What I’m Watching: Our Boys (Penultimate Episode)

Our Boys: Season 1, Episode 9 “Chapter 9: The Perfumer and the Tanner” (B+)

As this show nears its end, it’s continuing down a very intriguing route that asks many moral questions about the outcome of this trial. What Dvora heard about the potentially negative implications of Jews being convicted for murder in terms of worldwide perceptions of Jews and Israel is definitely cause for concern, and it’s actually something I worried about with this show in general since what it portrays could certainly be damaging. It’s continually incredible to see just how each action taken by any person involved in any aspect of the case is interpreted as an affront, like Mohammed’s name being added to the list of the victims of terror. The harassment of Simon that has begun and will surely continue shows how protective institutions can be, even if it’s clear in this case that the actions of these three people were indeed horrendous and should be fully decried, with those responsible to be held accountable. Having to find an American psychiatrist who would fly in to Israel so that he could assess Yosef Haim shows that there is a certain toxicity to any association with what’s perceived as a rarity rather than the norm. Simon’s definition of modern terrorism was powerful and entirely applicable to the spate of mass shootings in the United States. Avishai felt betrayed by what Simon said since he still believes that he never intended to kill, and getting encouraged by Simon’s past informant isn’t going to help his mental state. I’ll also now hear the song he sang upon his release, which I’ve listened to many times in the past, in an entirely different way.