Critics keep calling Monarch, Fox’s new country music series starring Susan Sarandon (@susansarandon), “Empire meets Nashville meets Succession.” When ACTUALLY it’s Empire meets Nashville meets season one of Riverdale. It’s an important distinction because while the series does follow the very rich First Family of country music as they grapple with their Texas-sized aspirations for success and a lasting legacy, it’s not boring. ⁠ ⁠ In fact, it is absolutely (gloriously, wholly, delightfully) unhinged. The pilot is bookended by multiple deaths, driven along by flashbacks of Sarandon’s Dottie Cantrell Roman — the First Lady of country music — setting an entire barn on fire to presumably murder her personal archenemy, and involves a main character shooting some unknown person in the woods in the middle of the night and then burying them by the light of the moon and the headlights of a vintage Ford pickup truck.⁠ ⁠ And luckily for us, the Romans have a lesbian daughter, and she is played by Beth Ditto (@bethditto), with a wry smile and the voice of an angel. Ditto’s Gigi is a married lesbian with kids and a full-time job that’s not in the industry. She’s never had her mother’s approval or support, and she also loves her sister more than anything in the world. And that’s why she’s never tried to make it as a singer. ⁠ ⁠ Apparently, in fact, her family’s never even really heard her hum a tune. Because when she walks on stage to provide backup and harmony to Nicky at the family’s annual MUSICALE, she knocks the cowboy boots off everybody in the crowd. She’s got pipes for days! A stunning voice! She makes Nicky look like she’s doing karaoke at a dive bar! The family’s manager, who keeps shrugging off Nicky, catches Gigi after the show and says, “YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF COUNTRY MUSIC!” Gigi smiles so big at him when he says that. For starters, she’s never really had much in the way of praise. ⁠ ⁠ And also, she doesn’t know that while they’re talking, basically everyone else in her family is doing a murder.⁠ ⁠ Read the rest of @heatherannehogan 's review in our link in bio, and another episode of Monarch is out tomorrow on @foxtv 🎸