Salade grecque

I actually enjoyed watching the series. Great characters, perfectly cast, well-written, funny, charming, dramatic, tragic, some nice twists - all the elements of good storytelling. The sister / brother relationship feels real and their immediate family members are sympathetic, and as a viewer, you want them to adopt you! The main characters are lovable, relatable, and BIPOC is beautifully handled. You're actually rooting for them as they transition from young adulthood to the next phases of their lives, much like their backdrop -- the city of Athens, as it currently navigates its own transformation. Simple, sweet, wonderful.

However, the main Greek characters are: a rapist, hopeless cops, two caricature lawyers, an elderly cafe owner who masquerades as ancient Greek philosophers (in Tom's daydreams), and two dull NGO workers. Huh? Why do all the foreign characters experience their "hero's journey" in Greece (the actual land of the hero's journey), but not the Greek characters? What a missed opportunity!

"GREEK SALAD" is a typical foreign / negative appropriation of Greece and its culture. I'm tiring of seeing others using the Greek shine for their own purposes, while de-basing the Greeks. What do the creators have to say about this?

Tom (Aliocha Schneider), an aspiring company maker, moves to Athens after inheriting from his late grandfather a run down building in Athens. He finds his sister (Megan Northam) and they wind up in crazy adventures and meet their best friends and mates for life.

A bold move to make a TV Series in a city that isn't much functional, Greek Salad takes on many political matters and presents them along with the two main character's main or sub-storylines. Alas, it was made possible.

Tom is a changed man by the end of this limited series and that might very well be the best part of the series. This character has undergone the most character development and delivered.

His sister Mia has as well changed but she stays the same person, more or less. Her character is the one to more likely outburst in tears or anger and it is justified as to why she feels like this.

At the start of the series the two have similar but at the same time different goals and outlooks in life. As their bond grows, so will their way thinking and living will as well.

The city of Athens is starting to open its gates to foreigners and shows its beauty and ugliness (no pun intended).

The political elements in this series are apparent. The story lies heavily on the inflow of refugees Athens has gotten over the past ten years and the need for them to be reinbursed and aided. It doesn't enter WOKE territory much but it could very well be considered a WOKE series at first glance. But that is indeed a trap that many viewers will utmost fall into when watching it. And that is intentional.

The godawful accent and interpretation of many greek actors that participate in this series is sometimes hard to watch. The best players on the field were the two main actors and almost everyone else, apart from the greeks.

Overall, at first glance many viewers will be appalled by this series. But later on they will be drawn into the world of two people that want to find their place in this messed up world. And much like their audience, so will they find much more than they hoped to find and aim for.

"I live in the ceter of Athens, and I have to say that Athens is not like that." That was my first thought.

When I first watched the series, something inside me felt offended by the way it depicted Athens as a city full of graffiti-covered and derelict buildings. I thought, "No way, I've been living in the center of Athens for ten years, and okay, it's messy and dirty, but this is over the top." It felt exaggerated. However, after watching the series, I really started paying attention to Athens, and I honestly couldn't unsee it anymore. I realized that before the series, I was so accustomed to what I was seeing that I didn't actually see it. So, yes, in the end, Athens is exactly that-a city where graffiti is its defining characteristic

Despite my initial frustration with the first episode, I ended up watching it all, and as far as the themes it deals with, I really liked it. At first, I thought it would be a comedy, but I would classify it as a drama series with strong social content. It was very moving. I also liked the development of the characters and their relationships with each other.

Watching it, I got over my initial reaction that, okay, it's not that messy, although it still bothered me a little but in the end I realized Athens I is exactly like that , it was worth it."

This is the most authentic feel for the real city of Athens I've seen on the screen.

The creators have done en excellent job in transferring the viewer into the reality of 2023 Athens, without her makeup on. This raw view is often overlooked in favor of more romantic presentations or locations in Greece.

The culture, the atmosphere, the politics, the locals, the feel, it's spot on, and this series should be a fun watch, for anyone who enjoys experiencing new places and cultures.

Some difficult realities that have been playing out at the European borders were presented in front of the Athenian backdrop, along with the points of view deriving from the different positions that each player finds themselves.

It'd be nice to have been spared the forced, obligatory political agenda.

I was a fan of the original film and subsequent sequels that followed. A great trilogy.

When this series was announced, I had mixed feelings, but I didn't enjoy the New York City setting of the third film, so I was glad we could see what happened afterwards.

I was pleasantly surprised with a strong 8 episodes tackling the immigration crisis in Europe and how it has affected the world in general, even today in 2024 we are still being polarized over mass migration and I think Klapisch did a great job handling the topic in a more human and personal way. The new characters, headed by the children of Xavier and Wendy was great, and showing us Isabelle still with her new wife as well as Tobias making a comeback was great for the nostalgic feels for us fans of the series. Athens as the chosen city was a big win for me. Hopefully we get a sequel, maybe in Mexico City where "gentrification" from developed countries has been causing conflicts, especially with a polarizing president that they have today, a migrant crisis from central and South America, rich getting richer and poor getting way poorer in this megalopolis, or maybe in Brazil (even though this would be too cliche) or Thailand or Bali where there are many cultures also mixing into one entity. I really hope they continue with the children of Xavier and Wendy and that we get to see Martina and her family in the future as well!