‘Reformed' Is a Charming Show About a Young Rabbi
The French dramedy 'Reformed,' on Max (in French, with subtitles, or dubbed), follows a young rabbi who moves back home to begin her career. Léa (Elsa Guedj) is smart, knowledgeable and capable, but she is also new at this and nervous. It doesn't help that those around her, including members of her own family, scoff at the idea of a female rabbi — when they're tired of scoffing at religion in general.
'There was Galileo, there was Freud, there was Auschwitz,' says her father (Éric Elmosnino), a therapist. 'I thought we'd figured it out. God doesn't exist.'
Doubt is a constant presence in 'Reformed,' both grandly and in the sense that 'Eh, aren't we all just muddling through?' The show is based loosely on the book 'Living With Our Dead,' by the French rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, and the episodes center on life cycle events: a bris, a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a funeral, shiva. Most of the people availing themselves of Léa's services aren't particularly observant, and they're not sure if or how to engage with the rites.
And Léa isn't sure either, so she rehearses different voice memos. Yes, do it. No, don't. Oh no, uh, there was a family emergency, I can't help you. But invariably, she does help them, with real care and curiosity, not in trite or Pollyannaish ways. She is doctrinal but not doctrinaire, and all these rituals of change for her congregants are rituals of change for her, too. She becomes more confident and mature ushering a reluctant bar mitzvah boy through the process. She hones her discernment skills while officiating a wedding.
The most intriguing relationship on the show is between Léa and Arié (Lionel Dray), the local orthodox rabbi and her former teacher. There's a magnetic pull and constant fascination between them, a lot of trust but also a sense of betrayal. He's her mentor, and they have an intense erotic energy, but each also sees the other as practicing religion incorrectly — a tension that can be playful right up until it is profoundly hurtful. The goings on at their respective shuls highlight their own misgivings about their denominational choices: Maybe her practice is shallow; maybe his practice is misogynistic. Let's resolve to smolder at each other about it.
In addition to being charming, 'Reformed' is interesting. Sitcom shenanigans nestle alongside philosophical musings. A farce unfolds at a seder, and goofy sibling banter segues into deeper conversation and back. Seven episodes are available now, and the season finale arrives on Friday.
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