Finding Family: A Miss Fisher Video Essay 

" "She's Protestant and he's Catholic" Look, they're two different flavours of Christian and apparently thats a big deal!" Me, an Irishman - Oh you better believe it

Never thought I'd see a non-Australian give the warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ❤️

"I'm trash, this is my trash" I laughed but mood tho.

I am unbelievably excited for this, one of my comfort video essayists talking about one of my comfort shows?? This is a dream come true

People outside of Australia have seen this show? It's just Always On whenever I switch on the ABC in the evening, never thought it'd have much reach beyond that.

As an Australian I have to give massive credit for the amount of research you clearly did and the amount of understanding you had an especially the inclusion of the warning for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders at the start. There are professional productions in Australia that still don't do that. I love that you learnt the name Naarm which is something I only recently learnt myself. I had to laugh at your point about Catholic and Protestant basically same thing and reflect on how my Catholic grandfather was always mad my mother married my non-practicing Protestant father. Fortunately the Boomers seem to have killed this conflict once and for all but it was absolutely a big issue for generations of people.

When Miss Fisher and Jack sang "Let's Misbehave." I freaking died. I don't usually ship two het white characters but I was smitten with them.

So glad you take the time to point out the flaws of what you like while also being unabashedly trash about what you really, really love. Omg SAME WITH HIS HAIR THO WE WERE TRULY BLESSED.

At the beginning of the video: and this is Mac, miss Fisher best friend. Me: oh wow, look at her. Later in the video: also, Mac is a lesbian. Me: SHOCKER.

I know you are viewing this through a Jewish point of view but the difference between Catholic and Protestant is a really important to a lot of communities around the world. Australian territories at this point in time were still modelled on British society, which meant if you were from a Protestant family you were more likely to be from a family that migrated and be affiliated with the police, military, politics and 'Respectable Society'; where as Catholics from Irish and Scots stock were more likely to have been deported and have fewer opportunities to economically/ socially progress(Speaking in very general terms). This resulted in a lot of sectarian violence and in countries such as Northern Ireland still divides communities. I'm not trying to have a go at you and I feel that this is more a weakness of the show for not exploring how religion is/was important in how our nations develop and the class divide they can create.

I literally thought I was the only one in the 2010s and forward having to contain my trashy fangirling over Phryne and Jack having such amazing chemistry when my mom and I watch this show. Also, the part about Jack's hair. Yes. *chef's kiss*

THANK YOU, LILY!! I appreciated how you balance the very real problem of erasure and racism in Australia and the issues of Coproganda with the "THIS IS MY TRASH, I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!" energy you have for the show. It was lovely.

Feels like "Kenneth Branagh's mustache" should be billed ahead of "Kenneth Branagh" in that Orient Express movie. Otherwise, excellent vid as always. :-)

1. This is the only time I’ve seen anyone talk about indigenous Australian representation well 2. Miss S is on SBS’ on demand streaming service in Australia. It’s extremely fun and interesting.

I'm so glad to see Cleverman get some recognition outside of Australia!

Miriam Margolyes is an absolute treasure and I have never been disappointed with her in anything, and I'm glad to see her Graham Norton appearances shown here because more people need to know about them

A non-Australian video essay engaging with our deeply ingrained racism and colonial baggage? A shoutout for Cleverman? You're a treasure

Wow, I learned more history about Australia than I ever had in school. This was really interesting to learn. Of course I know that racism exists everywhere, but that was horrifying to learn and I’m glad that I’m aware of that bit of history now. I had no idea of their murder of the Indigenous people , that really brings reality to my view of Australia.

This was delightful! Fun Fact: The actor playing the villain in "Murder Under the Mistletoe" was an Australian children's TV presenter for years. Watching him in that role was an unexpected delight. Essie Davis also joins Pedro Pascal in my most petty group of favorite actors: Actors who sparked protest from fandoms after being cast in adaptations, but bodied the roles so completely all the armchair critics disappeared without a trace.

Most people in Australia, let alone outside of it, know or bother to research Australia's history of racism and the treatment of First Nations peoples. It took me until university to find much of the topics you discussed in this video within our education system. Although I'm not an Indigenous person and therefore not the best person to speak on this topic, I really appreciate your effort to acknowledge Australia's appalling history, which often goes ignored despite its lasting effects that continue into the present.

This was worth the watch for the Happy Jewish Saltine alone! And then I learned a lot of horrifying but important stuff about anti-Aboriginal racism in Australia. Thank you and Lily for your work on that!

I haven’t watched the show and decided to watch your video anyway. Two minutes in I said “nah I can’t do that” so... I guess I have a new show to watch now. The fact that you made an essay about is enough to be sure it’s great. So, I’ll be back some other time, and for now here’s my comment for the algorithm.

