House of Gods

After binge-watching House of Gods, I'm thoroughly impressed by this gripping Australian drama. Set in Western Sydney, it offers a rare and authentic glimpse into the life of a Muslim community, centred around the charismatic Sheikh Mohammad and his family. The show brilliantly weaves together themes of faith, ambition, and family dynamics, creating a complex narrative that kept me engaged throughout.

What struck me most was the nuanced portrayal of characters and their struggles. The tension between traditional values and modern Australian life is palpable, especially in the storylines of Sheikh Mohammad's daughters, Batul and Hind. The series doesn't shy away from tackling controversial topics, from mosque politics to gender equality within the Islamic community. The performances are stellar, particularly Osamah Sami as Isa, whose actions drive much of the plot's intrigue. Overall, House of Gods is a bold, thought-provoking series that offers a fresh perspective on contemporary Australian life. It's not only entertaining but also culturally significant, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for quality drama that pushes boundaries and challenges perceptions.

I really enjoyed this and am surprised it is not higher rated. It's an unusually thoughtful piece - not full of high impact cresendos but instead a very human drama, a slow and quiet unfurling of the stories of a muslim family, an exploration of how their faith & community both inspires them and limits them. The characters are well drawn, all surprisingly ordinary and relateable despite their context and the dilemmas their faith presents. The relationships are complex and well portrayed,and you sense their points of connection and disconnect, they are a unit but each is living their own indivudual journey. It it not at all a Muslim Sopranos, though the backdrop of that community gives it an interesting and rich slant. It's a complex and layered human drama that anyone could relate to. I hope there's a second series!

An enlightening and interesting series that starts off slowly and builds well. I felt invested in the characters and plot twists, including the feuds between rivals and the consequences of these. The acting was strong and kept me entertained and engaged through many poignant scenes.

A previous review claimed this is "not suitable for prime time on a Sunday"... what an 'interesting' point of view and I think completely wrong. Lucky you don't have to watch it on a Sunday with ABC iView :) Another comment in the same review suggested it "might be better placed on SBS"...again, completely wrong in my opinion, as ABC should represent the multicultural aspects of Australia.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and hope there is more to come. As someone not of the Islamic faith, I felt it was a balanced and credible performance which maintained my attention, leaving me wanting to see how this story will progress.

Very good acting by all the main actors. Well written plot line. Good dialogue. Good drama. All characters are complex, the good ones and the 'bad' ones. Until you realise they're all good and tortured, in their own way. Not lunch more to say. One doesn't need to be Muslim to like it. It's the narrative that leads it. So yes it's great that it helps build bridges between cultures in Australia etc etc etc, but that has zero to do with why i think it's good. It's actually good in its own right and not for politically correct reasons.

The only slight gripe is a little bit of new age politics rammed in there in certain moments. The elder daughter's (Batul) character has some weird feminist moments planted in there, that don't really logically align with the character otherwise. In the fourth episode, while speaking of her life's plans to her dad the Sheik, she proudly exclaims "it's my *choice*!". All else she needed was a soapbox and a girl power t shirt to be truly vomit inducing. I mean save us the cliches. This was not necessary to the plot or the show, at all, but I still give the show a good rating as I figure this is the abc demanding more feminist stuff in the narrative in a show about Muslims, so Osamah probably had not much choice. That said it's a minor gripe and it confines itself to episode four only so can all be looked past.

I hoping for a second series. I know it came to an end, be it a very open end, but a second series would be great if they can please steer clear of trendy politics. (What's great about Islam is that is doesn't follow trends, it's eternal and proud. So stay true to that please.) And I've seen plenty of shows manufacture second series from less than this.

A series such as this is groundbreaking and so very timely in such a divisive world. I applaud everyone involved with this production - the writers, the wonderful cast and the ABC for supporting it. Programs such as this give our wider diverse population a small window into a culture and a religion many of us do not have access to, or understanding of. Whilst it is a dramatised account, it is a marvellous insight into a small section of an Iraqi expat community we would otherwise have no real knowledge about. The strength of the performances and the depiction of the conflict in interpretation of the will of Allah among its leaders was very interesting and not dissimilar at all to the wider Christian communities who have come into conflict over the centuries regarding the will of their God. Congratulations !