Is Ratched woke?
Ratched (2020)
TV Show
Released: January 1, 2020
Wokeness Score
8/10
Strongly Ideological
Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key Summary Points
- Prominent LGBTQ+ romance and characters central to plot, including lesbian leads in repressive 1940s setting.
- Depicts conversion-like treatments for homosexuality as horrific oppression to critique historical norms.
- Infuses feminism, trauma, and identity politics as dominant themes via Ryan Murphy's progressive lens.
Wokeness Analysis
Ratched, created by Ryan Murphy and premiered on Netflix in 2020, is a prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest set in 1947. It centers on Mildred Ratched's rise as a nurse at a psychiatric hospital while uncovering her backstory and darkness. The series heavily features progressive messaging through its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and themes, including a prominent lesbian romance between Ratched (played by openly gay actress Sarah Paulson) and press secretary Gwendolyn Briggs (Cynthia Nixon), depicted as a lavender marriage and open relationship in a repressive era. Patients undergo brutal treatments for 'lesbianism' and other non-normative behaviors, framing historical mental health practices as oppressive tools against marginalized identities. Additional elements include diverse casting, critiques of patriarchal power structures, feminism, and systemic abuse of the 'othered,' often prioritizing identity politics and social commentary on sexuality, trauma, and institutional cruelty over pure narrative drive. Ryan Murphy's signature style infuses the show with explicit queer representation and revisionist takes on 1940s society, making these elements central rather than incidental. Conservative viewers note the forced emphasis on these themes feels agenda-driven, with plot serving to highlight victimhood and challenge traditional norms, leading to perceptions of heavy-handed ideology overshadowing entertainment.
Plot
Set in 1947, Ratched follows Mildred Ratched as she manipulates her way into a position at Lucia State Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Northern California. She becomes entangled in the care of her foster brother Edmund Tolleson, a mass murderer, while navigating hospital politics, experimental treatments, and her own emerging darkness. The series explores her stylish facade hiding trauma and ambition amid gruesome medical procedures and personal relationships, particularly a romantic involvement with Gwendolyn Briggs. It serves as a stylish, violent prequel expanding on the iconic nurse character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.