'Mrs America': Sarah Paulson, Cate Blanchett reunion gives fans 'Carol' and 'Abby' flashbacks
Spoilers for the first three episodes of 'Mrs America'
FX just premiered 'Mrs America' on Hulu and it didn't take even a split second for fans to notice how Phyllis Schlafly and Alice Macray's bond is pretty much a major throwback to Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson's phenomenal friendship in the 2015 film 'Carol'.
Blanchett as Phyllis essays the anti-hero who toiled against the women's liberation and equal rights movement — citing how their agenda targeted god-fearing homemakers and would propel them towards giving up certain privileges as equal rights with equal pay would demand them doing twice as much the work. Paulson's Alice is a mostly quiet and docile sidekick of Phyllis and her fight to abolish the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) act that pioneers of second-wave feminism are doing their utmost to turn into a law.
And even though in its own way the women against feminism are braving the same battle as the pillars of the concept they so love to deplore, what is really worth noting in the first three episodes is how revered Phyllis is amid the homemakers against feminists. Particularly in the eyes of Alice — who, as fans have noticed, often "stares at Phyllis probably way too lovingly than she's supposed to be."
So much so, that it reminded fans of the Todd Haynes cult classic romance 'Carol' where Blanchett's titular rich divorcee and Paulson's character Abby went from being just friends to blossoming a passionate, but chaste affair.
Taking to Twitter, fans voiced out how scenes of Phyllis and Alice changing in front of each other resembled the nuanced affair between Carol and Abby. Even in moments where Alice insists at the kitty party that there's nobody suited better than Phyllis to run their movement opposing the ERA, the adoring admiration is obvious.
To Alice — more than a revered leader of the movement — Phyllis is a trusted confidante who has earned her respect, and she makes sure to show that through her actions, while Phyllis reciprocates it with equal solidarity and compassion. Just within moments of the pilot's premiere — midnight for many — a fan shared: "oh my god mrs america just dropped. i’m the gayest I’ve been since the first time I saw carol."
Other fans chimed in noting the same, in scenes of Alice and Phyllis going about their day's errands together — be it serious meetings to discuss their agendas or a trip to the salon to set in their curls.
Noting the chemistry between the two actresses the way it was in 'Carol', another fan stated: "It will always be Abby and Carol." A third fan also noted how "everything is gay if you try hard enough," probably hoping that something along the lines of Abby and Carol transpires between Alice and Phyllis as she added: "this is wrong in so many levels but sarah paulson's character lovingly stares at cate blanchett for way too long and my mind just goes like 'calm down abby'."
'Mrs America' premiered on Wednesday, April 15, with the first three episodes, only on Hulu.