In this day and age, whenever a T.V. show ends up being the hot topic on various social media platforms, you're bound to get hooked. That's what happened to me, at least, when Tumblr started talking non-stop about a Norwegian show named Skam. After binge-watching the first two seasons and catching up on the third, Skam easily became one of my favorite T.V. shows. Here are four major reasons as to why:
The Writing
Good writing is something I think we all look for when we start a new T.V. show. Skam's writing is so solid, I assure you that there's barely any plot holes or continuity issues (as a former Glee fan, I feel blessed in this aspect. Sorry, Glee). On top of that, the writing touches upon extremely important topics such as sexuality, mental illness, religion, eating disorders, and feminism. All in which are discussed and represented by millennials. The dialogue between the characters always seems so real and the storylines present opportunities for mass audiences, Norwegian speaking or not, to relate. As season four debuts, I can only imagine that the writing is going to get better.
The Characters
This can go hand-in-hand with the writing, but the actors themselves are another huge reason as to why the characters are so good. First off, you have high school students actually being played by teenagers. Or at least very young adults. Second, they all hang out in real life, which just adds to the relationships and chemistry in the show. The characters also give viewers a chance to find themselves or find comfort in the show. Whether it be a character representing their religion, a character struggling with an eating disorder, a character coming to terms with their sexuality, or a character with a mental illness- viewers have the opportunity to connect with a character.
Lastly, Skam makes it pretty impossible to hate a character. Often when someone expresses an ignorant thought, we see them get attacked rather than educated. Skam takes the educational approach and though you may be upset with a character for a few episodes, you'll soon see that they learn from their mistake. Whether it be on their own, or with help from a friend, Skam does a great job of reminding us that we're all human and we're all going to make mistakes.
The Music
Music plays a huge role in Skam. Using hits from today and from the past, Skam places their audio at the perfect moments. It either adds to the comedy of the scene or the angst. What's even greater, is that you can find the music that has been played in each season on Spotify. Even if you don't end up watching the show, check out this playlist. It's filled with some serious bops.
The Realism
As mentioned before, the dialogue in Skam is super realistic and the teens are played by teens. The way the friends talk to each other in the show reminds you of how you talk to your own. The way they use their phones (they're almost never charged) and the way they dress adds to the realism as well. I mean, I kid you not these characters repeat outfits! They don't have an endless closet like some characters do in shows. The show has even set up character Instagrams and they post daily text messages between the characters to add to the storyline. It makes you believe that this world is real and keeps you invested. It's smart and it's super refreshing to see.
As a millennial, this is a show I think a lot of us have been waiting for. So, do yourself a favor and check out Skam! Thanks to awesome fans, there's translated episodes all over the internet just waiting for you to find them.
