The episode opens with Mariam being shoved from behind by an assailant, dragged by the hair, kicked repeatedly and thrown to the ground, before hitting her head and bleeding out, lingering on a brief shot of a bloodied, beaten Mariam being carried onto a stretcher, setting the tone for the rest of the season. It doesn't help that the assailant is later revealed to be one of Mariam's classmates.
Layan smoothly manipulates the girls in the locker room to turn on Mariam by falsely accusing her of homosexual assault, ruining her reputation and causing them to shout insults at her. This allows Layan to even cause the parents to turn against Mariam when the other girls choose to vouch for her. This tactic is eerily similar to real life bullies who spread lies about their victims in order to isolate and outcast them further.
For extra Fridge Horror: This show takes place in the Middle East, where in some places, being accused of homosexuality can be a death sentence.
In a repeat of the episode's opening scene, Layan and Ruqayya chase down Mariam and repeatedly hit and kick her in the back and head until she is on the ground. Layan then grabs Mariam by the hair, threatens to destroy her if she crosses her again and throws Mariam to the ground, causing her to hit her head and start bleeding. Anyone who has been bullied physically will find this scene hard to watch.
During the interrogation about Mariam's assault, Noaf receives a text from an anonymous number reading IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT SAYING ANYTHING, YOU'RE NEXT.
Thinking Noaf was behind the Whatsapp prank, Layan, Rania and Ruqqaya find Noaf's asthmatic sister and steal her inhaler, which could've possibly killed her.
Ruqayya is manipulated by Mariam, Noaf and Dina posing as "Tareq" into sending a hijab-free photo of herself. As Ruqayya walks into the courtyard, she notices the girls and teachers staring at her, and opens her phone to find that the photo has been uploaded to the Internet, and is only able to stand there in shock, breathing heavily. The shot of the camera spinning dizzily around her perfectly captures her terror as she realizes that her reputation is ruined.
Layan and Rania try to reach out to Ruqayya via her Facebook, only for "Tareq" to message them through her account instead. When Layan tells "Tareq" that he will pay for his actions, Mariam replies with a threatening message. Layan and Rania are understandably shocked. Imagine being in their position. Your friend's life is ruined, and you're trying to find the person that ruined it, only for them to threaten to target you next. Paranoia Fuel at it's finest
To make things worse, "Tareq" sends Layan and Rania a picture of them at Open Day, causing Layan and Rania to realize that someone is watching them.
A man sexually harasses Noaf at the spa pool. He might have assaulted her if not for Layan intervening and scaring him away.
Rania gets in trouble for sneaking out during a school trip and the school calls her parents. She comes back to school a week later with bruises on her face. Worse, this happens in real life. Schools will often call abusive parents for their kid's misbehavior, often unaware of the situation at home, causing them to be abused more severely.
Layan finds a gun in Hazem's glove compartment and is understandably freaked out.
Upon finding Layan's whereabouts, Hazem hunts down Layan in Laith's house, breaking down the door suddenly and finally murdering her in a fit of rage.
Mariam has many a Psycho Smirk over the course of the season, growing more intense and prolonged as she delights in the misfortune of Layan and her Girl Posse. The season' final shot is this as Mariam stares emotionlessly into the camera, displaying no remorse for having enacted her revenge. This is somewhat mitigated as Season 2 reveals she genuinely regrets her actions and feels guilty for indirectly causing Layan's death.
Season 2
The predator that preys on Sarah. Initially posing as a fan of hers, he at first asks Sarah for pictures of her feet in exchange for 300 dollars. As the series goes on, his demands become increasingly more threatening and invasive, even asking Sarah to unbutton her shirt in one video, culminating with the moment that he threatens to leak the video if Sarah doesn't meet him in person at 1pm. The worst part? He gets away with it, never suffering any consequences for grooming this young girl.
