10 Reasons You Should Watch We Are Lady Parts

There is a lot of TV out there, and it can be hard to keep track of all the new series and seasons that are coming out.

Amongst the sometimes overwhelming plethora of content, some gems should leapfrog to the very top of your to-watch list. One such gem is Peacock’s new series, We Are Lady Parts.

The brainchild Nida Manzoor, We Are Lady Parts tells the story of a female Muslim punk band called Lady Parts, through the perspective of their newest recruit, quirky Ph.D. student — and the furthest thing from a Punk — Amina Hussien.

It is the perfect weekend binge, and we’ve got 10 reasons why.

1. Superb Writing

Perhaps it goes without saying for any show being recommended that the writing would be good. Still, the scripts for We Are Lady Parts are exceptional, particularly when taken together as a complete narrative.

Its whimsical style and playful humor give the show much of its charm. But, mixed in with all the show’s cheek are quieter moments that ground the show and give it a poignancy that makes it special.

The characters that inhabit the world Manzoor creates are rich and three-dimensional. Even Noor, the resident mean girl leader, is more than she seems and a character you root for.

In just six 24 minute episodes, Manzoor tells a robust, layered story with more depth and complexity than countless other streaming shows with double the run time.

The general plot of We Are Lady Parts is familiar, but Manzoor infuses the show and her characters with vibrancy and wit to create something delightfully fresh and enchanting. 

2. A Fabulous Cast

Nida Manzoor’s wonderful scripts are brought to life by an equally wonderful cast. It starts with the main actors that make up the members of Lady Parts.

Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, and Juliette Motamed — who play Amina, Saira, Bisma, Momtaz, and Ayesha, respectively — are each wonderful in their own right but even better as an ensemble.

With impeccable comic timing and effortless chemistry, they are not only one of the reasons to watch the series but one of the big reasons you’ll want to watch it again. 

Vasan and Impey, who anchor the series, give particularly vulnerable performances. They speak what is unsaid and articulate all the nuances of their characters’ journeys with touching emotional resonance.

Beyond the main cast is a strong supporting cast filling out the rest of the roles.

From Zaqi Ismail, who is both swoon-worthily charming and adorably awkward as Ashan, to Aiysha Hart’s unexpectedly sympathetic portrayal of Noor, the entire cast of We Are Lady Parts is, put simply, fabulous. 

3. The Music

The music of We Are Lady Parts is not the polished pop we’ve seen on shows like Glee or the musical episodes of countless other series. 

It is loud and sarcastic. It’s heavy bass lines and angry vocals that snarl rather than coo. The music of We Are Lady Parts is the spirit of punk music, and it is fantastic.

The soundtrack on its own is great and will definitely have you rocking out into hairbrush for weeks, but what makes the music a reason to watch are the scenes of the band playing together. 

Lady Parts is a fake band, but watching them on screen, they feel like anything but. You can easily imagine yourself seeing Lady Parts in a small stuffy club and letting loose for a night full of rowdy guitars and kinetic energy.

4. Representation Matters

We Are Lady Parts centers on women of color, specifically Muslim women of color, which is something that is still woefully rare on TV. This immediately makes the series a noteworthy and important addition to the media landscape. 

While there are more examples of diverse and inclusive storytelling today than in the past, things are still far from where they should be. This is even more true for stories told by women and people of color. 

Often, when we see characters from underrepresented groups on TV, they perpetuate harmful tropes and stereotypes. 

A recent study by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, for instance, found that only 1.6% of speaking parts in popular film were Muslim characters despite Muslims making up 24% of the global population.

Even worse, 53.7% of those characters were victims of violence, and 39% were perpetrators of it. The Annenberg study looked primarily at film, but it’s is instructive for Television as well.

It matters that We Are Lady Parts not only centers on characters we don’t often see on screen but that it does it in a way that subverts dangerous cliches and celebrates the diversity and intersections within the different identities it explores. 

5. Amina’s Parents

One of the best surprises of the series is Amina’s ultra-supportive parents. Right away, they challenge standard tropes in some wonderful ways.

Typically, for stories about a young person breaking free of expectations, they are breaking free from the expectation of their conservative or demanding parents.

This is a particularly popular trope when it comes to Asian and Middle Eastern characters. On We Are Lady Parts, we quickly learn that is not the case for Amina. 

