Four Episodes In: Is Fatt El Ma3ad Worth Watching?
Without spoiling too much, the story revolves around a married couple navigating life's many challenges.
At the heart of it is Basma, a wife struggling to trust her husband Mosaad, a man whose impulsive decisions often feel like a threat to her emotional and personal safety. The performances are one of the show's strongest elements. You can't help but feel for Basma, beautifully played by Asmaa Abu El Yazid, as she wrestles with her marriage and her own instincts.
Ahmed Magdy's portrayal of Mosaad is deeply frustrating in the best way. He is short-tempered, emotionally impulsive, and so aggravating at times it's almost unbearable. And yet, that raw intensity is exactly what keeps you locked into every scene he's in.
In addition to the promising performance of the entire cast so far, Ahmed Safwat's character stands out as one of the most compelling and admired. His presence adds depth and contrast to the narrative, and his strong dramatic comeback is drawing well-deserved hype.
What stands out the most is how real the characters feel. Every role is sharply drawn and naturally placed in the story, making it easy to emotionally invest in what they're going through. The tension is subtle yet constant, especially in the scenes that combine Basma and Mosaad, where you can almost feel the weight of what's unspoken.
Finally, time to ask… are you watching Fatt El Ma3ad? If not, this might be your sign to start. Give it a try, and don't forget to share your thoughts with us.
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Al-Ahram Weekly
6 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Acting brilliant - Culture - Al-Ahram Weekly
A month ago, I excitedly started to follow the recent Watch It release Faat Al-Maad (Too Late), with a powerful kick off starring Ahmed Magdi and Asmaa Abul-Yazid. During the last few episodes of Faat Al-Maad, which aired five days a week, I started watching another production, released on Netflix: Catalogue, starring Mohamed Farrag and Reham Abdel-Ghaffour. The latter production is true to form: like almost every Egyptian series on Netflix, it is set in upscale homes with extravagant décor, full of self care, personal growth, and sleek cars. Though it was based on Aayza Atgawez (I Want to Get Married, 2010), director Rami Imam's unpretentious and realistic comedy series based on Ghada Abdel-Aal's bestseller, the Netflix hit Finding Ola (2022) raised questions about the absence of financial considerations for Ola (played by Hind Sabri) as she embarks on her journey of self-discovery after her divorce, a situation that persists in the second, 2024 season. Produced by the Egypt-based Watch It platform, by contrast, Faat Al-Maad (Too Late) features simpler decor and dialogue delivered by characters who are more spontaneous and closer to the hearts of the Egyptian audience and daily life in Egypt. But what makes Faat Al-Maad (Too Late) unique is not so much its topic —a divorce lawsuit — but the extraordinary performance of the characters led by director Saad Hindawi and the exceptional dialogue written in the course of a workshop headed by Mohamed Farid, which includes Nasser Abdel-Hamid, Islam Adham and Atef Nashed. The plot traces an ordinary couple from a modest background, Basma and Mosaad (Asmaa Abul-Yazid and Ahmed Magdi) facing marital problems due to Mosaad's abusive behaviour, striking his wife when angry only to apologise and promise he won't do it again. They live in a family house where Mosaad's mother Abla (Salwa Mohamed Ali) occupies the ground floor, leaving her apartment door open so she can keep an eye on who is coming and going and control Mosaad and his brother Moneim (Mohamed Ali Rizk) and their families. Abla's married daughter Wafaa (Nesma Bahei) provides Abla with money, from her own husband. Abla is filing for divorce after she collects enough money for an apartment outside the family house. With great difficulty Abla succeeds, aided and supported by her father Mahmoud (Mahmoud Al-Bezzawi), but the process is explored in minute detail, including such issues as how Abla retrieves the furniture that she owns by law and how, once she marries the owner of the print press where she works, Motassem (Ahmed Safwat), she loses custody of her daughter Reem, luckily to her mother, meaning that her daughter can stay with her for now. All these legal details regarding the journey of divorce when the man decides to give his ex-wife a hard time are well-known to Egyptians, but the way exceptional acting performances bring them to light is remarkable. Ahmed Magdi, for one, is clearly rediscovering his talent, Ahmed Safwat masters his tone of voice and facial expressions very powerfully too, to mention but two examples. Aziz Al-Shafei's beautiful score adds to the intensity. The series opens at a sturdy pace and gripping action with the complexity of Mosaad's character unfolding over the first ten episodes. But this buildup