Developed by: Wilhelm Behrman &Nikolas Rockström
Directed by Goran Kapetanovic
Watch it on: Netflix
To say some fans were unhappy with the ending of Game of Thrones (GOT) would be an understatement. There’s no question that endings matter. But I have a feeling that no matter what the ending could/should have been, reactions would’ve still been this strong. And that is because people were so personally affected by the show. I was also extremely emotionally invested in so many GOT characters. I guess that’s what brilliant writing does. When you create characters that move you, there comes a sense of indirect accountability. You almost feel you are responsible if the characters don’t get the ending, they deserve. After GOT, I did not come across a show that made me feel so strongly about characters.
Till I watched Caliphate.
When my friend told me about this Swedish show, I had so many questions because I didn’t know so many things. I did not know what Caliphate or (Kaliphat) meant. I hadn’t an iota of idea about what a dystopian life looks like. Strangely, this is the reality for millions out there.
The story begins in Raqqa, Syria and builds up to a terrorist attack in Sweden. There is Pervin, a Muslim Swede, married to Raqqa-based IS member, Hasum. When she realizes her life is in danger, she seeks help from a Swedish Intelligence Service agent, Fatima who tells her that she needs to find out more about the attack in return for a safe passage out of Raqqa.
Back in Sweden, we meet Ibrahim (Ibbe), also known as The Traveller. He is a charming teaching assistant at a school, who manipulates and radicalizes young teenagers. This includes 15-year-old Suleika (Sulle), her 13-year old sister, Lisha and Sulle’s friend, Kerima.
The story cuts between Raqqa and Sweden throughout & these two storylines are deeply intertwined.
“Caliphate” is described as a show that unveils how religious fundamentalism can lure young minds and destroy lives. But at the heart of it, the narrative is driven by such well-etched out characters that you can’t help but as viewers get more and more emotionally engaged in them. It’s no doubt a brilliantly made show. It keeps you thrilled and at the edge of your seat, throughout the 8 episodes. For me, I loved the show because I felt a roller-coaster of emotions for the protagonists namely Pervin, Fatima, Sulle, Kerima and Lisha. I wanted to feel something for them but I ended up feeling a certain way.
By the way, warning – SPOILERS ahead. This is less of a review and more of my thoughts after watching it last night. So, if you haven’t seen the show, do not proceed.
Let’s start with the teenagers – Sulle, Kerima & Lisa. Out of the 3, Sulle, initially came across as the most intelligent girl. She was first introduced as a bright, sporty teenager who was passionate about her faith and religion. Being a minority in Sweden, she had every right to voice her thoughts about how Muslims are apparently treated or represented in the community. But it was aggravated with Ibbe’s constant fueling of her thoughts. Her younger sister, Lisha, came across as a brat but she looked up to Sulle. My heart went out to their parents who were constantly trying to handle things in a difficult circumstance. Kerima came from a problematic home, a drunk father who’d beat her up and I think she was just craving to get out of her present situation. It was hard to sympathise with them because honestly, they seemed old enough to know what they were doing. Upon reaching Syria and having their phones confiscated, Sulle did show signs that she felt something was wrong. I think towards the end, she realized what she almost got herself into. They were also key to understand how these terrorists brainwash innocent people. But it’s like… I want to sympathise with them and maybe there’s a part of me that does but I just can’t. Because in their mission to prove their faith to God, Kerima died, Lisha got stuck in a place she’ll probably never return from and she also caused Pervin’s death. Lisha betrayed Pervin, the same person who gave her shelter in Raqqa. All in the name of religion. It’s so unsettling.
Next, I want to talk about Fatima, the ambitious Swedish agent. The show opens with her not landing an assignment which she wanted. She’s extremely angry and we see her creating a ruckus at her workplace. She thinks her senior colleagues are being unfair towards her. And we believe her because it’s such an obvious plot point. In many such crime/action thrillers, we have this one protagonist whom no one trusts but she/he ends up carrying out the operation single-handedly and saves the day. Till the very last moment of the show, I was rooting for Fatima to somehow up her game and become the hero. Unfortunately, her colleagues were right from the very first scene. She is an impulsive, selfish and an incompetent agent with poor situational control, allowing things to happen that could have been prevented. I agree she was kept in the dark by her boss. I am not mad at Fatima because Pervin died. I am mad at her because she could have saved her easily but she chose not to. Yes, she was trying to save a country from a terror attack instead but the way she was doing it, just proved that her seniors were right about her all this while. I just wish someone else, someone more capable in the agency knew about Pervin’s situation in Raqqa. Although there are moments when Fatima displays explicable courage and ambition, I just can’t help but think of her as a loser.
And finally, Pervin. Where do I start from? She was the hero of the show. The only character whom I badly wished made it alive. I loved Pervin from the very beginning. She displayed immense strength, vulnerability and remarkable presence of mind. At one point, she was so close to escaping from Raqqa. I really wish she was not forced to go back to save Lisha. Yes, we can’t forget that Pervin joined ISIS in Syria voluntarily; nobody forced her. Maybe she was like Lisha in the past, fell for the wrong ideology and then realized the reality behind it. But I just wished there was something or someone or anyone could do to get her and her 4-month-old baby girl out of that place. Why did the makers give her such an ending? Was it for us viewers to forever mourn this loss? Did they believe that if she made it alive, viewers will get happy, forgetting that there are so many out there in the real world still trying to get out of Syria? Perhaps, it was also for us to mourn the fate of what some people has made out of a religion?
Apart from the female protagonists, I loved how the show exposed the oppression of men. Despite being an IS leader and having more rights than a woman, Hassum was also a victim. But he loved Pervin and did not treat her like his “brothers” told him to. He was just messed up between what was fed to him and the reality. Ibbe was an out-and-out villain and the actor who played him was impeccable. In fact, all the characters are so well-written and enacted. Kudos to the entire team!
I got goosebumps seeing a glimpse of the life in Raqqa. At the same time, I actually realized that it is a very multicultural and multiethnic setting. It was an eye-opener for me to learn that slamic fundamentalism is not limited to Islamic states but it is something that can be even born within the so-called ‘progressive’ Europe. But what I am most glad about is that the show is not an anti-muslim propaganda. It doesn’t portray the religion in a negative way but in fact throws a light on these radicalists, extremists who are ready to kill or die for their point of view and how easy it is to groom marginalised youth.
Overall, I haven’t been so riveted by a series in a LONG time. The show is intense with top-notch acting, excellent writing, balanced perspective and something that makes you question what is good and what is bad. It was horrible and terrible and fascinating and kind of beautiful, all at the same time.
Definitely watch it!
Xoxo
Ritwika
