"has a strong core and an interesting, original idea"

From the first episode of Hostages (known as Bnei Aruba in Israel) we’re fully aware of the scenario at hand and the roots of the plot. This psychological drama focuses around Dr. Yael Danon (Ayelet Zurer) and her family who are held hostage on the eve of her scheduled surgery on the Israeli Prime Minister. The hostage-holders have one demand: “Kill the PM on the operating table and save her family”. It’s not only the plot that’s laid out in front of us but also the characters from both sides of the story: the good guys and the bad guys are given some brief exposition which creates a strong foundation for the episodes to follow. One of the characteristics of the recent TV revolution is the desire to create more complex characters. The motives of each character in Hostages is explored and built upon, first impressions tend to change and unexpected relationships begin to form. As with similar shows, nothing is black and white and this helps to create twists throughout Hostages which aids character development rather than plot. The young family on the surface seem perfect, however, we learn more as we go along which creates inner tension within. The mother and father are a dominant presence with good intentions, their children, Eyal and Noa, seem far too independent and to some this may seem like good parenting, but here it’s seems to have had a negative effect. This dynamic creates a more realistic family environment which benefits the show when coupled with the plot. The captors are led by Jonah, who turns out to be one of the best characters in the show. He is played by the excellent Adam Rubin who manages to convey not only threat but also a weakness which shows his more human side. His team consists of Assaf, Ella and Alex, these characters are an extension of Jonah, and as a team they balance the threat and emotion of the scenario well. Alongside the characters, the plot seems to be spread thinly. The premise is set up within the first episode and each episode is based around a singular event which delays the conclusion and creates an episodic narrative arch which seems to be more focused on creating tension rather than developing plot. The direction of each episode seems to follow this trend; the camera often peers around walls and is handheld which creates a sense of being watched. The editing is quick and often resembles a music video rather than a drama. The score is far from subtle. This creates an issue: as soon as you notice the change in tone of the music, you know whether a character has good intentions or bad. The score doesn’t leave much to the imagination, which is a shame, because the characters are well rounded and complex. This is a show where the characters are stronger than the plot yet I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a character driven piece. The episodes do have moments of tension and some of the more personal moments are well directed and you feel the emotion on screen. It would be harsh to say Hostages is all surface, but there are some moments where you feel the action is quite cynical. For a show that’s based around a family in captivity, it spends a long time travelling around Jerusalem following the characters attending various events from surprise parties to paying off debt collectors. This creates a few plot holes and makes you question the reality of the situation and I was left craving a more claustrophobic environment for the characters to really show their strengths and weaknesses. Hostages has a strong core and an interesting, original idea. The characters are layered and show depth. The cast are very good; they play the characters well and show chemistry. The twists throughout work well, you go into each episode not knowing where it will end up.