OK, first of all, do you live here in Israel? I know what I am talking about. It is not just a pretext, I promise.
Second, a israeli arabs go to the army. Any israeli citizen is called up, not just jewish israelis. There ar also christians in the israeli army as well..
I am not talking about christians. Again, israeli arabs are not required to serve in the army. They are not drafted. They can volunteer and Bedouins are famous for volunteering. But not Israeli arabs.
Just going down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos on Shtisel. And it's so sad to re-watch those episodes about Chanina's family that just abandoned him, to watch again that scene where Shulem buys the portrait of his wife with his own kever, and can't bring himself to burn it.
This show is just so so sad!
In the last episode, it was so touching that Shulem stepped up to be the patriarch for his family. He saw that Nachum was falling apart, and he knew it was more important than his own happiness. He swallowed his pride and said that everything he said was only because he was jealous, and it's so touching to see how he rose above their personal sibling rivalry.
About the army thing, there's many secular Jews who will pretend to be religious or travel abroad because they don't want to go to the army. It's just that nobody mentions them unless they are Bar Rafaeli and even she got special treatment
I love how Shulem starts off by taking credit for Kiva agreeing to move in with Rachelli, proudly calling himself the Kiva Kvetcher. But then, when he hears what Rachelli's issue is, he uses his kvetching powers to urge Kiva to divorce Rachelli.
I thought the way Rachelli describes how she came across Libi's picture was so beautiful and touching. It really explains a lot of the story, why she bought the pictures and why she wouldn't give them up so easily. However, when she first met Akiva, she told him that she was into buying paintings as an investment for Warburg Capital. So that was either a contradiction in the plot or she was lying. At the least, she wasn't very honest with him.
It really bugged me when Gitti tells Lipa that "we need to do teshuve"- but really meaning that HE needs to do Teshuva, based on a nightmare she had. Really, if the nightmare came to her, maybe the message is that SHE should do Teshuva. In retrospect, the nightmare was alluding to the upcoming crisis with Ruchami. Also, it was pretty cool how she has these chest pains, I think hinting to the bond a mother feels with her child. She had chest pains at the same time when Ruchami had trouble breathing.
Ok..the whole scene with Rachelli and Shulem was just off. So I assume that Rachelli and Kiva could communicate. She offers to help him bring his stuff over and he tells her to meet him there. So why was he not there on time? If it was me, I would have called when I arrived and waited downstairs if he was not yet home. It was really awkward, her just sitting there with Shulem. This is a general issue I had throughout this season. Akiva and Rachelli act as if they dont have phones. It doesnt make sense that Akiva didn't know he was meeting with a young woman the first time. (He looked so surprised to see her.) If we are to believe that he called the number that Kaufman gave him, he knew he was reaching a woman...It doesnt make sense how he kept showing up at her home without prior notification. The one time we see her trying to call him, he doesn't pick up. And then later, he tries calling her but she doesnt pick up. It's just not realistic. This is the age where everyone has phones.
I would have LOVED to see and hear Rachelli's reaction after seeing the painting of her. Just another minute. What did she say, what did he say...why did hey have to cut it there?Why?? Did they sit down and discuss the meaning of the painting? (They never explain the meaning of the fire.)Did Akiva tell her that he would love her to be his wife, for real? (Did they kiss? It's a really weird scenario, because if this was a secular movie, the man and woman would have kissed at the moment they realize that they love each other. In a movie about frum people getting engaged, they obviously can't touch, because they aren't married. But in this scenario, they ARE married, so theoretically, they COULD. Such a weird and fascinating circumstance.)
One other thing about the relationship between Akiva and Rachelli which I think is missing. Remember that when Rachelli proposed herself as a marriage partner for Akiva it was (supposedly) solely for the revacha. She said that after it was settled, the two of them would go their own ways. Akiva agreed. It is clear that marriage is actually very far from bis mind. Then after she has her bout of mania and reveals it to Akiva, suddenly the stakes rise and suddenly Akiva is being pressured to make the marriage permanent. When did that happen?? Why should he suddenly feel that he now has to stay married to Rachelli??
