After 12 years of hiatus, the series “Tash Ma Tash” returns again in its 19th season to discuss issues of Saudi society in a satirical and comic framework.
The problems of Saudi society that Tash discussed in his previous 18 parts have changed a lot at the present time, and thus the first episode of the new part was like a leap in time; The two main characters in the series moved in time 8 years forward, as they found the changes that occurred in society, on top of which were women driving cars or uncovering hair and other societal changes that occurred during the past years, as if the series was trying to travel in time to keep pace with the new era.
Like its previous parts, the series “Tash Al-Awda” revolves around separate and connected episodes at the same time. It sheds light on social phenomena that are exposed to invalidity after many changes that occurred in Gulf societies, especially in the last ten years.
The episodes of the series varied in quality, as there were episodes that deserved praise, starting with the first episode, “Thunderbolt”, which was a good entry point for the return of the crew again and their transition in time through a lightning bolt that moved them 8 years to the future, which is the present we live in now.
As well as the 19th episode, “Shin B Wow”, which is taken from a true story. The episode discussed the issue of drugs and their impact on young people, and it won the admiration of many, especially because of the sensitivity of the issue it deals with and the effect of the “shabu” drug on young people and making them commit criminal acts under the influence of narcotics.
However, most of the episodes were not at the same level of quality nor the quality of the previous parts of the series, and this may be due to various reasons, including the following:
Writing
The series suffered from slackness in trying to integrate the issues it wanted to discuss and present in one episode, and this may be due to the series’s satirical critical nature in the first place, so trying to write about a specific issue and merging it into a dramatic event consisting of one episode is very complex and may succeed or fail, which is what It is embodied in the second episode of the series “The Eye on You”, where the idea was very outdated and old and was previously presented in several forms. The corrupt businessman who tries to remember his past and his crimes in order to deal with them is old and has been dealt with repeatedly in different ways, and even an attempt to make a comedy between the husband who is preoccupied with his crisis. His wedding night and his inability to communicate with his wife have already been presented several times; Thus, the episode suffered from repetition and lightness as well.
the acting
The major crisis in the series is acting, as Nasser Al-Qasabi and Abdullah Al-Sadhan, who embody the two main characters in the series, suffer from difficulty in role-playing, especially with the different characters and their positions, with minor exceptions such as the fifth episode, “Content Seller”, in which there was clear attention to the character and its details and the crises that Suffering from it, there was a repetition of the embodiment and crises of the characters and their natures, as if it were the same character every time in different situations, and even with different situations, the reactions of the characters are similar.
The supporting characters also suffered from marginalization, because of the nature of the series, the focus was on the main character and the supporting roles declined, as if the actors were giving words without a real understanding of the crisis of the character they were presenting and its nature, for example the character of the son who seized his family’s money in the first episode, we find him throwing words from Without awareness of the personal conflict and the repercussions of the situation, even if the work was primarily comic.
Attempts to perceive the times
The series tried a lot to use the techniques of the modern era and the vocabulary of “social media” in merging the ancient series with the vocabulary of the modern era, and there was clear diligence on this point, but like most recent dramas, it tried to use the stars of social media platforms to integrate them into the series, such as the media, Maha Abdullah and Rahaf Al-Qahtani, who both have With a large following on Instagram, they may not be fit as actresses.
“Tash-The Return” also suffered from a real identity crisis. With the difference in the era, the series tried to preserve its old form and its method of criticism and ridicule while integrating modern ideas, technology and the language of the different era in 2023. The series succeeded in some episodes in this matter, but others suffered. From losing an identity in the first place.
And perhaps the series, if its makers wish to complete it in the coming seasons, needs to determine the identity of the work, its nature, and their goal in it, while leaving space and opportunity for other stars who exist alongside its current heroes.
“Tash-The Return” is the 19th part of the most famous Saudi series, “Tash Ma Tash”, starring Nasser Al-Qasabi, Abdullah Al-Sadhan, Youssef Al-Jarrah, Habib Al-Habib, Remas Mansour, Turki Al-Sadhan, Muhammad Al-Kanhal, Ilham Ali, Muhammad Al-Halawani and a number of guests and guests of honor, and it was written by Anbar Al-Dosari Amani Al-Sulaimi and Abdulaziz Al-Modhish, directed by Muhammad Al-Qaffas, consisting of 20 episodes, and shown on MBC and the Shahid platform.