Amina’s parents are, in fact, quite the opposite. They are proud of her passion and talent for music and gently push her to do what she wants and not what she thinks others want. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the demanding, judgmental stereotypes we’re used to. 

But more than that, Amina’s parents are simply lovely additions to any scene they are in. They are people you could imagine yourself wanting to be around in real life. The kind that lifts others up and makes them feel good on even their worst days. 

The warmth and cheer that radiate from Amina’s parents make their scenes feel wholesome and are bound to bring a smile to your face.

6. Amina and Ahsan

Amina and Ahsan’s relationship doesn’t quite go the way either expected, which, for us as viewers, is part of their charm.

When they first meet, Amina is on a quest to find a husband. It’s the main focus of every date she goes on, and she doesn’t hide this fact either. She makes it clear that marriage is a priority, which doesn’t really create a fun, laid-back vibe for the first date.

Once she eases up on her determination to find a husband, she relaxes a bit, and Ahsan is able to get to know the real Amina. They start to develop a fun rapport. It’s super cute watching these two try to sort out their feelings and get to know one another.

7. The Poetry Night Scene

We Are Lady Part Season 1 Episode 4, “Godzilla,” is one of the most important episodes of the season, and “Godzilla’s” poetry night scene is one of its most captivating and relatable.

Beautifully written, crafted, and performed, it is a significant turning point for the story. 

Up until the poetry night scene, We Are Lady Parts stays pretty firmly in the realm of the lighter fair. It’s fun and charming, and there are some earnest moments, but it’s this scene that reveals the series’ true heart. 

Something that especially stands out about the poetry night scene is its depiction of anxiety.

Through Anjana Vasan’s performance and Nida Manzoor’s direction, the scene is a visceral experience for viewers. It allows them to almost physically feel what Amina is going through for themselves.

The scene transforms Amina’s anxiety from a quirky plot device to a relatable and moving character arc. It also uses the vulnerability of that moment to solidify a deeper bond between Amina and Saira. 

It’s a scene that makes you take notice and care about these characters in completely new ways. 

8. Saira’s Backstory

We Are Lady Part is told from Amina’s perspective. She is the main character and driving force of the series. But it’s Saira whose backstory we learn the most about. 

Her backstory is heartbreaking, but it explains a lot about what shaped her. It makes her the most complicated character of the show. 

Another thing Saira’s backstory does is create an interesting juxtaposition between Saira and Amina. It makes clear that Saira’s fight is a mirror image of Amina’s flight. 

They are both driven by fear and a need to protect themselves. Saira’s fear manifests in anger and Amina’s in anxiety.

Following them as they each find the courage to embrace things that make them feel vulnerable is a central theme of the show and one that makes the series shine as brightly as it does.

For Saira’s story, that theme is all the more effective because of the peek into her history. 

9. A Perfect Finale

For everything great about any given show, it’s often how a season ends that we most remember. It’s the feeling a show leaves us with that stays with us. 

The final episode of We Are Lady Parts Season 1, especially its final scene, is perfection. It pulls together all of the things that make the show great for a beautiful conclusion that makes your heart feel full.

There is still a lot left open to explore in a potential — and well-deserved — Season 2, but the finale ends this chapter of Lady Parts’ story in a way that is earned and deeply satisfying. 

It’s hard to say too much about the season finale without getting into specifics. Still, it’s not giving much away to say that We Are Lady Parts leaves viewers feeling triumphant and immediately ready for a rewatch. 

10. Its Heart

We Are Lady Parts might be about a Punk band, and its characters certainly share Punk’s rebellious spirit. One thing it doesn’t share is the cynicism often associated with the Punk scene. 

The series wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s that open heart that makes it such a joy to watch. 

It’s a story about finding your voice and telling the world who you are on your own terms. We Are Lady Parts cheers women who are unapologetically themselves and forge their own path.

There’s an infectious optimism at its core that you can’t help but feel while you watch it. The story is about a band’s perseverance, but more than that, it’s a sincere tale of sisterhood that is uplifting and edifying.

There are so many reasons to watch We Are Lady Parts, but none more so than its big heart and idealistic spirit.

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Do you plan on checking out We Are Lady Parts, or are you already a fan? Let us know in the comments below!

We Are Lady Parts Season 1 is streaming now on Peacock.

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