10 iconic female characters from historical dramas to celebrate Women’s History Month
By Mads Lennon
5. Harriet Lennox from Harlots
It has been a while since Harlots was canceled, but I still really miss this lively, amazing British-American series about sex workers and brothels set in 18th-century London. Based on The Covent Garden Ladies by British historian Hallie Rubenhold, Harlots ran for just three seasons before Hulu officially canceled it. In that time, we fell in love with Pippa Bennett-Warner’s portrayal of Harriet Lennox. Harriet lived with Nathaniel Lennox as his “wife” and the mother of his children.
In England, Harriet goes to work for Margeret Wells at her brothel. Harriet is a brilliant and cunning woman who will do whatever is necessary to protect her children. Her rivalry and intense back-and-forth with Margaret become one of the first season’s highpoints, where there is plenty of tension, drama, and scheming to go around.
Bennett-Warner is a talented actress who has made the rounds in her fair share of English dramas and films, and she also starred in the black comedy series Sick Note and last year’s four-part thriller series Roadkill. It’d be great to see her in another period drama at some point as she did such compelling work on Harlots. It’s truly a shame Hulu didn’t order more seasons of the series.