I am shocked a non-Aussie is talking about the lengthy and shocking Australian history of racism. I'm getting teary eyed because it feels like no one cares outside Australia.... and in Australia, too. I'm happy to see someone talking about it because I always hear people say, "you're so lucky to live there, Australia seems so perfect" and only names the creepy crawlies and fires as a negative. I feel like when I bring up the abuse of First Australians, people stop listening. So thank you. I'm legit emotional right now.

"I look like this: smiling saltine with a star of david necklace" you're adorable!

Thank you for talking extensively about the oppression of Indigenous Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, as well as other POC, in Australia. As an Asian Australian, the fucked up racist history in Australia is often ignored. I enjoyed Miss Fisher, but your criticisms about the way they handled racism and Australian history is entirely accurate, and I'm glad you bring it up and talk about it with such nuance and respect! 😊

So happy to see you do a video on this under-discussed show! One thing that did strike me watching the show is that Jack never actually saves Phryne. Every single time, he arrives just as she’s got the upper hand and so can help her with the aftermath. I thought it was an interesting deconstruction of the damsel in distress trope!

*Takes notes for my fanfiction regarding the quicksand scene*

Thank you for this essay! I live on the lands of the Kulin nation, specifically Woiworung land. It’s so important that we view our media through a critical view. Also yes Cleverman one of the best series produced in Australia! The Australian film and tv industry is kinda small but we really have some gems!

"This will contain spoilers for the series-" I've seen the show several times through, I'm ok with this. "And the movie" Alright, I'll put this on my watch list, and go watch the movie first. (And this I have fulfilled my obligation to the algorithm, despite not watching the video completely yet. Google bless.)

I am a simple fool, I see a Ladynightthebrave video that's over an hour in length, I immediately click on it.

I'm halfway through watching season one with my mum and I'm seriously considering spoiling it all for myself just to watch this 😅

When Miss Fisher was still on Netflix I probably rewatched it more than anything else (specifically season two, and most specifically the scene when Phryne and Jack sing Let’s Misbehave to each other), so what a treat to see your break down on this channel. And I really appreciate how much time you took to critic the show’s lack of aboriginal characters and what was going on there in the 1920s. As a white canadian, a lot of that history is new to me, but also completely parallel to my country’s own fucked up history and current relations with Indigenous people. And it’s so good to give voice to the fact that you can love a show, and find it comforting, and still wish it had done things better. Thank you! Also shout out to those Babylon Berlin scenes you snuck in there-that show is an (intentional?) hot mess and I adore it.

As an Australian viewer thankyou so much for both the warning for aboriginal and Torres strait Islander viewers at the beginning and the discussion of the lack of representation for bipoc.

yes, someone is talking about The Miss Fisher series! Holy crap, you are the best and never stop! Also, I'd die the day you ever release anything on Spice and Wolf...

*50 seconds in & it's already a classic*

This in-depth research and critical analysis of the medium you’re about to talk about just solidified you as one of my absolute fav channels; as an Indigenous person of North Africa the plight of indigenous communities from all over the lands Hits very close to my heart, even if we’re very different our histories with colonisation are hauntingly similar Thank you for the respect you gave to the stories by researching and giving it proper time in the video essay

You’d have loved the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Costume Exhibition at Rippon Lea Estate in 2015. There were 50 costumes, as well as lightbox character videos and a few clues to find scattered throughout...

Would absolutely love to see an Anne with an E video!

The raven king quote nearly killed me

YES THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE COMFORT SERIES

After Miss Marple, I really want more detective mysteries featuring woman protagonists. And was hit with not good Asian caricature. Yeah, Miss Fisher looks great. Though as an Asian, it makes me sad that I have yet seen representation other than Lucy Liu's Watson. It's so great to see people bring up Australia's genocide. It's one of the most horrific events swept under the rug, and thanks for letting me know more.

I haven't watched Murdock Mysteries since middle school, and this video inspired me to do so. Socially aware period drama / murder mystery is such a good comfort genre

Aunt Prudance was on call the midwife maybe her delivering a baby was referencing or inspired that.

that matzah with the magen david after the "I don't know, I look like this" is the cutest food item I've ever seen

This show is just absolutely delightful.

I’m 26 seconds in. I’m just so impressed, because you’re the first non Australian I’ve ever heard give that specific content warning. Thank you.

i love hearing you react to all the small bits that really give you some joy; also i really appreciated how much work went in to chapter 2 and the fact that you made it/made it as detailed as it is at all

Never heard of or saw anything of this show, but I am literally here cause I love learning new stuff and you make T H E best video essays on this platform. And that is not said without a deep love of video essays.

