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Diana Rios, University of Connecticut, United StatesAbstract
Amelia Rojas is a Native/Hispana “mestiza” (mixed heritage) who journeys across the ocean to London, to locate her father and discover her mother’s murderers. This analysis draws from select archetypes (Jung) and related motifs to highlight how Amelia’s character disrupts patriarchal labor, space realms, and elite social hierarchies, through movements and actions. Archetypes include: hero, traveller, explorer, sage, maiden-ingénue. This 2025 CW-Discovery+, HBO, limited series uniquely revamps a globally established detective, mystery narrative. While Holmes-like stories have been created over past years, this story adds a savvy female compatriot, and offers Holmes instant family via a young woman of color/non-white, of California Apache heritage. The series is not blind to racism-elitism of the period. Media literature discusses dehumanizing tactics that denigrate Native peoples, Hispanas, of the US West (Berg). Within the series, bigoted and elitist individuals insult Amelia and indigenous people as savage, unintelligent, scheming. Verbal insults and exclusion are performed through malicious talk. Most offending people receive just punishments as good quashes evil. This analysis is necessary because Amelia is unique. It is politically bold that this US series exists and is distributed during waves of extreme-right ideologies circulating in the country. This reworked version, though imperfect, is more inclusive of gender/culture/ethnicity/race and attempts to fortify redemptive qualities of tales that are updated, re-told for contemporary audiences. More young women of color, such as indigenous/mestizas, are needed as positive, strong media characters in popular culture. Audiences need broad ranges of female heroes.
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