The new Netflix mini-series Catalog has taken social media by storm. A mix of lightheartedness and heavy topics neatly wrapped in perfect visuals. Every single character is very unique and offers something different to the work as a whole.

Plot Synopsis: A Story About Grief and Single Fatherhood

The show tells the story of a family that lost its mother, Amina, played by Riham Abd El Ghafour, after a battle with cancer and how her husband and kids are adjusting to this new reality.

The father, Youssef, played by Mohammed Farag, realises how absent he was when he is faced with the fact that he knows almost nothing about his kids, Karima, played by Retal Abd El Aziz and Mansour, played by Ali Beialy.

With the help of family, friends, and Amina's YouTube videos about how to support your children, Youssef slowly learns what it really means to be a father. The struggle at first lends the show some of its most hilarious moments, then their resolve leads to the warmest moments.

Dealing With Grief: A Simple Approach to Moving On

The first few episodes are centred around dealing with grief. However, this heavy topic is wrapped with layers of lightheartedness, to the point of approaching the subject with rose-coloured glasses. Everyone in the family returns to their regular routine as if nothing happened, under the guise of moving on with life and what Amina would have wanted for her family.

The viewers are constantly told that Youssef and the kids are grieving, but scarcely shown. Everyone sheds a few tears; however, their day-to-day life is not affected at all, except that Youssef has to take on the tasks that Amina did for the kids. Mansour returns to his football practice, showing no change in performance, and Karima resumes her regular school and social life without any issues.

Although Amina dies of cancer, very little detail is shown about that struggle. The flashbacks at the beginning of each episode show their lives barely changed by the effects of Amina's treatment. Most of the complex topics and struggles are swept under the rug and dealt with in a way that seems too neat to be real.

This is also expressed in the direction and lighting throughout the show. The shots were all so bright and picture perfect, fit for a screensaver and not a show about navigating grief.

Raising Awareness Around A Father's Role

Maybe the show didn't achieve what it needed to when it comes to dealing with the loss of a loved one, but it did shed light on something important. The true virtue of the show is highlighting how absent some fathers can be and how to fix it.

At the beginning of the show, Youssef's friend tells him how well he brought Karima up, and he admits that Amina gets all the credit for that and that he was afraid he'd undo all the good she did. Youssef is absent to the point where he doesn't know that Mansour is allergic to certain foods, leading to Mansour having an allergic reaction. The irony is that Mansour's coach and the cafeteria cook at the sporting club know about the allergy, while Youssef doesn't.

By the end, though, after spending real quality time with his children and having an active role in taking care of them, he's closer to his children than ever; he truly knows them and uncovers what it really is to be a father.

Characterisation

The show's primary strength lies in its well-developed characters. Each character plays a significant role in advancing the narrative and undergoes meaningful development by the series' conclusion. Osama, the kids' maternal uncle, played by Ahmed Essam El Sayed, started the show with one goal: to travel abroad without a clear plan or reason. By the end of the show, he discovers things about himself and realises what he really wants.

Characters like the Captain and Um Hashem lend good support to the main cast while still having an integral role in the narrative. The Captain, the family's neighbour, is a man with agoraphobia. Despite this, he still helps Osama by tasting food for him and gives Youssef advice, as he also is a widower.

Um Hashem is the nanny Youssef hires. Her fun but straightforward personality helps Youssef navigate the rough situations he constantly finds himself in. By the end of the show, you'll feel like you're parting with your friends, not just TV characters.

If you're looking for something lighthearted and picture-perfect, but with amazing characters, look no further. This is the perfect show to binge.