A note for non-Australians: the show was done on the public broadcaster. Which makes the copaganda and racism worse, to be clear. But also, no wonder the movie was crowdfunded. The ABC's budget has been cut by EIGHTY MILLION. This is important in the context of THE ABC IS CRUCIAL AND A NECESSARY PART OF OUR DEMOCRACY, but also, good stories suffer, too.

I absolutely adore your channel, your approach, and your take to the things you review.

Babes wake up the new ladyknightthebrave just dropped

I’ve never watched this show before, but I truly enjoy your commentary and media critique in general. For that alone, I will gladly watch an hour’s worth of your hard work.

Gotta say, I love your video essays! Your videos are basically structured fangirling and I just find it so warm and genuine. I love it when you say you love a dumb and miniscule thing about a thing. Keep up the amazing work!

OMG, I can't believe you're doing a video essay on Miss Fisher! I found you through your Haunting essays and wasn't expecting this delightful treat to TY!

I knew this was gonna be a good video when you opened with a warning about deceased persons, and it is also nice to know that every mfmm fan delights at the same scenes. (I'm sorry Miss! I'm sorry Miss I'm sorry Miss I'm sorry Miss!)

I actually love this series so so much, and it's great to see someone giving it the attention it deserves

Thank you for explaining my affection for this series. I’m rewatching after a few years and I can’t stop!

"It wouldn't have been perfect but it could have been better" just encapsulates so much...

I'm Aussie and grew up on this show... I was 9 when I was my first episode and it has shaped me as a person some of the best memories I have with my mother and grandmother are with this piece of media Thank you

I did not know that I could love you more than I already did. I ADORE this show and I love how you covered it--and how you didn't shy away from shining a light on all of the things the show tried to keep in the shadows.

I binge your Hill House and Bly Manor videos so often and I am so excited about this video bc I love your thoughts and Miss Fisher!

Thank you for talking about the history of racism in Australia. It's incredibly important that this stuff is discussed and brought to the light of day, for as an Australian, we have far, far too much of an insidious tendency to sweep history under the rug - something which, for a student of historiography with an interest in my country's history, is immensely frustrating. Hell, it's still a common belief that all Aboriginal peoples were nomadic hunter-gatherers, despite the huge amount of evidence produced by colonisers at the time (in the writings of Major Mitchell and Charles Sturt, for instance) tearing down this idea - Aboriginal peoples had extraordinarily complex means of land management, food procurement, cultivation and, what I would call, full on agriculture (see Bruce Pascoe's works as well as Bill Gammage's Biggest Estate on Earth book). Racism is so intertwined within Australian history - from the fact that modern Australian nation was founded upon genocide and theft, to the driver of Federation largely being due to racism and fear of Asians (even a movement that is dear to my heart, unionism, was heavily driven by racism and a false fear of Asian workers, see events like the Lambing Flats [among other] Anti-Chinese riots) to our ongoing brutalisation of Indigenous peoples in our legal systems and locking refugees in deplorable detention camps for simply being non-white, non-Christian asylum seekers - it's an undeniable and shameful, and our cultural tendency to turn a blind eye to it makes it all the worse. Also, I thought I'd add, the fact that 'she's a Protestant and he's a Catholic' was often quite the big deal in Australia in the past lol! Primarily due to the prejudice toward Italians and Irish held by Protestant English and Scots! EDIT: Also, thank you for discussing an Australian TV show! It's such a delight to see our media being watched, enjoyed and analysed by non-Australians. I loved Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries when it aired, as well as the movie; it's perfect comfort viewing. If you would like another period crime-drama, check out The Doctor Blake Mysteries. It's a wonderful show with great characters and writing set in Ballarat in the 1950s. Though be forewarned: the lead actor of the title character was accused and charged of sexual harassment and assault, though he was acquitted. I do not, however, believe his involvement should diminish the quality of the show that resulted from the work and love of other cast members, writers and so forth - so if that is not an issue, please do give it a watch!

i am unexplainably happy and excited whenever i see you upload. i know every video you make i will adore

my favorite youtuber talking about one of my favorite series! yay!

i'm so glad there's an essay about miss fisher. i love 20s aesthetics and murder mystery thank u sm

I appreciate you putting so much of the history of Australia in this video. Since this IS an essay about a period piece, it feels like it's necessary to talk about it a little bit, but I feel like you went above and beyond what would be considered "necessary". It's interesting to me, a Canadian, that the treatment of Indigenous peoples were so similar. I guess since both countries were colonised by Britain, they would be treated similarly. I will say that I think Australia has a better performative reconciliation than Canada. I visited Australia in the before time, and from a tourist perspective, they have a lot more public acknowledgements about harm done. Also 21:13 - I didn't know that Australia had their own version of Mounties (that would be the RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Google it) and that both organizations were formed for basically the same reasons.

