Melissa as Kay was so groundbreaking. Kay was a woman in the 90s doing "a man's job," and, for what it's worth, better than most of the men around her! And, I imagine to her mind, without using her femininity (dressing up, makeup, etc.) but instead solid, hard work to rival any man. I was really disappointed when the show seemed to run out of things for her to do once she became a Sergeant because she could go toe to toe with any male character in that squad room! LOL And, unlike most other characters, I think in those first 5 seasons, she had interactions with every regular character - interesting ones, too. Consider her conversations as equals with Frank; the very respectful way Mike and John (Munch) treated her; her standing up to Gee and their mentoring relationship; engaging in a friendly way with older detectives Stan and Steve; being kind to Tim and Beau; giving as good as she got with everyone; even finding mutual respect for Megan and their shared though different love of Beau. She was a valuable addition to what, per the book I believe, was supposed to be an all-male cast in the beginning.
As for Melissa Leo, I really respected that - per her keen perception of Kay - she didn't want to "dress like a girl," "wear a ton of makeup," or especially be a trophy cop, if that makes sense. I'm guessing she felt it didn't fit Kay, and she didn't want to portray that all hardworking female detectives had to be that in order to succeed. I feel bad for the female detectives of Homicide who came later (not so much Megan, but the female characters of seasons 6 and 7). It wasn't the actors' fault, but how why those later female characters were added and how they were written to satisfy the network - to add "sex appeal" while sacrificing being 3-dimensional. I think Megan accomplished what they might have been looking for while being hardworking and a leader and if they were looking for more of that, I wish they had stuck with that hybrid model. That's part of what made Homicide such a special show - it (at least in the beginning) looked like a real squad room, not a Hollywood set. Melissa, as Kay, was a big part of that. Unlike Frank, who could be an off-putting, prima donna showing off his theatrics in the box (and I really *like* Frank! LOL), Kay just low key did the dang job and let the board speak for itself.
Sorry - off my soapbox! LOL My main point is that it was and still is really refreshing to see a hardworking woman whose character is defined by her efforts and talent rather than stereotypes, especially in what was (and still is to some degree) what a male-dominated field where women have to work harder than men to be taken seriously. Hats off to Melissa for bringing Kay to life and helping make her a fully realized character!
Kay Howard is my favorite female tv character of all time (hell my reddit username is her), possibly because I was 18 when the show debuted and her character just hit at that perfect time.
Thanks for this blog/podcast, currently binging on it at work (when i probably should be actually working!)
I loved working with her and watching her work. She was kind enough to hook me up with her grandmother who lived in Athens when I traveled to Greece after season 2 wrapped. She was a lot like her grandmother. Grandma was friendly and warm and supportive to us. She gave us guidance and solid advice on which islands to visit, where to eat in Athens. She was like Melissa. Lovely and sassy, a great combination.
It seriously bummed me out that they let Melissa Leo go and took on women who had big hair and wore makeup. She was brilliant as Kay. And I can’t help but make the observation that Ned Beattie, who is a good actor, had absolutely filthy long fingernails in every episode. I couldn’t not see it - it was so gross. I’m trying to reconcile his poor hygiene with the need for women cast members to have bigger boobs and more hair. The last season turned on the romance factor, and that wrecked it. It presaged the Elliott-and-Olivia trope— will they or won’t they? I didn’t care. Kay Howard, Meldrick Lewis, Tim Bayliss, Frank Pembleton, and the great “Gee”—were the beating heart and soul of the show. With Richard Belzer for comic relief. The gritty elegance of the first few seasons rested with these ground-breaking unmatched characters.
Really enjoyed the post on Melissa. As someone already posted, Kay Howard was ground-breaking, both in the way she was written and in the way Melissa played her. As a teenager, she showed me ways of being a woman in a man's world that I'd just not seen on screen before. Her air of competence, the way she interacted with the guys, even the way she dressed (I loved that she sometimes rocked a tie) genuinely helped shape my understanding of how you could be a woman in a position of authority. I saw something I could recognise and aspire to in Kay, and I was so glad I got to tell Melissa that all those years later.
