Little Birds Review: Season 1 Episode 4

Little Birds Season 1 Episode 4 is eventful and gorgeous but does little to advance the plot, keeping the story directionless. 

Subplots and characters drift in and out of the general narrative which can make for disorienting viewing. However, if the point of this episode is to make the audience feel as emotionally unstable as Lucy does after discovering her husband’s deception or as doped up as she is on the drugs passed around at Contessa Mandrax’s party, then it is successful.

Many pieces of this story hold little interest for me. The political aspect is dull and isn’t really meshing with the themes of the show. It might’ve been beneficial to have the civil unrest and government intrigue in Tangier be the backdrop rather than an integral part of the plot.

I would go even further to say that Little Birds would work to a greater degree if instead of one cluttered narrative, it was a series of vignettes based on the stories of Anaïs Nin’s erotic anthology. Since the trouble is keeping things cohesive and purposeful, a collection of one-shots that exhibit the sexual themes, the locale, and maybe a few shared characters could’ve fared much better. 

But, alas, it is not, and we will have to settle for this messy snarl of a story. 

That is not to imply that Little Birds is not worth the watch. Focusing on just the visuals and performances, one can find a myriad of pleasurable facets to enjoy.

The sun-drenched Moroccan landscape, lush colors and textures, indulgent patterns, and soft, cotton candy camera effects create a dizzying dreamscape. Scenes are framed to draw the eye and to give a forbidden, almost voyeuristic, quality.

To put it simply, it is art. And many of the actors showcase the artistry of their craft with nuanced performances.

The standout is Yumna Marwan as Cherifa Lamour. Every line is delivered deftly—I don’t even want to breathe when she is on the screen speaking. She is cutting when she wants to be, shows vulnerability and nonchalance with equal aplomb, and displays an ingrained understanding of her own complexities.

Cherifa fits perfectly into the world of Little Birds but is also otherworldly which sets her apart.  

Adham: I don’t know where I belong. That’s why I came to Tangier because no one belongs here. 

Cherifa belongs yet she surpasses the exotic setting and the lives of its secretive inhabitants, offering so much more than any excess of wealth and luxury could ever provide. As a result, her storyline is inadequate, lacking the fire of which the woman is made. I hope the last two episodes of the season give her something worthy of her alchemistic allure.

If the end of this episode is any indication, we might get something along those lines. I had been wanting Cherifa and Lucy to cross paths since they first met in a nightclub ladies’ room on Season 1 Episode 1, and finally, I was rewarded. 

Although, it comes about in the most unexpected way, and I’m not even sure what to think of it. 

Chaos erupts when Lucy demands one of the servers to participate in her pistol parlor trick. Cherifa is leaving after getting shut down by Contessa Mandrax. The two women tussle for the gun, Cherifa ends up with it and leaves. 

There is undeniable chemistry between them, and seeing them together again here proves that they are the magic of the series. Everything else is superfluous. 

What did you think of this episode of Little Birds? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Little Birds airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.

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