Five Netflix series where the female lead takes the cake
If you’re one of those who still believe women belong in the kitchen, we hate to break it to you, but times have changed. Everyone belongs in the kitchen because, believe it or not, the food is not going to cook itself. As for those wondering where women belong, well, the answer is simple: everywhere. But if you still have doubts, take the Netflix female leads, for instance.
Whether it’s science or technology, sports or politics, music or entertainment, a woman can do it all. You don’t even have to ask. Just give them a worthy platform and they’ll show you how to rule. But pigeonholing our focus onto Netflix’s female leads, it’s difficult not to take inspiration.
They rewrite the norms of freedom, challenge patriarchy, solve the most impossible crimes, and still ask for no credit. It’s hard not to get wooed. Even harder not to feel like “I wish I could be like her”.
So, if you want to watch Netflix shows where the feminine energy isn’t shy, here are five where the female lead takes the cake.
Five Netflix series where female leads steal the show
The Queen’s Gambit (Scott Frank, 2020)
Women fight many battles, some known and others unknown. But these struggles can either make or break a person. Thankfully, Anya-Taylor Joy’s Beth Harmon is flying her flag in the former. The Queen’s Gambit protagonist is not framed as a woman in a man’s world; in fact, she’s highly regarded and admired. While she’s a chess prodigy, her wins in life are not all about checkmates on the board.
She has the quality to flip the chessboard, as she does, fighting her own demons to make space for self-discovery. Her struggles with addictions related to alcohol and tranquilisers elevate the hauntings of the ghosts of her past. But even then, she is unapologetic, never ready to give up, and incredibly self-conscious, in a good way. She’s not devoid of support, but she is her own woman. If you kick her down, she’ll stand up. And if you do it again, she’ll rise with rage.
Hostage (Matt Charman, 2025)
Despite being a relatively recent release, there’s absolutely no shortcoming of the frenzy surrounding Hostage, all thanks to Suranne Jones’ Abigail Dalton and Vivienne Toussaint, played by Julie Delpy. Both their strengths are tested from the scratch of the political thriller, especially Abigail’s, whose husband ends up kidnapped in the very first episode amid a national crisis of cancer drug shortage negotiations between the UK and France. From the start, she is put in a tough spot: either choose the country she serves or save her family. However, she remains resolved to do her duty to the nation and find a middle ground.
When it comes to family, women have been traditionally considered the keepers, but she makes sure everyone knows she’s not even close. She takes accountability, and most importantly, she never steps down. Hostage is like a pressure cooker of crisis that can burst at any time. But Abigail is not someone to break; she’s in politics and as calculated, resilient, calm, and collected as can be expected of a leader.
Maid (Molly Smith Metzler, 2021)
Resilience can look like many things. It might look like someone who doesn’t know how to give up, who doesn’t falter with their principles, and also who knows when to leave the room when respect is no longer on the table. Margaret Qualley’s Alex Russel from Maid falls in the third category, reeking of resilience that is silent and visible at the same time. She’s a victim of her circumstances, the one plagued with poverty and failed social systems, and yet, she’s a force to be reckoned with.
She would go to any lengths to provide for and safeguard her daughter. Even when the betrayal is from inside, especially from her partner, she has it in her to break the generational cycle of abuse and financial struggles and not fall into patterns. Alex is not a perfect protagonist. She’s simply a human who has found strength in her vulnerability. So, even when it comes to the worst of the worst, her perseverance finds her in firm grasp with her dreams as well.
Wednesday (Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, 2019–Present)
Wednesday Addams from the hit Netflix series is a feminist; she was always one, even before Netflix called her home. Although she’s considered an outcast even among the outcasts, her strength lies in her unapologetic non-conformity, lacking any desire for validation. In fact, she would love for the world to leave her on her own. It’s not just a unique but an equally rare trait to find peace within oneself.
Besides making goth look cool, she’s a severely intelligent literary enthusiast and a writer. Sure, there’s psychic ability and all that. But even without it, she’s formidable. She’s a skilled fencer with a soft corner for martial arts, and not to forget her cello sessions. The Wednesday character also has a protective instinct. She can do anything and everything for the ones she cares about. But for the ones on the other end, fair warning: don’t mess with the Addams with four Ds in her name.
Godless (Scott Frank, 2017)
The Godless may largely revolve around the rivalry between two men: the revenge-driven outlaw Frank Griffin and his ex-protégé, Roy Goode. However, Michelle Dockery’s Alice Fletcher takes the cake as the female lead. Unlike Wednesday Addams, Alice is an outcast who has nobody but her son and mother-in-law. Having been widowed twice, she has grown a shell so hard that she doesn’t let anyone in, especially men.
She’s incredibly strong and adept with things you may not expect: guns and horses. While she’s always on her toes, especially suspicious of outsiders, the concerns don’t make her flawed. It adds to her strength, making her utterly calculative. She reeks of her maternal instinct just like Alex, and she ensures that even in the male-driven story, she has enough agency to earn due respect.