I get it that we are living an “inclusive” hype and that in recent years, we have witnessed a Viking ruler and an English King’s wife represented by colored actresses, among other historic fallacies. The docu-drama about Egypt’s last Pharaoh who ruled for more than 2 decades until she committed suicide. The short series is about family ties, political alliances, and power. Mighty concepts, that consist of a heavy burden on the shoulders of a 17-year-old, who becomes a leader of a nation and has to also protect herself while being the ruler she aspired to be.
This series has stirred up some serious controversy and public outrage, especially in Egypt. Netflix had to turn off comments from its YouTube channel. And the clamor is not really about Cleopatra’s skin color on TV. It’s more about her being dubbed as an African Queen, instead of an Egyptian Queen. Furthermore, the cast and the dramatic sequences are not well-acted. It seems like a push to create a new “black” role model for women. I wouldn’t waste 3 hours of your time watching this. It’s definitely not worth it.
