As a feminist website, we at The Mary Sue love to see women succeeding! But, as Minx season 2 reminds us, success can come with a price—and that price isn’t always what you think.
The end of Minx season 1 saw some tumultuous changes at Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond)’s feminist erotic magazine. Thanks to a pile of lawsuits and an anti-pornography bill in the San Fernando Valley, Doug (Jake Johnson), head of Bottom Dollar, handed control of Minx to Joyce, who decided to strike out on her own. Incredibly, the magazine’s roller coaster journey mirrors the Max series itself, which was canceled when season 2 filming was almost completed, and then saved when it was bought by Starz.
Just like Minx the series, Minx the magazine starts off season 2 with a triumphant return. Joyce, after being courted by several big-name (and very male) publishers, teams back up with Doug and entrusts Minx to the matronage of the wealthy heiress Constance Papadopolous (Elizabeth Perkins). Soon, the magazine is back in business, and more popular than ever before.
At first, Joyce rides high on her success. She rubs elbows with luminaries like Joan Didion and Linda Ronstadt. She enjoys parties and speaking engagements. She even gets a new wardrobe, courtesy of Constance. For the first few episodes, the stakes in Minx feel remarkably low. What happened to all those lawsuits? Wasn’t that new anti-pornography law going to be a bigger thorn in Bottom Dollar’s side? Everything seems to be going Joyce’s way.
The fissures, it turns out, are more subtle—and instead of storming in like an angry mob, they come from inside the magazine itself. Doug is dissatisfied with his new role, Joyce’s ego starts to balloon, and Constance is an old hand at leveraging her wealth to get what she wants. Without getting too spoilery, we’ll just say that when success seems too good to be true, it usually is, and the problems that threaten Minx in season 2 are more troubling and thought-provoking than one uptight city councilwoman. Joyce is forced to figure out how to be not just a feminist celebrity, but an actual ally to oppressed groups.
Of course, the season isn’t perfectly executed. After the drama of season 1, with both feminists and misogynists raging against a women’s lib manifesto disguised as a porno mag, Minx‘s sudden success doesn’t quite ring true. We see a few picketers at the beginning, but other than that, America loves Minx, and as a result, there’s not much tension driving the story for much of the season. However, Minx is mostly redeemed by the fact that, with its humor and mayhem, it’s so much fun to watch.
Rounding out the cast are the rest of the Bottom Dollar gang: Bambi (Jessica Lowe), Richie (Oscar Montoya), Tina (Idara Victor), and Joyce’s sister Shelly (Lennon Parham). They’re each a delight to watch as they each struggle with their own issues. The cast feels like an authentic group of friends, coworkers, and co-conspirators, and spending time with them feels like hanging out at the coolest party in town.
Minx premieres on July 21st on Starz. Your loss, Max.
(featured image: Starz)
