Yousana's Endgame Symbolism
This is quite a long analytical post so bear with me. If you read the whole thing, thanks and also, I commend you. Below is my analysis on the idea of fate and all the symbolism that makes Yousana, endgame.
This animal has different meanings but for the most part it is the symbol of beauty, strength and loyalty.
Swans are associated with fidelity, loyalty in marriage, and monogamy, because they mate for life. Everlasting love.
They are also associated with transformation of something into something beautiful.
The Scillas mean a couple of things: constancy (the quality of being faithful and dependable, and also the quality of enduring or being permanent) and it is also associated of forgiving and forgetting.
Yousef gives these flowers to Sana, as a symbol of his enduring and faithful love for her). Sana keeps these flowers way past their lifetime, by her bed. She forgives Yousef for kissing Noora, and forgets it too.
The symbol of fertility and lust. It is also seen as a symbol of spiritual nourishment.
This season the carrots symbolize her desire and love for Yousef. Initially, Sana is drawn to Yousef only physically and seeks to appeal to him physically as well. During Inshallah, she eats the carrot, delicately, while staring at Yousef. It’s very sexually suggestive at first (lust). But then, in the kitchen, it evolves into something more profound.
The carrots bring them together, and are what start the true spiritual connection between the two.
We see carrots throughout the season. They are a representation of their spiritual connection and their attraction for each other. At one point, Noora chews on one, loudly and annoyingly. Then we see rotten carrots on the floor, when all seems lost. The carrots appear once again, except Sana is holding one, without doing anything with it. Finally, the carrots reappear in cooked form in their final date, and they both eat them happily, and at the same time; meaning their connection is complete and they have both accepted the fact that they love each other and want to be with each other in every way.
This one has been sneakily thrown at us throughout the season. It’s been slightly more subtle than the others. The talk of 12 kids, “One dozen eggs” hanging in Sana’s kitchen, Yousef asking if he’s “12 or what?”
Now according to various sources, the number 12 is the symbol of cosmic order, completeness and perfection. Which is really what they both are, when they are together. They complement each other, and balance each other out.
Finally, although this isn’t symbolic, the idea of fate, it is meant to be, it is written in the stars and if God wills it.
Throughout the season, every single thing points to Yousef. Everything Sana does, reads, hears, no matter what she does or how she tries to avoid it, points to Yousef. Somehow, “the roads she takes” lead to him.
This is seen very pointedly in a few scenes:
Fy Faen: Sana is standing alone, balloons blocking her face and view. As soon as Yousef stands in front of her, the balloons magically move out of her way, giving her full view of his face.
I Feel It Coming: She’s praying, and at that moment the music plays. She walks out of her room and right into Yousef. Elias could’ve been there with him, or she could’ve entered through the bookcase room where Elias was. But no. Right into Yousef.
Inshallah: The most obvious one. Sana’s mom asks Sana about who will feed her children, and if she’s going to let them starve. Her response: my husband will do the cooking. “Inshallah”. And then Allah wills it, and minutes later, Yousef walks in and shows her how to peel carrots properly. How does he know? He cooks FOR CHILDREN at a kindergarten. It gives me chills whenever I think about it.
Unfriended: After finding out that Yousef isn’t Muslim, she decides to unfriend him and move on. She researches ways to get over someone you love. The final shot lingers on the final rule of getting over someone you love: Remember, There Isn’t Just One Person Out There For You.
Det Beste Fra Islam: After following the rules listed in the article, she goes to Grønland, to meet the next love of her life. A cute, good Muslim boy. As fate would have it though, Elias somehow ends up getting wasted and she ends up spending her evening with Yousef instead.
Spiller Alene: She’s throwing the ball, trying to score. At some point the ball bounces back, past her, as if pushed by a mysterious force,and lands directly at Yousef’s feet.
Kitchen Talk: Momma Bakkoush discovers that it is Yousef, the one Sana loves. She doesn’t dissuade her from pursuing something with him explicitly, but goes on to list all the ways Yousef isn’t good for her and explains exactly what she needs in a husband.
Maghrib: So far, her mom has given her the most logical explanation ever as to why her and Yousef would never work, and Sana is strong in her decision to forget him, because by all logic, it makes absolute sense. She says “I’ll meet other soulmates in the summer”. Then…Allah wills it once again, while she’s praying, and I feel It Coming starts playing. At the most perfect time. Everything points to Yousef.
To top it off, Yousef, again as if invoked by Sana’s mom’s words, goes on and demonstrates that he is the one for Sana, and shows her, inadvertently, that he’s exactly the man Momma Bakkoush wants Sana to marry.
The most beautiful part of this season has been the inevitability of Yousef and Sana as a couple, as life partners, and their love story. The mystical nature of their relationship and the forces that keep bringing them together. You just know they will end up together forever. There’s no doubt about it. It is beautiful and I’m glad Skam went there.
P.S - The songs: This is the only season where songs have been played more than once, in a season. Straumnes, 5 times; Into The Woods, twice. I Feel It Coming, twice. Again, just continuing with the pattern of constancy… There it is.
