The ITV drama introduces a magnetic anti-heroine who you can’t help but root for

This article contains minor spoilers for the first episode of Joan.

ITV’s new six-part crime series Joan opens with rebellious rock anthem Brass in Pocket by The Pretenders. It’s a fitting choice that immediately sets the tone for the series. As Chrissie Hynde’s vocals begin, we are introduced to our protagonist – a woman who, like the song, will soon exude confidence and a touch of defiance even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Sophie Turner plays Joan Hannington, whose journey from impoverished victim to notorious jewel thief is set in 1980s London. Based on true events, the series chronicles Hannington’s transformation into “The Godmother” – the most notorious woman in the city’s criminal underworld.

The first episode highlights Hannington’s dire circumstances and the spark that ignites her criminal career. She is trapped in an abusive marriage with a violent man who physically abuses her and neglects her six-year-old daughter Kelly. When he goes on the run, Hannington seizes the opportunity to escape, but must deal with the harsh reality of her situation – from a robbery by gangsters to whom her husband owes money to pressure from an undercover agent to betray him.

Circumstances force Hannington to place Kelly with an emergency foster family. This decision becomes all the more painful when Joan discovers that she spent her own childhood in foster homes, which explains her determination to give her daughter a better life. Their relationship forms the emotional core of the first episode. Because of this, Joan takes her first tentative steps into illegality and begins by stealing a car to visit Kelly at her new home.

This initial transgression develops into more sophisticated scams. Her method of learning about jewelry by eavesdropping on wealthy women before getting a job at a jeweler offers a pointed commentary on class barriers. Hannington’s ability to mimic the accents and mannerisms of the wealthy underscores the performative nature of social class and foreshadows her future success in high-end theft.

Joan doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of her world, where the threat of male violence is a constant shadow. From her husband’s brutal abuse to the unwelcome advances of her new boss at the jewelry store, the series depicts a reality in which Hannington’s safety is constantly at risk.

But it is precisely these threats that fuel her determination to create a safer life for herself and Kelly. We watch as she takes increasingly bold steps, culminating in a scene where she swallows several diamonds to smuggle them out of the store. This moment marks a turning point for Hannington and signals her commitment to her new life as a criminal.

Antiheroines in British crime drama

Joan belongs to a rich tradition of anti-heroines in British crime television, a lineage that has grown slowly but steadily since the turn of the millennium.

As television studies professor Milly Buonanno noted in “Television Antiheroines: Women Behaving Badly in Crime and Prison Drama” (2017), it took until the 2000s for “the reign of male prominence and power” to persist [was] challenged by a wave of anti-heroines who have penetrated the criminal underworlds and provided evidence of women’s ability to be “good at being bad” in contrast to the myth of female innocence.

Hannington joins that pantheon of complex female characters pioneered in the ’90s by Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) of Prime Suspect (1991). As television critic Rebecca Nicholson noted, Tennison’s influence is “greater than is often acknowledged in modern television.” Recent additions to this line include characters such as Alice (Ruth Wilson) in Luther (2010) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) in Killing Eve (2018), each pushing the boundaries of female character representation in British crime fiction.

Speaking about bringing Hannington to life on screen, Turner said she was “fascinated by the character of Joan, she is such a complex and extraordinary woman, both vulnerable and strong.” She unfortunately makes some terrible decisions , but I think she’s someone that a lot of people can relate to and I just wanted to read more and more about her.”

Turner’s words encapsulate the hallmarks of the antiheroine archetype – moral ambiguity, inner conflict, and a strange appeal that draws the viewer in despite (or perhaps because of) the character’s flaws. Her emphasis on closeness to Hannington – even in the face of “terrible decisions” – speaks to the human core of these anti-heroine stories.

But it’s crucial to approach these characters with discernment. As Buaonanno warns, we should refrain from “uncritically celebrating the characters of women in the criminal business.” The mere presence of criminal anti-heroines does not equate to a feminist achievement. But Joan offers an opportunity for a nuanced examination of issues such as gender, class, and morality.

Whether Hannington’s journey will serve as a cautionary tale or a tribute to resilience remains to be seen. One thing is certain: “Joan” will challenge audiences to grapple with moral ambiguities as it tells the story of a working-class woman forging her own path in the ruthless world of organized crime.

Looking for something good? Stand out from the crowd with a curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, delivered straight to your inbox on Fridays every two weeks. Register here.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Laura Minor does not work for, advise, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic employment.