This series represents a delightful, and sorely, missing link in the ever-expanding multicultural mix of modern series.
How often do we see normal modern Islamic people act out the daily soaps of life on Western television? Spoiler alert: Never.
Why is it so that the only Islamic cultural representative in Western series is usually a rabidly insane terrorist, on a par with that rare Western, severely mentally ill Hannibal Lecter? Spoiler alert: Because we only look at their extremists, who, when it comes down to it, historically, are not really crazier than our own. Case in point: the European and North American witch hunts, that were seen on in most Western cultures, until just a couple 100 years ago.
How is that specific (Western AND other cultures) attitude going to promote world peace? Spoiler alert: it won't. It will keep us locked in all of the same old self-fulfilling prophecies and vicious circles of violence. If we all, globally, want to come out of the simmering WWIII tinder box without further damage, we need more series like The Exchange on Western television and more access to education for women everywhere.
On my several visits to Islamic countries, the only people I ever met, were, spoiler alert: just like you and me. Hospitable, kind, funny, loving parents, struggling in their relationships, trying to make sense of politics and make economic ends meet. Sure, they had some different cultural customs. (Some of which actually included the home creation and joint consumption of the best goshdarn food I've ever had.) But they had the same dreams for their own lives and their childrens' as we do.
Until The Exchange came around, the only chance I as a Westerner, had, to see normal Islamic people living courageous, extraordinary, positively contributing lives on television, was to visit one of their countries. Which luckily for me, I was able to (for which generally still all too white Western privilege, I will remain forever grateful).
It is time they came to more frequently visit our television screen in return. I personally warmly invite them with wide open arms and the hope in my heart that they will grace us more often with their joyful presence. To me they are just as extremely hospitably welcome to add to our viewing pleasure, as I felt welcome and safe being their guest, being offered lodging in their family homes, sharing their meals, playing with their children, as the strange, out of place, exotic white Western solo-travelling female person that I was, on my visits to their countries.
The Exchange is more than adding the spice of female emancipation in a traditionally patriarchical society; that as a struggle, on the key headlines, is no different than ours. As a series it is a high quality streaming delight. Both the female and male actors in this series deserve so much more, in terms of chances to command our Western cinema screens with their amazing talents, the way they do in this series. We will ultimately only sell ourselves short if we don't provide it. We want their lives understood and their benign, loving, all-round human dreams to come true, just like we want ours to. Because only that, not the further elaboration of differences, will bring world peace. Insh'Allah, so help us God Almighty.
Aside from all of that ideological palaver, mundanely The Exchange is also just one heck of a gripping, extremely well casted story about two resourceful women trying to make a career in the male dominated world, with ample interhuman twists and political turns. It will keep you hooked, in line with the best that modern acting and streaming has to offer.
Lastly, the fact that The Exchange complies with Kuwaiti cultural censor demands is no reason to think it is more boring to watch than a Western series. On the contrary. It reminds me that the restraint of leaving details to the imagination, when the acting is as good as this, means a great deal more edge of seat viewing pleasure where it comes to being confronted with romantic interactions on screen, than what nowadays seems like an obsession with explicitness in Western acting.
Western cinema should really take notice here. Nothing is more killing to romance, than obligatory expressions of it. Especially those added for no other reasons than the assumption that that is the only thing that draws viewers.