Then they have the final part of the show where they pretend to be a happy couple when Orli comes. Rachelli warns Akiva that she has no interest in any friendly talk. (Why would she say that if Akiva never indicated that he would go there?) They meet at the revacha for the last time and she says, let's go to the beis din asap to take care of the get, and he says ok. They part, but then he says, "wait! let me draw you." Is that code for , wait I really want to stay married to you??
He fails at the first attempt and he goes home, tells his father that Rachelli made an appointment at the beis din. And the next thing we know he is painting her again and then he is moving in with her...
These two were playing games all along. The problem I'm having is that we dont see any hint of when the play turned into an expectation of it being real. Certainly, Akiva never meant for it to be real.
Of course, us, the viewers were rooting for Akiva to wake up and realize that Rachelli wants him and would be amazing for him. But really, he never let on to her that he would want that...but she seems to have that expectation , even though she was the one who proposed a pretend marriage.
They do, someone squeezes her shoulder/arm and she smiles at them all and they're smiling at her and crying. Chanina is also looking right at her and smiling.
I just watched the last scene again. I don't think anything really suggests that Ruchami died. The music at the end was the same as every other episode.
In every other scene with dead people, the dead person is there but not really an active part of the scene. (Remmwbr when Akiva was drawing Libbi, (though she is dead) he is the one who gets the baby. She cant actually gi since she is dead.) In other words, if Rucham is dead, who is holding the baby? They would have put the baby in Chanina's arms, or Giti, and had Ruchami watching as a spectator. That would have suggested to me that Ruchami is not alive.
Also, Lipa did teshuva. So we assume his teshuva was accepted and Ruchami lived.
The scene of the l'chaim with the Weiss and Levi parents was super awkward. I don't know if the producers meant it that way. But like there was no chemistry at all. Lipa kept bobbing his head like a dumbbell, and Giti was a nervous wreck. And the Levi parents just sat there and smiled without saying anything. Just weird.
The young couple looked very cute though.
Something I found inconsistent in the storyline was that in an earlier episode, Ruchami comes to tell her mom that they are doing a surrogate pregnancy and that her belly is just a pillow. (But that Gitty shouldn't tell Lipa.) Then we know that she got pregnant for real, but the assumption is that Gitti still doesnt know. The proof is that Chanina comes to the restaurant to talk to his in-laws to inform them that the pregnancy is real and that it's a danger to her life. But in the end, they dont and up having that conversation because he leaves before they come out.
So at what point do the parents find out that she is really carryinga a baby? And how did they allow her to go through with it? It's one thing for Chanina to decide that he saw a hidden message in the gemara of "echad mini eleph"...its another for Ruchami's parents to go along with it, if they really knew the truth. Why wasn't she being observed in the hospital once they all found out that she was really pregnant and a ticking time bomb??
And yet, Gitty knows the truth, because she is super worried about Ruchami when she doesnt hear from her all day...
Also, can the poster who understood this medical condition chime in on how realistic this was? It started with her having trouble breathing. It ends with her looking beautiful some time after birth and holding her newborn. Does this make sense given her medical condition?
I just watched the last scene again. I don't think anything really suggests that Ruchami died. The music at the end was the same as every other episode.
In every other scene with dead people, the dead person is there but not really an active part of the scene. (Remmwbr when Akiva was drawing Libbi, (though she is dead) he is the one who gets the baby. She cant actually gi since she is dead.) In other words, if Rucham is dead, who is holding the baby? They would have put the baby in Chanina's arms, or Giti, and had Ruchami watching as a spectator. That would have suggested to me that Ruchami is not alive.
Also, Lipa did teshuva. So we assume his teshuva was accepted and Ruchami lived.
Totally agree. I think maybe her eye to the camera was like a signing off or something. Like, I got my happy ending. The end.
