What if women gained a special ability that made them stronger than men? What if you could get a glimpse into what this kind of world would look like? The Power gives us this.
What is the Power about?
The Power is a TV show based on a dystopian novel in which adolescent girls develop the ability to create electricity within themselves. The story follows the lives of women from different parts of the world who suffer from the influence of the patriarchy.
What is it saying about today’s society and the dynamic between men and women?
The Power highlights the power imbalance between men and women. As the story progresses, we learn that the power is generated by an organ that young girls develop out of necessity: the majority of the women in the show experience some kind of abuse at the hands of men. Due to the dynamic shift men feel threatened to the point they try to police and control women’s bodies even though they don’t abuse their power at first.
Most men are uncomfortable with the idea that women could attack them if they wanted to. However, this is a reflection on the reality for many women who are forced to worry about their safety all the time. Taking precautions such as holding keys in their hands when coming back at night, letting friends know they got home safe and looking up a potential date online are second nature for women but things men don’t have to think about. If women had such power in real life, they’d feel more secure, and confident and have the freedom to express themselves without the threat of harassment and abuse. As one of the characters admits, the new ability makes her feel “a hundred pounds lighter and a hundred times stronger”.
How does The Power make us feel?
While seeing women take control and becoming a threat to men can be cathartic, the show is also a reminder that we still have a long way to go when it comes to fighting the influence of patriarchy. One of the main characters is a male journalist who begins to understand what it is like to be a woman as a result of the new dynamic, which is great but raises the question: do we need something equally revolutionary to change the way women are seen in our society?
The Power might also make you feel angry because it forces you to reflect on how normalised misogyny and sexism are. What I found interesting was the way authorities tried to keep things under control. For example, schools banned girls from getting on the bus and separated students with power from those who didn’t develop it even though most weren’t causing any problems. In real life, when girls experience harassment we rarely see a strong reaction like that. We are just told that ‘boys will be boys’. The last episode ends on a cliffhanger but it’s clear that things are heading towards further villainisation of women and policing their bodies as men in charge plan to introduce chemical castration.
What can we do after watching it?
One of the takeaways from the show is that having power isn’t always a good thing because as much as it can empower us, it’s easy to abuse it. While most women use their power as a means of protection or retaliation (due to being victims of sex trafficking, for example), some do abuse it just like some men do in real life. In one of the scenes, a woman with power tells a man to smile and he complies knowing she might give him an electric shock otherwise. This suggests that matriarchy, at least the way it’s presented in the show, isn’t the answer. To make a difference would require men and women to understand the impact the patriarchy has on society and work towards a change together.
If The Power inspired you to make a change, a small but significant thing you can do is to listen to other women’s experiences and acknowledge them. It’s also important to stand up for each other. If you witness a friend saying something inappropriate, don’t be afraid to call them out on it.
Many viewers might find the show triggering. If you have experienced something traumatic that made you feel unsafe, the feeling is unlikely to go away without therapy. Therapy in London can put you in touch with an empathetic therapist who will help you work through negative emotions and improve the quality of your life.
