With Women’s Day just around the corner, I’m not surprised this South African gem’s come to grace our screens today. If you were wondering, Tuiskoms in Afrikaans means “Homecoming.” The show doesn’t necessarily give you this translation, but I suppose if you pay enough attention, you might get it while watching the show. Tuiskoms tells the story of a widow named Fleur, who has taken over her late husband’s restaurant after his passing two years ago. Still grieving, Fleur doesn’t want to give up on the failing restaurant, but things take a drastic turn when a man finds pubic hair on his dessert plate (yikes). Videos are taken of Fleur defending the restaurant and even licking something off the plate, but Fleur thinks she can still pull through. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and she loses everything, leading her to move back to her parents’ home in the town of Wilderness. Will she be able to find a new purpose for herself there? That is what you’ll find out in Tuiskoms.
But that is not all the show is. The South African series looks, from the outside, like just a plain old slice-of-life show that you might want to overlook, but it’s actually a very deep show about grief and womanhood across generations. I have to admit that hearing Afrikaans for the first time already had my attention, but the show has a really subtle approach of storytelling, hidden in the visual style of the show, which gives off typical rom-com vibes. Also, is floral arrangement the new global trend? Because, why am I seeing two Netflix shows of completely different genres and from different continents focus on floral arrangements? As someone who has never cared for flowers very much, I’m suddenly feeling very intrigued by the art form, but I digress.
You know, if I had to call a series feminist, this is how it would look. No, there’s no message of equality underneath the fun premise; it is simply a show about women, showing us their many struggles and how they’re capable of fixing their own problems themselves. And it definitely feels like it’s made by women for women, which is why I think it fits the bill perfectly. In Tuiskoms, Fleur is struggling with the grief of losing her husband, the love of her life, and she doesn’t know how to move on from him. Her mother, Abigail, is struggling to deal with a broken marriage, and Fleur’s teen daughter, Kelly, has to deal with trying to start a new life in a remote town with a broke mom. These women are most definitely not defined by their struggles; in fact, what connects the three generations is their flair for art, all in their own right. This might have been my favorite part of the show.
It is hard to capture grief on screen, and many creators, big and small, struggle to do it. But Tuiskoms throws it at you in an unexpected and sudden way, so you don’t really have the time to prepare yourself. Kind of like in real life. No, I didn’t really cry, but I definitely choked up, which I think is still fantastic for a show I’m watching on my laptop screen in a language I’m hearing for the first time. Tuiskoms seamlessly interweaves its comedy of errors style with its handling of grief. It isn’t overwhelmingly sad; in fact, it’s hopeful and delightful, but it occasionally reminds you of the reality of life and how its cyclical nature will eventually get you.
I love how the show pivots from the usual trope of a great father-daughter relationship, where the mom becomes an almost semi-villain, to these women forging their own bond amongst chaos. It feels raw and realistic, not just the teen angst we see from Kelly, who occasionally despises her mom, but from Fleur too. Despite being flawed women, all three are attractive, charming, and wonderfully relatable in their own way. Last year, I watched a show called Envious, which also attempted to show us a flawed character, but the show basically makes her flaws her personality, which I didn’t particularly enjoy. This is why I think Tuiskoms is worth watching if you’re a woman who might be feeling lonely.
The 7-parter is an easy binge, with each episode being around 45 minutes long. Even though there are some dramatic bits, and sometimes, very rarely, Fleur can get on your nerves, you can’t help but like her and her wonderful family. But of course, it’s not only the writing and directing that makes a show; it’s also the acting. Amilia Uys carries the show with ease, and you really feel for her as the show progresses, rooting for her to be happy in the end. Michelle Botes (RIP) plays Abigail in her last on-screen role, and what a wonderful character she is. I’m certain being over the age of 60 and having to put yourself out there like that must be an absolutely terrifying ordeal, but she does it with grace and elegance and vigor, so you can’t help but love her even when Abigail isn’t making the most ideal choices. Jane De Wet plays the daughter, Kelly, and she demands just the right amount of attention in a show that is much more focused on the adults than the kids.
Keeping away the fact that the show is in a new language (to me), it somehow feels original even when it’s not necessarily a new story; I suppose that’s what creativity looks like. Tuiskoms is fresh, it’s pleasant, and it’s also very pretty to look at. If you want a show to run in the background, you can just play the dub, and you’ll be fine, but if you’ve got the time to sit down, relax, and enjoy, take this show in because it’s actually pretty good. I’d give Tuiskoms 4 out of 5 stars.