Melissa as Kay was so groundbreaking. Kay was a woman in the 90s doing "a man's job," and, for what it's worth, better than most of the men around her! And, I imagine to her mind, without using her femininity (dressing up, makeup, etc.) but instead solid, hard work to rival any man. I was really disappointed when the show seemed to run out of things for her to do once she became a Sergeant because she could go toe to toe with any male character in that squad room! LOL And, unlike most other characters, I think in those first 5 seasons, she had interactions with every regular character - interesting ones, too. Consider her conversations as equals with Frank; the very respectful way Mike and John (Munch) treated her; her standing up to Gee and their mentoring relationship; engaging in a friendly way with older detectives Stan and Steve; being kind to Tim and Beau; giving as good as she got with everyone; even finding mutual respect for Megan and their shared though different love of Beau. She was a valuable addition to what, per the book I believe, was supposed to be an all-male cast in the beginning.
As for Melissa Leo, I really respected that - per her keen perception of Kay - she didn't want to "dress like a girl," "wear a ton of makeup," or especially be a trophy cop, if that makes sense. I'm guessing she felt it didn't fit Kay, and she didn't want to portray that all hardworking female detectives had to be that in order to succeed. I feel bad for the female detectives of Homicide who came later (not so much Megan, but the female characters of seasons 6 and 7). It wasn't the actors' fault, but how why those later female characters were added and how they were written to satisfy the network - to add "sex appeal" while sacrificing being 3-dimensional. I think Megan accomplished what they might have been looking for while being hardworking and a leader and if they were looking for more of that, I wish they had stuck with that hybrid model. That's part of what made Homicide such a special show - it (at least in the beginning) looked like a real squad room, not a Hollywood set. Melissa, as Kay, was a big part of that. Unlike Frank, who could be an off-putting, prima donna showing off his theatrics in the box (and I really *like* Frank! LOL), Kay just low key did the dang job and let the board speak for itself.
Sorry - off my soapbox! LOL My main point is that it was and still is really refreshing to see a hardworking woman whose character is defined by her efforts and talent rather than stereotypes, especially in what was (and still is to some degree) what a male-dominated field where women have to work harder than men to be taken seriously. Hats off to Melissa for bringing Kay to life and helping make her a fully realized character!
Amazing analysis Anne. So thorough. I learn a lot on this forum. Keep it up as you are helping fill in the blanks!
Thank you, Kyle. That's really kind!
Kay Howard is my favorite female tv character of all time (hell my reddit username is her), possibly because I was 18 when the show debuted and her character just hit at that perfect time.
Thanks for this blog/podcast, currently binging on it at work (when i probably should be actually working!)
I loved working with her and watching her work. She was kind enough to hook me up with her grandmother who lived in Athens when I traveled to Greece after season 2 wrapped. She was a lot like her grandmother. Grandma was friendly and warm and supportive to us. She gave us guidance and solid advice on which islands to visit, where to eat in Athens. She was like Melissa. Lovely and sassy, a great combination.
She brought so much depth to Kay. I definitely feel she wasn’t featured much. That’s the dilemma isn’t it - the struggle between craft and ratings.
It seriously bummed me out that they let Melissa Leo go and took on women who had big hair and wore makeup. She was brilliant as Kay. And I can’t help but make the observation that Ned Beattie, who is a good actor, had absolutely filthy long fingernails in every episode. I couldn’t not see it - it was so gross. I’m trying to reconcile his poor hygiene with the need for women cast members to have bigger boobs and more hair. The last season turned on the romance factor, and that wrecked it. It presaged the Elliott-and-Olivia trope— will they or won’t they? I didn’t care. Kay Howard, Meldrick Lewis, Tim Bayliss, Frank Pembleton, and the great “Gee”—were the beating heart and soul of the show. With Richard Belzer for comic relief. The gritty elegance of the first few seasons rested with these ground-breaking unmatched characters.
Losing Melissa was a tough one for sure. Ned - good observation on all angles.
Really enjoyed the post on Melissa. As someone already posted, Kay Howard was ground-breaking, both in the way she was written and in the way Melissa played her. As a teenager, she showed me ways of being a woman in a man's world that I'd just not seen on screen before. Her air of competence, the way she interacted with the guys, even the way she dressed (I loved that she sometimes rocked a tie) genuinely helped shape my understanding of how you could be a woman in a position of authority. I saw something I could recognise and aspire to in Kay, and I was so glad I got to tell Melissa that all those years later.