I will be very honest. I am not necessarily a “dramedy” person but Zatima hooked me in.
Zatima,” a spin-off from the #1 cable scripted series among Black viewers, “Tyler Perry’s Sistas.” The 10-episode one-hour series follows popular characters ‘Zac,’ played by Devale Ellis and ‘Fatima,’ played Crystal Renee Hayslett, as they navigate the ups and downs of their relationship. “Zatima” marks the second spin-off from a Tyler Perry top-rated linear show to get greenlit by BET+, the leading streaming service for Black audiences.
The show is a fun soapy unpredictable ride. I have never watched a single episode of ‘Sistas’ but ‘Zatima’ reeled me in.
The show revolves around Zak and Fatima, a young couple trying to make it. Here are my 3 reasons to binge the show.
#1 They are successful in legitimate careers. Most of the time, when you view African American couples on television lately, you have to view a couple struggling to get by. That is not the case with this show. Fatima works a great job and Zac is running a successful real estate company. You actually see them going to work and on their jobs on screen. It’s a wonderful thing to see a couple actually talk about getting up for work on screen. They also can play an outsize role in shaping and reinforcing cultural beliefs and attitudes about race, both in the United States and internationally.Black professionals are also severely underrepresented. Seeing these two with active careers is amazing.
#2 Money is not a hardship. Zac and Fatima are working at it. Dual-earner couples are on the rise. According to Pew Research, in 63% of couples with children in the United States, for example, both partners work (this figure is slightly higher in the EU). Many of these are dual-career couples: Both partners are highly educated, work full-time in demanding professional or managerial jobs, and see themselves on an upward path in their roles. Seeing it in a show is a pleasure. Money is not the focus of their struggles and it’s refreshing. Black professionals have much less room for failure than their white counterparts do. Zac running his own successful business and pulling himself up after a less than stellar set of choices is great to see on camera.
#3. Men can grow. Zac is truly trying to grow. It’s a lovely switch up to see a man of color step up and claim change in his life. Many folks give Tyler Perry a bad rap for his treatment of male characters on screen. This show actually does no such thing. Real life situations and demands force Zac to rethink his friendships and career goals. Zac by no meansd is an perfect but he is trying. He is challenged by friendsd who theaten to revoke his “man card”. The general consensus in society at the moment puts Black men into one of two categories: first, that many Black men are not viable marriage mates because their financial struggles. and secon, that they do not value relationships. Zac is shown both valuing a real relationship and presenting mature financial responsibilities.
#4 Friendships change and evolve in life. Watching Fatima navigate her relationships with her girlfriends was an important creative step forward in entertainment. The viewer is invited in to the changing tones that real life women go through with friends. Fatima must face the girlfriend that has zero trust and believes “all men are dogs” and actas accordingly.
Zatima is well worth the binge. It may even increase your curiosity about the original show Sistas. Some of us have a hard time articulating that we need help. A good amount of us have not experienced the kind of village, community, unconditional love. And unconditional love can mean a sista that’s going to call you out or call you in. And having an ego to still hear that from your sis without saying,
Is there material that is objectional morally? Yes. There are good lessons to learn from them on screen too! You will be entertained and invested from scene one.