When looking for a friend, there’s no one better to turn to than an ISFJ of the MBTI® personality type system. Aptly defined as Defenders, they have a deep level of compassion for those that they encounter. In addition to this, they are often exceptionally loyal and hard-working, so they are always someone that it is good to have in one’s corner (though they can also take things very personally).
Given these character traits, the period drama is a natural fit for them, as the genre frequently focuses on issues of the heart and feeling. What’s more, they frequently showcase the extraordinary power of friendship, often between and among women.
Love: Poldark
The power of a good period drama is that it manages to immerse the viewer in a world of romance, war, and love, and that is precisely what one gets with Poldark. The titular character is played by Aidan Turner, an undeniably charming and compelling actor who draws the viewer in from the moment that he appears on the screen. The ISFJ will inevitably find themselves drawn into this fascinating drama that follows the fortunes of Poldark, his wife, and their family.
Hate: The Great
It’s a well-known historical fact that Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was heavily involved in the plot to murder her mad husband. The Hulu series The Great focuses on just that part in her life, with the titular character portrayed by Elle Fanning. It’s a biting and satirical sort of series, with an acidic sense of humor that is unlikely to be appealing to the ISFJ and their sense of duty and compassion.
Love: Miss Austen Regrets
The title of this film neatly encapsulates its narrative, which focuses on Jane Austen and her reflection on whether she did the right thing by not getting married in her youth. It’s a profoundly melancholy film, as one of literature’s most famous female voices is shown to be full of regret and uncertainty about her choices in life.
Given that the ISFJ tends to take things too personally and simultaneously repress their feelings, they might feel a bit uncomfortable with the way the film forces the viewer to take an accounting of their own life decisions.
Hate: The Favourite
Even though the costume drama has something of a reputation for being staid and boring, that is definitely not the case with The Favourite, which focuses on the fraught and dangerous relationship among three women: Queen Anne and the two cousins Sarah and Abigail. The two cousins constantly scheme against one another in order to gain the favor and devotion of the ailing queen.
It’s a wickedly funny film at times, but it is also fundamentally about the dysfunctional and toxic relationship among these three women.
Love: Little Women
The classic novel has seen many adaptations over the years, but the most recent one from Greta Gerwig has quickly established itself as one of the best. It manages to capture the powerful bonds that exist among the women in the story, and there’s no denying that every member of the cast brings their own signature charm to the story.
The ISFJ will find much to enjoy here, particularly the obvious love that these women bear for one another, through both the good times and the bad.
Hate: The Tudors
This Showtime series focuses on the six wives of the notorious Henry VIII (played with scenery-chewing sensuality by Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Though the Tudor court as portrayed here is a beautiful place, it is also one that is full of danger, particularly for the several unfortunate women who manage to catch the king’s eye.
It is, fundamentally, about the dangerous and duplicitous nature of royal power, and it seems to suggest that those who are in positions of authority are always only out for their own aggrandizement and pleasure.
Love: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
There’s undeniable chemistry between the two women that headline this lovely little film: Frances McDormand and Amy Adams. McDormand plays the long-suffering governess and Amy Adams an American singer and actress. The two quickly establish a bond, and of course there are several romances thrown in for good measure. It’s a sweet and charming little film about female bonding and friendship, a reminder that period drama can often do a lot with a little.
Hate: Medici: Masters of Florence
There seems to be a rule in period drama that the further back in time you go, the more savagely people behaved. That is definitely true with the series Medici, which follows the fortunes and struggles of the titular family as they struggle to maintain their power in the city of Florence.
Despite some powerful performances, there’s little here that will appeal to the ISFJ. They will find their supportive and general kind natures straining to understand the avaricious nature of many of the series’ characters.
Love: Death Comes to Pemberly
The works of Jane Austen have consistently proven to be an inexhaustible fountain of ideas and inspirations for screen adaptations. This series, which is a mix of period drama and murder mystery, is a perfect exemplar of the ways that Austen’s works continue to be relevant and malleable for a wide variety of uses.
The imaginative ISFJ will particularly enjoy the subtle twists and changes that this series makes to its most obvious inspiration: Pride and Prejudice.
Hate: The Borgias
Having depicted the court of Henry VIII, Showtime moved into depicting the heady, sensual, and libidinous world of the Renaissance papacy, focusing on the infamous Borgias. In this series, they are headed by Jeremy Irons’ Rodrigo, a man absolutely determined to see his family gain all of the power that he feels that they deserve, no matter what the cost, in either blood or treasure. It’s a rather brutal series, and the fact that the family often turns against itself mitigates against the likelihood that the ISFJ will enjoy it.
