YES, Jody has been a better mother to them than poor Mary managed to be. The difference between them was especially striking when I rewatched "The Life of Asa Fox" recently. And she's just a wonderful character. I'm still in mourning that Wayward Sisters didn't happen. All those ladies are great.

I wish they'd ever had women and/or POC as regular characters (like on the same level as Misha, Mark, Alex, or even Jim Beaver) but I agree that they've done a good job with the representation they've had, and I think they've gotten much better with it over the years. Having Lisa Berry as the new Death was a huge step. :D (I also love that they have no need to tell you how strong she is - they just show it perfectly.) You're right that original Death was a little obvious, but yeah, SO entertaining and Julian did a fantastic job.