Shows about datiyim are cropping up all over the place these days, starting with Me'orav Yerushalmi and Srugim, continuing with Hayim Acherim and Simanei She'elah and now in its latest (and darkest) incarnation with Urim V'tumim. We are especially drawn to these shows because they hit on issues close to our own lives. No forum exists in American TV or film either for portraying religious Jews as "regular" people or for addressing the particular issues and struggles that religious Jews face.
Urim V'Tumim revolves around the mysterious death of Yaniv Zaks, a young yeshiva student at an elite dati-leumi penimiah. In doing so, it weaves together a number of interconnecting plots illustrating various cracks beneath the rigorous and upright reputation of the yeshiva. These plots, include the rosh yeshiva's secret romance with a secular sculptor, the culture of hazing and pill-popping that lies beneath the rigors of the beit midrash and the yeshiva leadership's efforts to prevent investigation into Yaniv's death.
The series also addresses larger social and cultural conflicts through characters like Oz, a new student from a lower-class, broken Mizrachi family (played by Or Ben-Melech aka Tavor from Asfor; who else?) and Fadi, the school's Arab maintenance man and cook.
Seven prakim have aired so far, and the plots are beginning to thicken. We'll be right here with our two agurot as the season goes on.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Kochav Nolad Season 9 - כוכב נולד עונה 9
We're in the middle of the season here, but there doesn't seem to be a clear front-runner yet, and we don't have any strong personal favorites ourselves either. But a few thoughts as of this point (and we're a couple of episodes behind):
- David Lavi and his floppy hair, deep blue eyes, and datlash angst are growing on us.
- Ron Weinreich: It's impossible to root against him, his story, and the dogtags that shine on his chest during every performance. His bitzu'a of Bon Jovi's "I'm gonna live forever" was more meragesh than any performance of Jon Bon Jovi himself.
- Hagit Yaso is a great storyline too, but does she have what it takes to make it to the gamar?
- Liron Ramati - Seems to be Margol's pet this season, but are we the only ones who think he's drunk and/or high during every show? Can he walk a straight line, because he looks like he needs a V-8.
As for the judges, Margol's beginning to get on our nerves, and her Temani favoritism is getting ridiculously obvious. Miri is hot as lava, but the KN stylist has got to throw out every tube of hot pink lipstick and 80's style t-shirts. Dress Miri in black and red, and move on. Tzedi remains Tzedian as always, and Ya'ir Nitzani still feels like an unknown quantity, but maybe it's because the shininess of his head is more distracting than Gal's or Pablo's.
- David Lavi and his floppy hair, deep blue eyes, and datlash angst are growing on us.
- Ron Weinreich: It's impossible to root against him, his story, and the dogtags that shine on his chest during every performance. His bitzu'a of Bon Jovi's "I'm gonna live forever" was more meragesh than any performance of Jon Bon Jovi himself.
- Hagit Yaso is a great storyline too, but does she have what it takes to make it to the gamar?
- Liron Ramati - Seems to be Margol's pet this season, but are we the only ones who think he's drunk and/or high during every show? Can he walk a straight line, because he looks like he needs a V-8.
As for the judges, Margol's beginning to get on our nerves, and her Temani favoritism is getting ridiculously obvious. Miri is hot as lava, but the KN stylist has got to throw out every tube of hot pink lipstick and 80's style t-shirts. Dress Miri in black and red, and move on. Tzedi remains Tzedian as always, and Ya'ir Nitzani still feels like an unknown quantity, but maybe it's because the shininess of his head is more distracting than Gal's or Pablo's.
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