Dawn Images

Pakistani YouTube was recently graced with a new teen show called Midsummer Chaos and Pakistani Twitter with a lot of meme material.

The show, which was premiered recently, has only released its first episode but Twitter wouldn't let the actors or creators breathe. Here's the first episode:

The show, written and directed by Ahmed Sarym, follows an entourage of teenagers in Islamabad who go to parties and throw people in pools. The series also includes the vanilla good looking cool guy, the blind-to-toxicity childhood buddy, the forever crushing girls, their gossiping guy friends and the hilariously awkward ex-girlfriend, essentially making a cookie-cutter high school drama.

Two friends that go "way back" go full Jackie Chan on each other over a girl, and a neglected and hurt best friend seeks comfort in a mysteriously helpful friend. And then another. The end.

Twitter had A LOT to say about the show.

First, it is important you are given a recap of the prequel.

And the enablers.

And the characters. They were likened to the young dumb-but-pretty Saif Ali Khan, who recently became a meme.

Now, the show itself. Here's the plot, according to the internet.

Someone said it's Islamabad's Gossip Girl, and we get it.

This user refused to believe the show was based on actual events.

This other user, however, begged to differ. She found the story to be as relatable, and hence as factual as one could be.

On a serious note though, the show is being bashed for being "unrealistic" and "not an accurate representation of Pakistani teens". While all that may be true, we can't say that it is any more unrealistic than the other shows being aired on television or the internet. It is a representation of elite kid culture that prevails across Pakistan's big cities. While obviously dramatised and exaggerated, these people and stories are fairly realistic.

On the other hand, while the show may be unrealistic, or about a very tiny percentage of a population, it is still a story and any story can be made into a film or series. Whether it is good or bad, is a separate question, but there is nothing inherently wrong with creating a show that the vast majority does not relate to. Not every story needs to be a popular story and we can have content that showcases a minority lifestyle.

Similar opinions was shared on the internet as well.

Here's some 'critical' review.

People think they've figured out the target audience.

And also how they're going to enjoy the show.

This user believes he has insight into the show's writers room.

It would be unfair, however, not to acknowledge the appreciation the show did receive. Churails star Mehar Bano was a fan favourite. Unfortunately, they wanted to rescue her from the show.

At the end of the day, the creators of Midsummer Chaos tried. People might not love what they created but at least it was an attempt at making a show geared towards younger people in Pakistan. What did you think of the show?