Mafia Queens

Lead actress Rita, better known as a singer, has always been presented as larger than life, and some people considered that because she set the tone for this series, the whole thing was over the top. I liked it, though. A large cast of characters, well differentiated, and the audience is made to care for the fate of many of them. Some of the script is improbable, but for the most part I'd say the actors were able to sell it. There were strong motivations that the audience can empathize with, and underlying the whole story is a sad recurring question of what happens when men cannot fulfill their traditional role because they have been pushed aside or because, hard as they try, they can't figure out how to make it work.

The only problem with the series is that they are marketed in the wrong genre. It's definitely not drama, it's comedy with criminal undertones.

The plot has a great premise: what happens to a powerful crime family, after all its men had been killed? The title is a play on words - "Malkot" meaning "The Malkas" ("Malka" being the family name), but also literally meaning "Queens".

The characters are as if taken straight out of a comic book - quirky, eccentric, imperfect, and downright hilarious. The action is wonderfully paced. The cast is amazing - Michael Aloni from "Shtisel", Dana Ivgy from "Zero Motivation", Orly Zilbersatz from "Honeymood", Lihi Kornowski from "Losing Alice", Liraz Hamami from "Mossad 101", some of the guys from Fauda... and the incredible Rita. This is the first time I am watching Rita as an actress and - oh, my goodness, she is a riot! The Israeli press wrote that she were portraying her character in an exaggerated fashion, but after watching this, I disagree. She is playing a crazy, charming, crime boss matriarch in a Soprano spoof - she is meant to be exactly like that. Rita is absolutely and completely perfect for this.

I don't remember any recent comedy series that have been more entertaining and funnier than "Malkot". The only thing you have to be aware is some moderate foul language and a few sexual scenes.