So at what point do the parents find out that she is really carryinga a baby? And how did they allow her to go through with it? It's one thing for Chanina to decide that he saw a hidden message in the gemara of "echad mini eleph"...its another for Ruchami's parents to go along with it, if they really knew the truth. Why wasn't she being observed in the hospital once they all found out that she was really pregnant and a ticking time bomb??
I don't think they knew until she was in the hospital. I think Gitty was just anxious because she wasn't *really* ok with the shidduch, plus she was nervous about her dream, so when they didn't answer, she grasped at it as an excuse to get out of there. Then when Chanina called and said she's in surgery Gitty might have cottoned on that it wasn't a fake belly. Initially Ruchami went and told her that they were using a surrogate and the belly was for show.
Lipe only found out when Gitty told him she's giving birth and he shortstopped in the middle of the street.
I would have LOVED to see and hear Rachelli's reaction after seeing the painting of her. Just another minute. What did she say, what did he say...why did hey have to cut it there?Why?? Did they sit down and discuss the meaning of the painting? (They never explain the meaning of the fire.)Did Akiva tell her that he would love her to be his wife, for real? (Did they kiss? It's a really weird scenario, because if this was a secular movie, the man and woman would have kissed at the moment they realize that they love each other. In a movie about frum people getting engaged, they obviously can't touch, because they aren't married. But in this scenario, they ARE married, so theoretically, they COULD. Such a weird and fascinating circumstance.)
I thought when they were standing in the doorway and he was holding Devorale he was also giving her a one armed hug?
I thought when they were standing in the doorway and he was holding Devorale he was also giving her a one armed hug?
There was no intimate touching or kissing throughout the whole season and the only nudity was the fake pregnant belly. Perhaps in attempt to make things feel more authentic? Or maybe to avail the show to the charedi public?
There was no intimate touching or kissing throughout the whole season and the only nudity was the fake pregnant belly. Perhaps in attempt to make things feel more authentic? Or maybe to avail the show to the charedi public?
I just rewatched - seems to me like it's a three way hug - him, her and devoraleh.
Also don't forget Chanina got into Ruchami's bed before this baby was quite obviously conceived.
And she hugged him and knocked his hat off in the surrogacy office.
And Racheli kept touching Akiva.
If anything, I felt like this season had more touching between couples then any other season.
There was no intimate touching or kissing throughout the whole season and the only nudity was the fake pregnant belly. Perhaps in attempt to make things feel more authentic? Or maybe to avail the show to the charedi public?
No, that was not the FAKE belly. That was ruhami showing her husband that she was really pregnant. Thats why that scene was so shocking.
And while there is no intimste touching, racheli inches closer to akiva snd devorale. That was pretty intimste, for this show.
When Chanina got into Ruchami's bed with his pajamas on, I was rolling my eyes. I'm surprised they didn't show him bringing a sheet with a hole in it too.
I imagined that they had a real live pregnant woman fill in for that moment. It looks like a real belly. You can't see a face.
And then when it goes to Ruchamis face, it only shows shoulders and up.
My point about touching was that the plot of the story created a fascinating situation. Since frum people are shomer negia, if they want to portray it accurately, they could never show the actors touching in any way when they decide to get married.
In this case, Akiva and Rachelli essentially decide to get married after they are already married. So they could have expressed physical affection. At least after he painted her, I thought that warranted a hug.
Anyone else feel that Akiva married Rachelli out of pity for her and not out of love? Also, for practical considerations. He knew that she would be good for him as she is a very kind person who is willing to accept him and his baby. And maybe for stability, as he was not so functional.
But Akiva is a man who has fallen in love twice before, so we know what that is supposed to look like. It makes me feel bad for Rachelli because Akiva is not marrying her for love. I think one of the things that attracted him to her in the first place was that she was touched by the obvious love he had for his departed wife.
But at no point do we see that Akiva cares for Rachelli the same way. He is simply looking for a mother for his child. And he feels bad for her.
No -- I feel he loves Racheli. So heartbroken when she doesn't answer his calls, the way he talked to his father and more. And the way he wanted to paint her - his way of showing love and "holding on" to her. Also - when he spoke to the social worker -- wasn't an act.