eventually flattens with an absurd finale showing the transformation of Mosaad from an unstable to a reasonable man after Reem goes missing in Alexandria when he attempts to kidnap her is unconvincing, even though the screenplay is filled with opportunities for making such a transformation plausible. What the screenplay does beautifully is to create powerful subplots that add to the main plot... As for Catalogue, directed by Walid Al-Halafawi and with a screenplay by Ayman Wattar, it is basically an imitation of a British Netflix series named After Life, written and directed by Ricky Gervais, with some slight alterations. In After Life, the protagonist Tony loses his wife after a battle with cancer and lives alone with his dog, watching videos of his wife giving him advice on how to face life after her passing. In Catalogue, the mix of tragedy and comedy focuses on Youssef (Mohamed Farrag) who suddenly loses his wife Amina (Reham Abdel-Ghaffour) and finds himself alone facing the responsibility of his children Karima and Mansour (Rital Abdel-Aziz and Ali Al-Beialy). Youssef's life is turned upside down when he realises that everyone around him like his own brother Hanafi (Khaled Kamal) and his brother-in-law Osama (Ahmed Essam Al-Sayed) knows his children better than he does: what they are allergic to, what they like and what they don't like, and even their agoraphobic neighbour George (Bayoumi Fouad). Youssef himself doesn't know. Youssef also discovers his late wife's YouTube channel which he knows about but has never seen. These are parenting videos that double as a manual for how to manage his kids. Still, paying attention to his children negatively affects his company and accordingly he hires a nanny, Omm Hashem (played by Samah Anwar) to take care of them... The dialogue is inadequate especially when it comes to Omm Hashem, who sometimes makes hollow and forced philosophical statements intended to be convincing while she and Youssef are having coffee together in the morning. Intriguingly — a common feature of Egyptian drama on Netflix — Karima is seen informing her father that she got her period. While something like this could have been addressed in a more innovative way, it feels forced and clichéd. The only saving grace here is the acting. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Identity
19-07-2025
- Identity
4 Things That Prove Mosaad Is the Ultimate Walking Red Flag in Fat El Ma3ad
After weeks of watching Mosaad in Fat El Ma3ad, we can finally say it: He is the ultimate red flag and possibly the most toxic character of this off-season's dramas. You can't help but feel sorry for Basma (played brilliantly by Asmaa Aboul Yazed) for getting caught up in his emotional chaos, and honestly, we've all known a Mosaad at some point. Ahmed Magdy nailed it, delivering a performance so convincing that it made us feel the frustration, hate the character even more, and confidently hand Mosaad the ultimate badge of red flags and peak toxicity. He Always Finds an Excuse for His Behavior. No Matter What Damage He Causes, Mosaad Spins It Into Something Justifiable. Gaslighting 101. He's a Full-On Mama's Boy, and Not in a Cute Way. His Go-To Reaction Is Anger and Aggression. Let's be real, this character is all too familiar, and that's what makes him (and this storyline) so compelling and infuriating.
Identity
16-07-2025
- Identity
Basma in Fat El Maad: A Real Victim or Just Making It All About Her?
Just a few episodes stand between us and the finale of Fat El Maad, and many viewers are left wondering how the lives of Basma, Mosaad, and Moatasem will unfold. Will the characters find peace, or are they headed toward even more struggle? But one question seems to echo louder than the rest: Why is Basma revealing a new side of herself in these final episodes? An arc that felt subtle earlier in the series is now taking center stage and making us question whether Basma is truly a victim torn by the weight of her choices and a difficult marriage, or is she the toxic force in the story? Someone who demands sacrifice from everyone around her in pursuit of her comfort, no matter the cost? Whatever your take, one thing's certain: Basma's character is sparking conversation, and it is not going unnoticed. Let's be real. Basma isn't a bad person at her core. We've all come across people like her; shaped by pain and driven by the need to protect their peace after going through things no one else knows about. And that's valid. When someone has lived through enough hurt, it makes sense that they start choosing themselves. But here's the thing. Healing doesn't mean ignoring everyone else's reality. Finding peace is important, but it shouldn't come at the expense of everyone around you. The people in your life have their own struggles, limits, and boundaries. Acknowledging someone's pain doesn't mean ignoring what others are also feeling or going through. That's where the real conversation should start. Do you agree?
