Last week, we told you all about Nemra 2’s premiere episode and how it’s trying to pose a million questions in that character-study of an episode.
If you recall, we went into great detail about how that Sherif (and several men like him) feel trapped in their marriages and so turn to horrible outlets for any kind of small-dose-happiness.
But this time, it’s different. This time, we take a look at a woman in an unhappy marriage and how she toes the line between actual and faux cheating…with one question being the end-all be-all here: is it still cheating if you don’t cross the talking stage?
warning: spoilers
Plot
We begin this episode with a fight. Yes, point blank a fight between Raweya and her husband Hazem. A fight so regular and everyday, we don’t even need to know what the actual fight was about.
Shortly after this fight, we go with Raweya as she travels to Beirut for a humanitarian achievements’ ceremony and see her, as she mingles and excitedly tries to tell Hazem about her day only to get blocked at every end.
Fed up, Raweya goes out partying with her humanitarian colleagues and discovers the concept of dating apps (yes, really) as well as some people’s idea of how “it’s not cheating if you’re not in the same place“.
The very next day, Raweya has checked out of her hotel but has missed her flight and is just simply waiting till the next one arrives. Curious and bored, she downloads a dating app, makes a profile, and soon enough starts chatting to a man called Ibrahim, who seems entirely too invested in making her spend a good last few hours in Beirut.
Characters
Raweya’s married life, like Sherif’s from last episode, is a mess. Despite how pristine and loving everything appears on the surface, she and Hazem just don’t talk. And the very first time we meet them they’re having a fight-within-a-fight about him ‘not having time‘ to listen to her.
Not that she stops trying; but even when she does that, Raweya finds herself discouraged by Hazem over and over again. And so, this is the real question:
If you’re in Raweya’s shoes, love-starved and communication-deprived, wouldn’t you momentarily forget your morals to simply just talk and be actually listened to?
That is the whole point of Raweya’s arc. To choose to live in her fulfilling fantasy or simply face reality and try, once again, to make things work…or at least pretend like they are.
On the other hand, we have Hazem, who honestly isn’t that bad of a man. He’s not horrible or uncaring — in fact, most of the time we spend with him is the time he spends preparing a lavish dinner for his wife.
His problem is that he’s too deep into his routine that he just doesn’t listen anymore. He literally ignores every little problem there is, making him Husband and Dad of the Year as well as the worst partner in the planet!
Hazem’s foil is Ibrahim, a Lebanese restaurateur who doesn’t mind listening to Raweya talk for hours on end. He makes her feel appreciated and there’s a charming rapport that makes them click…and nothing more, since Ibrahim’s been through a car accident that rendered him fearful of meeting new people.
Verdict
Marriage is a lifelong commitment and that is something everyone knows. What we don’t know, though, is that marriage takes a lot of strength and perseverance to work. It means that you’re supposed to want to choose that person, whole-heartedly.
And that’s the theme of this episode, mostly. It’s a pretty interesting take you’ll honestly enjoy watching, even if you don’t agree with the character.
