You will not find many socio-political thrillers based directly on the Arab-Israel conflict and violence. Fauda is a rare one that pairs a gripping storyline with an emotional core that takes a closer look at both sides of the conflicting parties.

But for international viewers looking for a good thriller without delving deep into the realistic assessment of the geopolitical scenario, Fauda is a solid choice.

Basically, it’s about the members of a counter-terrorism unit and the Arab antagonists they are after. Note, this is an Israeli TV show and the focus is more on the storylines of the Israeli protagonists. So there is some amount of stereotyping of the Arab characters needed to cater to the Israeli audience. That said, Fauda emerged as Netflix’s top-performing show in a country like Lebanon last year.

As expected there are religious and political threads that tie the story together. But actually, Fauda is more about human conflict in a volatile ground where trust can turn into betrayal at any moment. Beyond that, there is plenty of real-life drama to take you beyond the blast of weapons.

The term Fauda literally means “Chaos” in Arabic. Fauda lands into chaos right from the opening minutes of the first episode of the first season. Doron (Lior Raj), a self-retired counter-terrorism operative is recruited back to capture a most-wanted Hamas terrorist, Abu Ahmed- nicknamed the Panther.

The cat and mouse game gets intense with each episode as characters from both sides are sucked into the violent conflict that is seemingly never-ending. At the same time, Fauda shows plenty of empathy and respect towards the two sides in terms of beliefs and cultures. That outlook sets it apart from a typical thriller with a usual good versus evil motive.

Interestingly, the co-creator of the series, Lior Raz was a soldier and a counterterrorist operative himself. He uses that experience to nail the role of Doron- a world-weary, shaven-headed, burly man who is far from being the perfect hero. As the series advances, Doron comes out as an aggressive hothead whose actions can often be infuriating to the viewers and lead to unwanted outcomes.

More striking is the fact that none of the members of the team are hardcore professionals who focus on cold efficiency. There are plenty of conflicts and a lack of cohesion within the team that isn’t expected from an elite squad. But then the creators have done that intentionally to offer a straightforward portrayal of people who are always on the line.

The intensity of the actors and the sudden brutality of the action speak a lot about the nature of the conflict and the mindset of the people involved. The acting is superb and Hisham Suliman and Shadi Mar’I are brilliant in their roles of Abu Ahmed and his right-hand man Walid.

Without a doubt, it’s hard to tell a story like this with a perfectly symmetrical approach. What Fauda does well is acknowledge the violence and brutalities inflicted by both sides. With short episodes and a taut storyline, it remains gripping and tense. Overall, the 12-episode length is perfect for binge-watching.

The other aspect of Fauda is the overlap of personal and political motives. The second season picks up the story seamlessly after the first season and the theme of revenge becomes all-encompassing. The focus is shifted to Al-Maqdisi, an ISIS operative who targets Doron purely for vendetta.

The best part is, that Fauda sticks to its roots and doesn’t try to do things differently in the second season. As expected, rage and tumult triumph over good sense leading to deaths and tears on both sides. The plotlines are stretched thin in the later episodes but the narrative stays on track to sustain the interest of the viewers till the very end.

The third and fourth seasons raise the stakes and the storylines remain gripping. Both Israelis and Palestinians are presented as complex characters and highlight the human cost of the conflict. Doron sometimes comes across as a damaged and unhinged individual, but Raz handles the role with great flair.

You need to watch Fauda with subtitles, which is much better than a dubbed version. The fundamental difference between Arabic and Hebrew is better experienced with the original version.

So is Fauda a good TV series?

Absolutely. Not that it’s something new and unique. But it’s an exceedingly engaging series that strikes the right notes. On the whole, Fauda is one of the hidden gems on Netflix and anyone looking for a gripping action thriller should definitely check it out. It has four seasons streaming and has been renewed for a fifth.

I hope the fifth season arrives this year and doesn’t make us wait like a few other popular shows. Yes, I am still waiting for the third season of Kingdom.

By Suvajit Banerjee

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