The show features a strong female lead, Molly Parker, a Texas Ranger, and certainly foregrounds her gender, but doesn't fully abandon narrative depth or character development for ideology. There are some moments of forced representation but they're not overbearing. It’s more about telling a compelling cop story than pushing the latest social message.

Traditional themes like family, heroism, and a sort of rugged Americana are still present, and masculinity isn't wholly deflated. Still, the tough female protagonist is a clear subversion of genre expectations, but not aggressively so. The tone is more light-hearted challenge than outright denigration of traditional values.

While the show obviously wants to highlight a 'breaking the glass ceiling' element, it doesn’t aggressively villainize men or paint all traditional views as backward. There's some modern messaging, but alternative perspectives are present, and not all antagonists are just stereotypes with a point to make.