Yes! I love this show! And you’re doing an essay. Oh my day has been made. Also Kenneth Branagh’s moustache is so gloriously hilarious I watched the movie just to see it lmao

Always love watching your essays. And now I’m excited to try out this show!

This video essay was excellently done: insightful, entertaining, and delightful all at the same time.

Gonna be honest I was not expecting the All For the Game quote. I come here for fantastic video essays that are largely about things I haven't seen, and the quote from The Raven King slapped me in the face.

IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS, one of my favourite shows ever and definitely underrated, this is a great video essay

If I could like this 100 more times I would! I'm thrilled to see one of my favorite shows getting attention and I'm even more thrilled that you are the one doing it. I audibly gasped with glee when this came up on my feed.

This was awesome, thank you, and thank you Lilli, Nathan, Vika, and Harker!

Being only recently introduced to your videos, and being thoroughly hooked, I'm thoroughly enjoying going through the backlog. I find myself having bouts of murder mystery obsessions. Times where I couldn't be bothered, and then it's all I can talk about. I went head over heels for Mrs. Bradley mysteries.

commenting this before I watch; I've actually been binging all of your videos while drawing because it's really nice to listen to and I'm really excited to see what this one is about !! love your content

I can't wait for the part in which you make me bawl my eyes out!

Every single thing about this!!!! My all time favorite show and you tackled this video essay so well thank you so so so much

Canada has it's own 1890's murder mystery show Murdoch Mysteries with a Toronto police detective and the female coroner. Its been running for 14 seasons on CBC and they have stupid/silly christmas specials. By the later seasons they certainly do better on the BIPOC representation with recurring characters.

I'm so grateful that your video essay allowed me to indulge in the show all over again! So well thought out, and excellent production quality! Thank you thank you thank you!

I really love your essays and have been rewatching them from time to time, and I didn't expect your new one to be on one of my absolutely favorite series.

Thank you Lilli for the help on Chapter 2 and thank y'all who support this lovely channel. Awesome video essay!

Oh I'm so glad you're covering Australian content in-depth! It's always so great when non-Australians do, but I don't see it happen very often!

I’m always excited for the new content that you make even though are usually haven’t seen those TV shows it’s interesting to see what they’re about and how deep they are

Thank you Lily! And also thank you for making a video that manages to talk honestly about what a really lovely show got wrong, because that's how the next show gets better. I'm going to do a rewatch now!

Living in Melbourne all my life, it was my greatest joy to point out where just about every single scene was filmed. Particularly Ripponlea, Como House and the fabulous Werribee mansion (where I live five minutes from and spent most school holidays traipsing about the gardens of), Melbourne, Williamstown and Geelong Botanical Gardens, Queenscliff, etc. This was such a wonderful watch! And I totally applaud your extremely thorough research into our not-so-great past.

Words can't describe my excitement at seeing that you've posted every single time. I've never been a murder mystery person but this was still incredibly fun to watch. Great job!

I'm Aussie and this tickled me that you would do an essay about this lil show of ours! loved it!

I will probably never tire listening to you talking about how a show make you feel. Thank you so much, you're such a great lens to experience shows I will never get to watch through. I hope you are well with people that you care for. All the best from Denmark. N

Wonderful video 💚 - I came here from your Stargate one & am definitely subscribing because you balance the fun of this show so well with it's negative parts that I feel others can struggle with. Big thank you to Lilli & all sensitivity readers (& glad to see that you mention them)! Also, Pushing Up Roses is the best way to get into 'Murder, She Wrote', great choice 👍

I was just watching your hill House one for at least the 15th time! I'm so excited to watch this! ❤️❤️

God I really love it when you cover shows I’ve seen that I never hear anyone else talk about.

God I love your videos! You could make a video on pretty much any subject and I'd watch it. But I was really excited to watch this one because Miss Fisher is one of my favorite murder mystery series!

i haven’t seen anything about miss fishers in so long but it used to be one of my favourite shows and i love your videos so i’m very excited about this!!

Yes, thank you for really digging into both the weaknesses and strengths (delights!) of this series -- this whole video was brilliant!!!

!!!! happy to see another video from you!

I love miss fisher and am glad to see it getting more coverage

Never watched this but I will absolutely watch a hour long video about it that will probably watch the series because the video is so captivating and beautiful and well worded. You've done it to me several times already and I am sure you will do it again.

Thank you for yet another wonderful and insightful video essay. Much love.

Thank you so much for covering this! I absolutely adore Miss Fisher :D

Thanks for helping us all be a little bit more considerate Lilli! And inspiring the tiniest modicum of research on my end