Whether you’re watching it or not, you know there is a certain hype surrounding the show during this Ramadan season. You could be wondering why that is, or wondering why you are watching it, being kept intrigued by it. There are actual reasons behind anyone watching Gaafar El 3omda, and being a fan of Mohamed Ramadan is just simply scratching the surface. If you want reasons why, here you go.
Catharsis (ka’THärses)
The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions: Catharsis. Catharsis is a term originated by Aristotle, and it means to cleanse.
In other words, it is to purify someone from their emotions by subjecting them to something that is intensely packed with emotion, triggering the reaction out of someone until they are in tears.
This doesn’t mean you have to be sobbing with every episode, but to be engaged enough with the characters that their feelings invoke a reaction out of you. This reaction could be crying, getting chills, or simply feeling for the characters’ sake. In Gaafar El 3omda, you are moved by Mohamed Ramadan’s performance; you are saddened by his sadness, happy for his smiles, and hating his enemies. And that, my readers, leads us to the next point…
Gaafar El 3omda: Number One
In the show, you are immediately drawn to Gaafar’s story and invested in every little detail surrounding him and his enemies. You find yourself full of sympathy towards him because he is the epitome of everything that is righteously good. You are now captivated by how unfair life has been to him, and how unjustifiably evil his enemies are…
There is a word for this, and it is “Tragic Hero”. The tragic hero is the main character of a tragedy who undergoes so much suffering due to everyone and everything being against them.
Usually, in a tragedy, the hero dies, and it is also usually by the hands of someone or something so dear to them. It could be their ambition that lead to their demise, or their unwavering love for someone -bombastic side eye, Dalal. Without spoiling anything, as there is no way to know what is happening next -another bombastic side eye to you, Mohamed Samy- it is just a fact that if Gaafar El 3omda is going to be classified as a Tragedy, then sadly to all, Gaafar must meet his fate and demise. Which leads us to…
What If Not…?
What if Gaafar doesn’t die? What if -and oh please let that be it- Gaafar lives and is reunited with his son…
Then, the show’s classification shifts and it is a Melodrama, and don’t be intimidated by literary terms, the only difference is that Melodrama ends happily! The character defeats all his enemies and is able to live “happily ever after”, but it’s of course after tears have been shed throughout the show until the happy tears start to flow. But what else is keeping you glued to the screen and waiting for Iftar to quench your melodramatic thirst?
Mohamed Samy
The cliffhangers. Every time you are so close to relief, you are met with a black screen and Mohamed Samy’s name. And then, you just must watch the next episode…and then the next one, and so on.
The spoilers. And this might be a personal opinion of my own, but bear with me. What if the ending never changed? What if this was all a way to -and successfully so- create propaganda for the show? What if they were all asked to artfully insert certain scenarios in the audience’s heads to ensure that Gaafar El 3omda is the talk of the city? Oh, what if…
The Juxtapositions
In Gaafar El 3omda, you see people who live in Sayeda Zaynab, and they do not look anything like the people who actually live there. Dalal is dressed in colorful kimonos and has piercings all over her ears, when she is supposed to be a modest woman from an area where these things are not so common.
You see a guy who is married to four women, but they do not seem to be as appalled as women would be normally. They plan meals together and plot out schemes to win over Gaafar’s love. There is even one scene where Thuraya was happy about Dalal’s pregnancy years ago…
You see a woman who is so in love with her husband -Dalal- yet she sees him suffer from her own deeds and continues to do more damage. She cries for his tears and tries to comfort him while being the one who can relieve him from every pain he goes through and refuses to do so.
These juxtapositions create a rather transcendental experience where you view things from a perspective that is nonsensical in your reality. They transfer you from your reality and entrap you into their version of a world where anything could happen and anyone could do anything, and that keeps you wondering, what is next?
Actually guys… I am lying to you; there is only one real reason behind everyone watching Gaafar El 3omda, and that reason is the ending! Spoiler Alert because we exclusively know what is going to happen; Gaafar will
