Ramadan is just about here… which means it is time to begin binge-watching TV shows. But there is one show that I won’t be watching this Ramadan, and that’s "Bab Al Hara."
Many people still love this Syrian drama, which became a cult show and a fixture on Ramadan’s TV schedule. But while the show was great in its first season back in 2005, it started to deteriorate rapidly in the following seasons until the plot became more lost than the cast of "Lost" on their spooky island.
So, here are the 8 big fails that made "Bab Al Hara" unwatchable:
1. When they killed off the best character of season one: El Ida’ashari (played by Bassam Kousa)
I’m sure they asked him to go back on the show but like any self-respecting actor, he refused.
2. When they decided to do season two… and three, and four, and five…
And in case you haven’t had enough, seasons 9 and 10 are coming your way in 2017 and 2018!
3. When they brought back the dead!
Abu Issam (Abbas El Nouri) proved he was death proof when he was resurrected in season 6… after reconciling with the director and producers of the show of course!
4. When actors whose characters were killed off in previous seasons reappeared as new characters!
Like Mouna Wasef who was Umm Abdulla in season two then Umm Joseph in seasons four and five. Dear director: who told you we have amnesia?
5. When botox, plastic surgery and tattooed eyebrows completely altered the appearance of some actresses from season one to season seven.
Like Lilia Al Atrash... who became almost unrecognizable from the first season until the last one.
6. When the white teeth epidemic affected 90 percent of the actors on the show
Apparently extra white veneers were very common in 1920s Damascus!
7. When women were portrayed as weak, submissive and shallow housewives
Apparently their entire lives evolved around stuffing zucchini, swearing at each other and worrying about their husbands taking on second wives. Talk about enforcing stereotypes and women empowerment!
8. When the plot dragged on and on for 10 years without an apparent end in sight...
The actors on the show have been battling the French occupation for 10 years… that’s almost half of the actual duration of the occupation which lasted 23 years!