via egypttoday
If you’ve been on Egyptian social media this past month, then you know that we’ve all been waiting for Rivo’s release. And now that it’s here, we just don’t know where to begin, so we’ll start with the obvious:
A Watch It Original, Rivo is set to be only ten episodes long and is one of the online platform’s first mini-series. Written by Mohamed Nayer and directed by Yehia Ismail, the show might seem a little similar to Shahid’s Bimbo in terms of aesthetics and nostalgia, but we can assure you it’s anything but that.
Simply put, Rivo is about the ’90s and its music and its singers, with the name itself referring to a painkiller that was popular in the same period. So did it do a good job of portraying that time in Egypt? Well, you’ll see!
via rosheta
The Main Idea of The Show
Everything begins when Mariam Hassan Fakhr Eldin, an assistant director and daughter of a screenwriter/composer, discovers her late father’s involvement with Rivo, a popular band in the ‘90s. Among her father’s belongings, Mariam finds an unfinished script for a movie about the band.
In an effort to understand and properly mourn her father, Mariam leaves everything behind to finish her father’s movie and cement his legacy. To do so, Mariam meets Marwan, the man who saved Rivo.
via altareeq
What We Think About It So Far
So, here’s the thing—despite being really excited about Rivo, we just can’t help but be a little underwhelmed by its first two episodes. We’re sure that the show will find its footing as more episodes go and as the plot thickens, but for now, we can’t help but feel annoyed by the slow-burn script.
However, we appreciate the concept behind Rivo and admire the push for more innovative Egyptian TV productions. Script aside, we also think some cast members could give their performances a little more sincerity.
One performance that really stands out is Sedky Sakhr’s! He embodies his role perfectly and makes you want to see him more—we can’t get enough! Another Rivo aspect we can’t get enough of is its music, especially since it involves Cairokee members, Amir Eid and Tamer Hashem.
As of right now, we can’t give Rivo anything above a 6/10. However, since we’ve only seen the first two episodes, we feel like our opinions can be swayed in a positive direction once more plot points and characters are introduced. (Nothing’s going to change that we got a little bored halfway through watching Rivo, though!)
