Salade grecque

Sometimes funny, but often dramatic. The director follows in the footsteps of his old famous films. It can be called the younger version of L' Auberge Espagnole. But how many times can you bathe in the same water? The subject and the flow are clear. There is no surprise. Young players are very successful. But most of all, Yellowstone's Kelly Reiley lights up the screen.

Good to see Athens. But Athens would not be so squalid and ugly. Immigration policies seem like a piece of sauce on the show. The dressing on the Greek salad. You can watch it if you have free time.

It is one of the remarkable international works that Amazon Prime has done recently.

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!

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?

As a Greek citizen I must say that was a great work from almost all the aspects. It's not a crime serie or a mystery one, so you don't need to wait for any plot twist or a big reveal. The serie shows its identity from the very beginning. It's about friendship, love, concern and life. During the journey of the serie you are able to pass through many different lives and cultures. Until a point I can feel the serie since I'm also a foreign to another country and have seen and experience many similar situations, but not at the same level ofc.

As a greek I can confirm that the serie shows us many stereotypic characters or even circumstances but that doesn't mean that all are wrong, exacerbated I would say. I'm not mad about it, I have seen hundreds of French and Italian movies and I know that it's something ordinary for them and they even use it for their own cultures as well. I'm gonna repeat myself, the serie doesn't lie, but doesn't show us the other side of the coin too. Same thing with the locations that they decide to show us. Athens besides the graphite and the abandoned buildings it also has other amazing locations, that gives another atmosphere to the whole city.

Personally I loved it for its mini stories of its characters, the drama and power for life that they gave us. I believe that it's a serie that has to be recommended from schools so the students learn more about the value of a human life and that respect is the definition that all of us need to have in our dictionary.

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.