Unsavory reality or dramatic exaggeration?
This is the question that preoccupied the pioneers of social media platforms following the new “Shahid” platform series, “Midlife Crisis”, because of its controversial story, which many considered unsuitable for our Arab societies.
The events revolve around Fayrouz, who married a young man decades older than her after pressure from her family, and throughout her life with him he did not make her feel that she was female enough or was not satisfied with her, did not treat her with respect, and appreciated her efforts and endurance to continue with him in a life that is not like life.
The work begins with the marriage of the heroine's daughter, who is twenty years old, to a young man several years older than her. The mother fears that the daughter will repeat her tragedy, but she has no say in the face of the daughter's approval and the father's insistence, and soon the marriage opens the gates of hell for everyone.
The husband basically has his past, from which he also tries to escape, at times by choosing a young girl who does not suit him, and at other times by fabricating lies and hiding the deepest and most true part of his soul.
His path intersects with Fayrouz, his wife's mother, and she touches a string in his heart that no one has ever touched before. At the same time, he treads the limits of her soul in a moment of weakness, and events continue.
I started watching the series #Midlife_Crisis, its story attracted me, and the exchange of characters for love parties, but with the wrong person and in the wrong place. The plot of the series reminded me of the Forbidden Love series, it resembles his story a lot! !
pic.twitter.com/qbvQ8E63om
— ®️❗️〽️🅰️🇱🇧 (@ramrumiY) February 1, 2023
Because of its plot, some likened the work to the Turkish series "Al-Ashq Al-Munnu'", as Samar married Adnan Bey, who is more than 10 years older than her, before falling in love with his nephew, which made some expect the heroine of "mid-life crisis" to have the same fate, which is suicide.
However, a surprise unique to the Egyptian series, regarding the mother's relationship with her daughter, upset the scales and increased the audience's confusion, as she is not her biological mother but rather her father's wife, but the plot remained morally controversial and for some disgusting as well.
People don't know why they are surprised by the mid-life crisis series and denounce it so much..This is the least story on the cairo confessions page, guys
- Moataz (@m_oatazhish) February 2, 2023
■1- #Midlife _ Crisis _ Series is one of God's limits!
This series made me discover that there are many people who do not know the taboos, many comments on the series made me stunned .. but I found that it is a good opportunity to know who does not know what is permissible and forbidden in relationships ..
👇 pic.twitter.com/wt9CcNEa8k
- Sahar Ali Omar 🇪🇬 (@SaharAliOmar1) January 30, 2023
Other reasons for high viewership
Although the series has not been shown - so far - only 6 episodes, and with all its nature that may cause alienation from a sector of the public, it did not contain any inappropriate scenes or words, but rather the director used other tools that relied on details to express about his idea, and he quickly rose to the throne of watching and trending throughout the past week.
On the one hand, because works dealing with bold ideas seduce the audience to watch and arouse the curiosity of even those who reject them, and on the other hand, because of the dramatic, progressive and ascending narratives that are breathtaking.
The author, Ahmed Adel, and the director, Karim El-Adl, avoided any stretching and elongation. Rather, the events came very quickly and were very suspenseful and shocking. Likewise, the series did not include any side dramatic lines of no importance, contenting itself with only the main lines and their overlaps.
break stereotypes
On the level of representation, it is noticeable that everyone is striving to present their best, and most importantly, their departure from the mantle of traditional roles, even young faces such as Amr Al-Saeed, Rakine Saad, Rana Rais, and Hind Abdel Halim.
Who among us doesn't want to express what's wrong with his heart...
Thoughts will kill us if they don't come out 💔
Series # Midlife_Crisis exclusively on @ ShahidVOD @ karimfahmi @ anwar_sabbah # cedarsart # cedars_art pic.twitter.com/OH20O8UnTa
— Cedars Art Production (@CedarsArt) February 3, 2023
While Rushdi Al-Shami is still masterful of his tools and mastered the role of the cold, unjust and troubled man, before we come to Karim Fahmy, the hero of the work who challenged himself with a role like this, especially since the character is complex and rich in contradictory emotions, which he tries to express in the language of the eyes, doing his best not to present the role. Superficially, especially since he co-wrote the treatment with Karim El Adl.
And finally, with the winning and unbridled drama horse, Reham Abdel Ghafour, whose name, with any work, has become capable of attracting a large segment of viewers, betting on her and her choice.
After her recent exceptional roles in the series “Wish wa Dahr”, “A Dangerous Detour” and “Room 207”, here she is changing her skin again to succeed again in wearing a new character brilliantly.
With the fewest possible words, the perverted looks of her eyes, the movements of her shaking hand, and a pale and devoid of cosmetics, she assumed the character of Fayrouz, uniting with the heroine who suffers from emotional emptiness and a long history of humiliation and marginalization.
Many expect events to escalate in the upcoming episodes, discovering many backgrounds in the heroes' history, and the work makers' attempt to untangle the highly exciting and controversial dramatic knots in the most dramatic and social way that the audience can accept as well.