Thicker Than Water review: Thrilling watch brings intriguing female characters

Thicker Than Water follows Fara, a journalist, who gets herself and her sisters involved in the business of a crime lord after trying to save her brother from an allegation. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Fara’s dream of becoming a presenter on a national news channel is snatched away from her when she gets replaced at the last minute by a girl with much less experience.

Fara pours out her frustration by calling out the news channel for showing fake news. The video goes viral on the internet, and Fara, in turn, gets fired from the channel.

Fara’s family, especially her sisters, doesn’t take the news well. Her already bad day becomes worse when her brother, Salem, comes looking for a place to park a vehicle he has. Fara allows him to park it in her garage.

The cops knock on Fara’s door, and her family is interrogated for the whereabouts of Salem, who injured a cop while running out of the city. Fara’s sisters really don’t know where he is, but, at the same time, they believe there must be a reason why Salem ran away.

To protect Salem for now, Fara and her sisters burn down the car he left at Fara’s garage, not knowing that there are drugs hidden inside it that belong to a crime lord.

Performances

Nawell Madani as Fara portrays a smart, independent, and strong journalist who has worked hard for years and is not willing to give in so easily after all the sacrifices.

One actually starts understanding Fara’s struggles when she is brought in front of her sisters, Souhila, played by Kahina Carina, and Yasmina, played by Carima Amarouche.

Madani, Carina, and Amarouche have a natural chemistry, and they do look great together as sisters. What makes them more believable is when they argue over their characters’ struggles.

During these conversations, the difference between a highly educated Fara and her sisters, who have sacrificed a lot, can be seen, and the three of them give their all to imply it.

Positives

At first, the series talks about how the Arab minority is treated in its town, but that’s not the main focus here. The series is more about Fara and her sisters, who are navigating their lives on their own after going through a life full of struggles.

These women have carved out a life of their own in a patriarchal world and are in a place where a person from their race has to fight on a daily basis; one single mistake turns the whole world against them.

The main plot progresses in one corner, and in the other, the viewers witness these women’s lives turn around: Fara fights to be the face of French television as someone of Arab heritage; Yasmina tries to save money and live a life with a husband who won’t stand up for her; and lastly, Souhlia fails to connect with her teenage daughter.

The show also sheds light on how media controls the narrative of a story that is shown live, how cops cross lines, and how the Internet can be both useful and a curse at the same time.

Now coming to the main plot, the series doesn’t really bring anything fresh, but it’s the way the events turn out that makes the show interesting. The show is fast-paced but fulfills the expectations of a viewer by laying out enough details in a particular episode.

Negatives

Thicker Than Water could’ve handled its ending a little better, especially the heist part. The decision to not disclose Fara’s plan and let it play out as a mystery doesn’t really work out. It may leave the viewers a bit confused initially.

Also, the inclusion of Fara’s father’s return in the finale is another aspect that feels unnecessary. It isn’t explored well, and it seems like its only purpose is to tease what the next season could be about. This might even just be a subplot if the second season takes place.

Verdict

Thicker Than Water is, without a doubt, a thrilling binge-watch that brings strong performances from the lead cast, who portray complex female characters with relatable and dramatic storylines.

The viewers will not only be invested in the main storyline but also in how these women come out on top in their personal lives.

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