So I recently binge-watched the entire season of “Yoh! Christmas”, a new homegrown series on Netflix. And I loved it. The storyline was so relatable and it took me back to my woes of being single.
In hindsight, I am glad my married girlfriends survived all my rants after yet another unsuccessful blind date, which later evolved into Tinder dates. But the success rate was no better.
This is the plight of the lead in the show Thando Mokoena (Katlego Lebogang), whose name means love.
The opening scenes sum up her dilemma. Despite her name, the universe didn’t get the memo as she’s been unlucky in the dating world.
Her ex Sifiso (Fezile Mkhize) ran for the hills on the day of their lobola ceremony. And despite putting on a brave face as a strong, independent woman, she’s anything but okay.
Seated with the kids at the family dinner table, she feels the pressure of being single at 30, especially from her mother Nellie (Sthandiwe Kgoroge).
And it doesn’t help that her brother Lungile (Bongani Dube) and his wife Mikayla (Laura-Lee Mostert) are baby-making machines, who announce they are expecting twins again.
Her older sister Minnie (Lerato Mvelase) tries to help her in her journey but their approach to life is different. Minnie is more traditional while Thando is a free spirit, who wears her heart on her sleeve.
To take some of the heat off her at the dinner table, Thando, going against her better judgement, announces that she has a boyfriend and he will be joining them for Christmas.
And so the countdown begins, with her mother looking forward to meeting him.
As such, Thando seeks out the advice of her roommate Charles (Siya Sepotokele) as well as her bestie Riri (Didie Makobane).
While Riri is having a blast matching on a dating app, Thando isn’t as lucky. So Charles suggests she attend a “Single Jingle First Thursdays” event.
After several awkward encounters, she decides to head home only to get mugged while trying to grab an Uber. But she’s helped by a hero (played by Tumiso Masha).
However, their first date makes her realise that he is broke and has nothing much going for him. So she cuts her losses and moves on.
The second date (played by Kagiso Modupe), thanks to a successful swipe on a dating app, ticks all the boxes until they meet in person.
Attending a comedy show goes pear-shaped when he starts heckling the stand-up act (played by Mpho Popps). It doesn’t end well and Charles ends up rescuing her.
Not long after, fitness instructor Xolani (Siv Ngesi) slides into her DMs on socials. At first, he seemed like an ideal candidate.
But his ego and fame proves to be a stumbling block and she ends up walking away.
Fortunately, the disastrous end has a happy ending, literally and figuratively, when Thando meets Motheo (Ntobeko Sishi), a charming Ben 10 from an affluent family.
Meanwhile, a former minister (played by Hlomla Dandala), who is a patient, is drawn to her. After being discharged, he asks her out only for Thando to discover that he knows her mother from their university days.
With time running out, Thando’s despair heightens to the point where she is blinded to the other important things in her life. This causes a fallout between Charles and her.
And the broken hearts that she recently left in her wake are still looking for a second chance while the one person that she’s fallen for doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.
Things come to a head at her office Christmas party where Thando also has a moment with her gay co-worker.
In trying to unravel “what is wrong with her”, she ends up learning a few important life lessons from everyone in her life, including Ben (Anthony Oseyemi), a doctor madly in love with her.
“Yoh! Christmas” is a wonderfully scripted series with slice of life scenarios.
Lebogang is a marvel to watch. Aside from being a ravishing beauty, she nails the nuances of her character as she yo-yo’s between hope and despair in her search for love.
There is an unmistakable buoyancy in her performance as she spreads joy while still trying to heal from being rejected by her ex.
The scenes with Thando and her dad, played by Sello Motloung, tug at the heartstrings.
Thando’s suitors are also well-etched and underpinned by a sobering funny side.
Veteran actress Dorothy-Ann Gould is also a marvel to watch too.
Interestingly, as I was singing the praises of the series on social media, a guy friend commented that he didn’t like it while several girlfriends were in sync with my sentiments.
So if you are planning to watch, bear in mind that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. And if you do watch, make sure you clear your schedule as you won’t be able to stop watching.
Meanwhile, I’m still racking my brain trying to figure out who was at the door. Season 2 can’t come soon enough!
∎ “Yoh! Christmas” is streaming on Netflix.