There are some web series that stay with you even after you finish watching them. While you initially start watching them for fun, they eventually provide you with essential life lessons that help you develop a solid understanding of many things in life. For me, such a series was SKAM (meaning ‘shame’ in English), a Norwegian teen drama series launched in 2015 and produced by NRK P3. Written and Directed by Julie Andem, the series was based on the day-to-day issues of Hartvig Nissen School high schoolers. It comprised four seasons, each focusing on a different issue with its characters recurring as per the storyline.
Remembering and penning down about this series makes me so nostalgic about when I first started watching it. I recall catching up on the series through YouTube videos on my mom’s phone. For me, Season 3 was the heart of the SKAM series. It was based on the lives of two male students, Isak Valtersen (played by Tarjei Sandvik Moe) and Even Bech Naesheim (played by Henrik Holm), and showcased the blossoming between the two of them. Both of them defined what ‘accepting each other with their flaws’ seems like. Mind you, it was the time when I had little knowledge about the LGBTQA+ community. So, watching the relationship between two same-sexes was very new to me. When I look back now, I can say that it was SKAM that introduced me to same-sex love. It made me more sensitive towards such couples and normalized the idea for me. Thus, today, if I admire and adore same-sex couples, its credit goes to SKAM. I still recall the slow build-up of love between both of them and how Isak struggled with ‘coming out’ while being affectionate towards Even.
SKAM also introduced me to a crucial component of mental health- Bipolar Disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), ‘Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. These shifts can make it difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are three types of bipolar disorder. All three types involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These moods range from periods of extremely “up,” elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very “down,” sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes)’.
In the series, Evak happens to suffer from Bipolar disorder. The convincing way in which the actor portrayed the character moved me and made me understand the sensitivity of the health concern. Even though at first Isak was unable to accept Evak’s health condition, I appreciate how he took his time and eventually became the best support Evak could have asked for. Isak’s one piece of advice to Evak was:
The only thing we need to worry about, is the next minute, will forever stay with me.
During that time, the concept of mental health was also new to me. I am glad that I watched this series because no textbook could have made me understand mental health concerns and the struggles they carry.
I believe the entire series was ahead of its time. It talked about concepts and issues that have started to get importance now. SKAM was my first web series and it helped me empathize with a lot of things in life. It somehow made me emotionally more cooperative. The last episode of SKAM was aired on June 24, 2017. The series was also adapted into different languages such as SKAM France, SKAM Italia, and SKAM Austin to name a few. In every adaptation, there were characters similar to Isak and Even, but I will always love the original. I recommend everyone to watch SKAM once in their lifetime. If not Season 3 starring Isak and Even, then the other seasons because all of them are equally beautiful.