The third episode of RED TV‘s most recent web series “Assistant Madams”, is here, as well as reactions that have followed the episode. You know what they say about the third time being the charm? Let’s hold on to that saying for a minute.
First off, I have a lot of catching up to do, regarding the wave of web series in Nigeria. As I’m stuck somewhere in the 90s to early millennium and over-the-air TV series (which I revere); between sitcoms, soap operas and anthology series from the stables of Amaka Igwe, Tajudeen Adepetu and Wale Adenuga Productions. Perhaps, a couple of episodes across seasons, from comedy series “Jenifa’s Diary” and African Magic’s telenovela “Battleground”, may have ushered me into the later wave of TV series, but that’s as far as that goes.
It’s a new decade…
I’m now ready to join the “Web Series Watchers Association of Nigeria” (WSWAN), starting with the web series: Assistant Madams. I know. Please, don’t do that. Don’t cringe at the number of “good ones” I may have missed or think up a recommendation list, to ensure that I’m properly initiated into this. Time and chance, as well as discussions on the timeline, brought me here. So, I got this.
This also means that you’ll get an unbiased view on this series. Since, I’m not aware of how fluid the web series world is, in terms of writers and characters “crossing the floor” across shows and lifestyle channels. For instance, how Shalewa ended up with Mide (Tiwa‘s husband). Sorry, #SGIT fans, that’ll be Jasmine and Aminu of “The Men’s Club“. Or how Lanre apparently jilted Chioma, that shaped her into the “finesser” she has become.
Here we go…
Assistant Madams, revolves around three women and their desperate quest to social validation, with each episode introducing each character (CHIOMA, TAMARA and LARA), played by Osas Ighodaro, Sophie Alakija and Tana Egbo-Adelana. Now, I know the series is 3 weeks in and mixed reactions have already trailed the episodes from writers and in the comment sections on review channels on YouTube such as, “Adenike O. Adebayo” and A Wacko’s Review. Therefore, it may seem like I’m a little late to the party but I really was just giving the play out a chance and hoping for better with each episode.
Back to the top
For some reason, I had my mark on episode 3 after watching episodes 1 and 2, because you know what they say about the third time being the charm? However, the first episode is the best yet, in my opinion. Although, it may have been ideal to analyse the episodes and series so far, by grouping them into the commonly adopted standard: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, I’ll just fit the reservations I have and feedback into 3 main areas: The Representation, The Exaggeration and The Background Music.
1. The Representation
After being referred to “The Men’s Club”, I infer Assistant Madams, takes on a similar plot but from a “female perspective”. My problem however is, there’s not enough “energy” with that kind of representation -the cliche representation of how many seemingly successful women attain their levels of success – and no extra spin to it.
2. The Exaggeration
There are way too many over exaggerated and soppy aspects of the series – that I feel shouldn’t have a place in 2020 – with disappointing efforts at representing vital scenes to an intellectually inclined audience. Basically, just gliding over them. For instance, there was zero effort at displaying the gameplay of chess between LARA and GENERAL in Episode 3. For $100,000 that was at stake? That should have been the absolute thrill of that episode. I don’t know about Web Series Watchers but detailing the power play involved, is just as important. It’s not enough to watch their never-ending shopping sprees that cost millions of naira, it’ll be nice to also detail the processes of their powermoves. More so, it couldn’t have been so difficult getting body doubles and revolving cameras to execute that scene, if you ask me: “That’s how series do“.
3. The Background Music
Needs to go!
Nevertheless, we await episode 4 on Wednesday. I have to finish what I started.
