 1

• Matlock, Season 1

• Elsbeth, Season 2

• Slow Horses, Season 4

• Sweetpea, Season 1

• Anora

• Conclave

• All Fours by Miranda July

• The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

If you enjoyed this post, click below to subscribe for all future newsletters. Thanks for reading!