8. Grace Hanadarko—Played by Holly Hunter on TNT’s Saving Grace
You have to admire a woman who manages (barely) to balance her personal demons (drinking, promiscuity) with a strong sense of justice. Grace Hanadarko, brilliantly played by Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter, is an Oklahoma City police detective who lives her life so on the edge that she is visited by a most atypical, scruffy angel named Earl (Leon Rippy), who hopes to save her from herself. Her lifestyle sure would not work for me, but her commitment to justice and the obvious love she has for her nephews and nieces make her an empowering woman to be reckoned with.
9. Barbara Dutton Henrickson—Payed by Jeanne Tripplehorn on HBO’s Big Love
Being the first wife in a polygamous Mormon family has never been easy for Barbara Dutton Henrickson, but she takes a controversial situation and tries to make it work for everyone. In Big Love, Barb (the fabulous Jeanne Tripplehorn) wears many hats as a wife who was her husband’s sole mate for ten years before agreeing to his taking on additional wives for a stronger family. She yearns for a higher profile in the community and has her own struggles with living in a big, joint family, but ultimately she believes in her faith and is willing to share her husband, in hopes of creating a solid, if nontraditional, family unit. I wouldn’t want to be in a polygamous situation myself, but I admire her commitment to her family--her entire family.
10. Brenda Leigh Johnson—Payed by Kyra Sedgwick on TNT’s The Closer
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more fascinating, powerful female character on television today then Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a former Atlanta detective brought to Los Angles to crack high-profile cases. Kyra Sedgwick embodies Brenda perfectly, with a southern charm that masks a razor-sharp intellect and uncanny ability to reveal suspects’ secrets and obtain confessions. Don’t mess with Brenda. She will lock horns with anyone who gets in the way of her pursuit of justice. And sometimes she’s so bull-headed that it ends up jeopardizing her own investigations. But that’s what makes Brenda so human and so good at what she does.
More Women to Watch: We certainly couldn’t fit every empowering female television character in this gallery. And with a whole slew of new shows coming out this fall, there will be more great women to watch out for. So here are some to keep your eye on as we get into the fall season. Some are newcomers; some are back for a second season. All are worth watching.
- Glenn Close as Patty Hughes in FX’s Damages: This powerful litigator tries high-profile cases in New York. But how far will she go to win?
- Angie Harmon as Lt. Lindsay Boxer in ABC’s Women’s Murder Club: To circumvent the old boys’ club, this detective assembles a cadre of women to help her solve homicides.
- Sally Fields as Nora Walker in ABC’s Brothers and Sisters: Now in its second season, Fields won an Emmy for her portrayal of the powerful matriarch holding her family together.
- Connie Britton as Tami Taylor in NBC’s Friday Night Lights: This show, with its huge fan base, was finally awarded a second season. Watch for Britton to steal more scenes as the football coach’s wife.
Originally published on BeliefNet
Photo courtesy of WikimediaCommons
