📺 Netflix’s latest limited series is what Egyptian television needed. Having recently dropped on Netflix, Catalog — starring Mohamed Farrag, Riham Abdel Ghaffour, Tara Emad, and a slew of other familiar faces — is a heartbreaking (and heartwarming) tale of a family picking up its pieces after the sudden passing of its matriarch, Amina (Abdel Ghaffour).

The plot: Amina is a devout wife, a dedicated, caring parent, and an internet celebrity. Her channel — Catalog Amina — has a far-reaching audience of Egyptian mothers, tackles all sorts of parenting issues, and offers advice on the most niche of topics. When Amina loses the battle against cancer, her family — her husband Youssef (Mohamed Farag), her brother Osama, and her children Karima and Mansour (Lam Shamseya’s Ali El Beialy) — as well as a number of other family members and friends — find themselves in a state of loss. Their lives are suddenly turned upside down, as they realize just how much Amina had filled in them.

Parenting from beyond: As Youssef desperately tries and fails to cater to his children’s needs, he comes across his late wife’s YouTube videos. Through them, Youssef’s hope is lit anew; he’s able to quickly turn the situation around by following Amina’s advice by the book. Soon enough, the family begins finding its footsteps once more. Yet, new problems are arising that Amina never had the chance to address. As Youssef struggles to balance work with home, and meets a new potential love interest, tensions begin to rise within the already-fractured household. To make matters worse, Youssef discovers a secret that completely shatters his perception of his marriage.

The series does an incredible job of discussing grief, parenthood, and marriage. While many Egyptian series that attempt to tackle nuanced topics tend to do so with some level of cliché, Catalog lets the dialogue flow naturally. The series has its fair share of tear-jerking moments, uncomfortable conversations, and delicate topics — and they’re all tackled with ease.

It’s not all tears — you’ll laugh quite a lot, too. Catalog has its fair share of comedic moments; from household disasters to nanny Umm Hashem’s (Samah Anwar) perfectly-timed one-liners, the show knows when to break the silence for something a little more fun — though the first couple of episodes may not be brimming with comedy, to say the least. Our humble verdict? Catalog is a must-watch.

WHERE TO WATCH– You can stream Catalog on Netflix, and watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:01).

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