It had happened again. I found myself glued to the television in the early morning hours binge watching Netflix. But this show was unlike anything I had seen before.
The basic premise of the show is that the lead character is a transgender assassin. The potential for lascivious exploitation and eye-rolling melodrama seems pretty high when that’s the summary one has to go on. But Hit and Miss accomplishes so much more than what I expected.
Mia (Chloe Sevigny) is an efficient assassin, a transgender woman, but first she is a human with a difficult past, dynamic emotions, and dreams for the future. The show’s creator Paul Abbott and writer Sean Conway weave Mia’s story in a way that is interesting and authentic. The viewers see more than just the premise of the show, but see the human being behind it. Very early in the show the viewers see Mia’s body in a full-frontal nudity scene, but that genuine moment is not for exploitation. It’s an invitation for the viewer to watch this person navigate through their life with full knowledge of their struggles.
“Hit and Miss” does a good job of telling Mia’s story while recognizing her transition status in an upfront way. Her transition isn’t something that happened in her past that is spoken about in code. It’s a part of who she is and can be difficult at times while she tries to attain emotional intimacy with the other characters. The viewers see how Mia explains her transition to her son, her boss, and even a potential boyfriend. Of course these explanations don’t go smoothly or calmly. Mia’s world is full of people who are confused, rude, or ignorant. But what I think makes Hit and Miss interesting is that it explores others’ reactions to Mia without turning them into senseless bigots and Mia into a saint. The initial confused and sometimes angry reactions are met with genuine, thoughtful questions. Sometimes Mia doesn’t have an answer (or at least the right one) and isn’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
This show is mainly dialogue and scenes of contemplation; the whole “contract killer” thing only gets a few moments of action. Given that the premise is about Mia’s profession, I would have liked to see more of it (plus I am a sucker for a great shootout scene). The show is definitely more of a drama than a thriller, so be warned if you’re looking for some bloodshed. Mia’s competence at her job is supposed to be juxtaposed with her messy life, but at times the two worlds can feel like two different shows.
I’m hooked on this show. What I like most was how authentic Mia’s character is (although being a contract killer isn’t a typical job). If you’re looking for something to binge watch on the couch this weekend, I would definitely recommend Hit and Miss, which is streaming online and on Netflix now.
