On its face, Unorthodox seems like a pretty typical story: A young woman realizes that the life she’s been living – the one she’s been convinced her is what she wants – isn’t the life she wants to lead, so she escapes that life and goes in search of a place where she can truly be herself. Nothing special, we’ve seen it time and time again. But, as I’m sure you have figured out by now, this is a bit of a different tale. In this version of the story, our leading lady is escaping the extremely isolated life of a young wife in an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Oh, and the series is written largely in Yiddish, with only the occasional English interludes.
There’s an awful lot to like about Unorthodox, and I enjoyed the four episode limited series a great deal. However, once I reached the end of the story, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed that the series wasn’t able to spend enough time coloring in its supporting characters more to allow us a better understanding of the people who surround Esty (Shira Haas). Heck, I was hoping for more depth to Esty as well. I’m not sure if it’s a byproduct of only have four episodes to work with, or if its just not what writers Alexa Karolinski and Anna Winger wanted to focus the story around, but while the series provides an in-depth look at that Hasidic world, we never get that same in-depth look at our characters. We know, by the story’s end, why Esty ran. We understand what brought her to Germany, and we know that music means so much to her because it was her sole outlet in a very regimented existence. But we lack a deeper understanding of the relationships within her life.
Similarly, we are allowed small peeks under the hood of Yanky (Amit Rahav), Esty’s husband, but we are never provided with the full picture of who he is. There’s evidence that he’s not as settled within the Hasidic world as one might think (although it’s clear leaving will never truly be an option for him, due to his codependent relationship with his mother), but what has led him to a place where he would ever contemplate walking away? And then there’s Leah (Alex Reid), Esty’s estranged mother. Oh boy, I would have loved to watch an entire series solely centered around her life. Again, we’re presented just enough of her story to make us interested in her as a character, only to be left wondering about her own internal trauma and struggle. And that’s also something that’s largely missing from the series: A conversation about trauma.
Perhaps it’s something that would be better in a sequel (although I don’t believe we need one – the story, such as it is, is fully told within this series), but Unorthodox never engages with the trauma it presents. We see and understand what made Esty leave. We understand the role of those in her life and the larger Orthodox community in how that came about. We get it. However, we never see Esty engage with the trauma. We see her leave, we see her begin to build a new life, but we don’t see her grapple with everything that she has been through. It could be argued that such a confrontation is still awaiting her outside the confines of the series, but it felt awfully convenient for her to arrive in a wholly new city, find a group of friends who do the exact thing she wants to do, and then have her manage to balance all that with settling her personal life. I’m not asking for a series drowning in tears and pain, but I would have liked to spend some time watching Esty unpack everything that she’s been through and how that lingering baggage might impact her new, rather rosy, present.
But, as I said, there is a lot to like about Unorthodox, and much of that is due to the incredible lead performance of Shira Haas. It’s rare that I watch a show and think “That’s a star,” but I certainly thought that multiple times about Haas. One of the most underrated traits in acting is the power of stillness. When an actor is asked to sit in stillness on screen, processing something, the audience is allowed an uninterrupted glimpse into the character – something that we cannot get from dialogue or action. We’re allowed into their mind, to sit alongside them and feel their internal monologue as emotion washes over their face. Haas is a master of this. Throughout the series, we’re granted a number of moments where we sit with her in silence. Or watch her walk, determined and proud, in silence. And, for a character who has spent a great deal of her life sitting in silence whilst others made choices for her, it’s a powerful act of defiance to watch her make her own choices – even if they are without words. Haas draws you in, makes you care deeply for Esty and long to see her succeed. It’s a sensational performance and one that I hope will result in a long and storied career for the young actress.
Across the board, the series is impeccably cast. There’s not one actor in the bunch that I didn’t enjoy watching. And, considering the language constraints (casting great actors who can speak both English and Yiddish is not a simple feat), it’s a marvel how well director Maria Schrader and her casting team did. The performances make the series as good as it is, even with the structural flaws and the lack of cohesive character development. With a mere four episodes, Unorthodox is worth your time. It’s an inspiring journey to witness (based on a true story, with liberties taken once Esty reaches her German destination), even if it leaves you wanting more.
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Acting
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Direction
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Writing
