In SKAM there are always those leftover storylines from previous seasons, a small continuation not to end the characterās arch abruptly, and to give the show a nice, believable flow. In S2, we see Eva deal with her breakup (though I have many opinions on this) by looking for a way to heal and get over the fact that Jonas is no longer her boyfriend. In S3, we get Nooraās dealing with Williamās departure and being all secretive about what was going on between them. We, however, get no Eva whatsoever. Her season is long over, her storyline done with. We donāt see her drunk and making out with random guys. We understand that sheās all better now and remains on good terms with Jonas. This is Isakās season.
In S4, in one of the first scenes, we are given an update on Evak: theyāre doing great. They love each other and are still together, Isak is smiling and Even appears to be in good mental health. Like Eva in S2 and Nora in S3, this is our sigh-of-relief moment: the characters we fell in love with in the previous season are still there, not gone.Ā
However, even before the main conflict of the season (Sanaās season) is introduced, our main girl walks inside the apartment and is confronted by something we thought would be long over: Nooraās love problems. The girls start whispering about how William got another girlfriend and wether they should tell Noora or not.
I was appalled. āReally?ā Was my first thought, āWeāre still on this?ā And donāt get me wrong, I loved Nooraās season, I thought it covered some very important matters and the ending had me bawling and wishing for more. I was given more in S3, and though I hated what I got (and understood their way of handling it, what with Thomasā departure from the show and all), I was content. And when I go into S4, expecting my unapologetic muslim goddess to slay the world, I am yet again confronted by the things from two seasons ago.
As usual, we get some borderline islamophobic comments from Vilde, some uncomfortable silences from everyone else, and the show begins.Ā
Everything seems to be running smoothly. We meet the Balloon Squad. We get excited over our girl having a crush, loving the fact that he seems the perfect guy for her.
Then shit starts going sideways. Girls hating on other girls, Sana unable to speak about her crush because Noora apparently likes him, the Girl Squad making Sana feel left out, the Balloon Squad (POC guys) being seen as āthe bad guysā. We get russ bus drama and ignorant white girls unable to grasp the concept of āother religionsā. We get Noora and her William problems that, letās be honest, should have been long over by now.
Finally, a silver lining: Yousef doesnāt believe in Allah. Ok, weāre getting somewhere here. This grabs my attention and has me craving for the next update. How will they solve this? Sanaās not giving up her religion for a guy, Iām fairly certain Yousefās not gonna convert just to be with her, Sanaās family wonāt approve. Whatās gonna happen next? Iām finally caught up (something the first clip hadnāt achieved.) And then, a reward for our patience: a beautifully shot, performed and even edited clip of Sana and Yousef together for an extended period of time, bonding, getting to know each other, and finally addressing the elephant in the room. Weāre rewarded with a scene that seems to be that Isak-goes-to-Evenās-apartment scene, that Noora-and-Williamās-first-date scene. A solid, robust, meaningful scene that moves the plot forward.
And then Noora again. Her and Sana have a talk about none other than William Magnusson, a talk that could have been placed in S3 discreetly, giving Noorhelmās storyline the closure it deserved. By now, the Niko plot should have been figured out. I was curious back in S3 about what had happened to him, but by S4 Iāve forgotten all about it. This scene only adds to the piling amount of Noora screen time.
Then comes a clip and texts that promise that Fridayās clip is going to blow our shipper hearts away. Sana and Yousef are seeing each other again for the first time since The Scene. Weāre expecting lovey dovey eyes and goofy smiles.Ā
But surprise! Everything crumbles down on Sana.
Noora acuses Sana, not giving her a moment to form a coherent answer. Yousef comes up to her and she has to break apart a fight. She has to see her brother (yes, that same brother who a clip ago was the most loving creature in the universe) with a face contorted in anger, and we never get a reason for the fight. Sana goes to clean the blood off her hands and overhears conversation that tears her (and the audience) apart.
They could have ended the episode there. What she overheard and the fight between the boys promised enough drama to keep us on edge until the end of the break. Instead, they recycle the cliffhanger from last season and have Noora kiss Yousef. And I hated it. Not only because Sana witnesses the guy she likes kissing one of her best friends, or because Imanās expression broke my heart into a million pieces, but because it gives Noora a permanent spot in the next half of the season. Sana is bound to share the spotlight with her and it pisses me off. Instead of having Sana explore her religion and deal with islamophobia (which is so present in many scenes), we get a love triangle. And I hate to see powerful Sana, smart Sana, unapologetic Sana, beautiful Sana be reduced to that.
kianamaiart
2087
gummygunk
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
