I have watched a few episodes of it now, and I’ll continue watching at least a bit more.
In the first 30 seconds, I knew my wife would not join me – it has subtitles. She won’t watch shows with subtitles because it causes her anxiety – the words might disappear before she’s read them. So it’s just me on this one.
The show is very well written. The character development so far is outstanding as are the backdrops. I’ve grown attached to Akiva already. I was full of hope for him to develop a relationship with Elisheva. Then he popped the question to [redacted in case someone else is not as far along as I]. WTF? She’s very sweet but I know he’ going to break her heart…he was way premature on that…I can see the heartbreak coming. It makes me mad at Akiva and he hasn’t even done it yet.
So far I’m up to the point where he runs down the street after dark to the phone booth where Elisheva called from. Now the question is do they keep this widow-Akiva tension going for years (ala Moonlighting) or do they get them together? I shall find out soon enough…
Believe it or not, I didn’t meet a Jewish person until I was about 30 – or if I did they didn’t make it apparent. Most of the little burgs I grew up in didn’t have a synagogue (I just checked, still don’t). I met my first Jewish person at my employer in San Diego. Hell, I didn’t even have a bagel until we arrived in San Diego and the welcome to town basket had a package of bagels in it!
Jewish people intrigue me. I now have a few as fairly close friends and I’ve found them to be warm and open. Shtisel started me thinking around Jerusalem so I “walked” many of the streets in Google Street View this week.
Being non-religious, the one frustrating part of the show is to watch so many people devote so much of their time and energy to religion, which I consider to be a myth. How much further could mankind get if all that energy and brainpower was used to advance medicine or science?
But it’s enjoyable and so long as it doesn’t become a major soap opera (and it might) i will probably continue watching. Too bad about the subtitles because I think my wife would have enjoyed it also.
Oh and one more thing. Giti’s husband is a pig. Makes me mad at males…
