Made in Israel!Filmed around and in Jerusalem.This excellent thriller/drama ,which is the foundation for the CBS aired HOSTAGES,will keep you glued to your chairs/sofa wherever you are. Each episode will end before you notice it even begun. Ayelet Zurer and Yair Lotan ,as well as the rest of the cast, are giving us a compelling performance . Although fiction ,yet one keeps thinking ...what if.... The story line is not just about "the task "given to Dr Danon.There are several other "issues" going on at the same time without them casting any shadow on the main story line.And remember one thing,the show does not end until the fat lady sings. With season 2 now reaching episode 8 the plot thickens.Do not miss season 2!
21 Reviews
Hostages
Tweekums15 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As this ten part series opens we are introduced to the protagonists; Adam Rubin, a police officer; Dr. Yael Danon, a surgeon at a Jerusalem hospital; her husband Eyal and their teenage children Noa and Assaf. Yael has been scheduled to perform routine surgery on the Prime Minister; an operation certain people would rather he did not survive. To this end a group of four people, led by Rubin, take the Danon family hostage
if her family is to survive Yael must ensure the Prime Minister dies. She manages to force a postponement of the operation but that doesn't end her troubles; the hostage takers are prepared to wait and while they do the family will remain prisoners in their own home.
As time passes the family's secrets start to emerge; each member having certain details they would have preferred to keep secret. Confined with their captors they start to talk and to a degree become friendly with some of them. It isn't just the family that appears to be unravelling; as time passes the hostage takers argue amongst themselves and start to worry how things will go for them as what should have been a short operation drags on for days. Matters are further complicated by the arrival of Noa's boyfriend, an off duty soldier. All the time Yael must weigh up what to do if she is to save her family without killing the Prime Minister.
This Israeli drama series quickly gripped my attention and kept it right up to the end. While there are some clichés, most notably the fact that the family is somewhat more dysfunctional then they realise, it doesn't really matter though as it helps drive some of the events later on. I liked the fact that we don't learn the motives of the various hostage takers and their backers early on; indeed we don't learn why an apparently good man like Adam would be involved until the final episode. The setting inside the Danon's house helps create a claustrophobic atmosphere and as tensions rise viewer is kept at the edge of their seat wondering how things will work out. When the series does approach its conclusion expect lots of twists and turns as well as some genuine surprises and a degree of ambiguity whether this is allowing the viewer to decide what happens next or setting things up for a second season only time will tell. The cast do a fine job, making their characters believable even when the events seem a little far-fetched; most notable of these is Ayelet Zurer, who plays Yael. Overall a gripping drama that is well worth watching if you are looking for something a little different.
These comments are based on watching the series in Hebrew with English subtitles.
As time passes the family's secrets start to emerge; each member having certain details they would have preferred to keep secret. Confined with their captors they start to talk and to a degree become friendly with some of them. It isn't just the family that appears to be unravelling; as time passes the hostage takers argue amongst themselves and start to worry how things will go for them as what should have been a short operation drags on for days. Matters are further complicated by the arrival of Noa's boyfriend, an off duty soldier. All the time Yael must weigh up what to do if she is to save her family without killing the Prime Minister.
This Israeli drama series quickly gripped my attention and kept it right up to the end. While there are some clichés, most notably the fact that the family is somewhat more dysfunctional then they realise, it doesn't really matter though as it helps drive some of the events later on. I liked the fact that we don't learn the motives of the various hostage takers and their backers early on; indeed we don't learn why an apparently good man like Adam would be involved until the final episode. The setting inside the Danon's house helps create a claustrophobic atmosphere and as tensions rise viewer is kept at the edge of their seat wondering how things will work out. When the series does approach its conclusion expect lots of twists and turns as well as some genuine surprises and a degree of ambiguity whether this is allowing the viewer to decide what happens next or setting things up for a second season only time will tell. The cast do a fine job, making their characters believable even when the events seem a little far-fetched; most notable of these is Ayelet Zurer, who plays Yael. Overall a gripping drama that is well worth watching if you are looking for something a little different.
These comments are based on watching the series in Hebrew with English subtitles.
A solid crime series, in the line of related British or Scandinavian ones
BeneCumb2 November 2016
/refers to Season 1/
The recent decade has seen me moving away from U.S. and partially British crime drama (mini)series and focusing on wider geographical area. Thus, when I was referred to an Israeli one, I was anxious to see what was on offer from a country where security, army and intelligence form a vast part of daily life.
It all started working from the first scene, and the thrill was maintained throughout the season. In spite of some clichés, predictable scenes and questionable "blunders" around the Prime Minister, this series is pleasant to follow: it is thrilling, fast-paced, with good cast (particularly Ayelet Zurer as Dr. Yael Danon and Yoav Rothman as Assaf Danon), and you get an overview of beautiful Jerusalem as well as living in a highly secured country due to lots of hostile people around and within (although no Arabs were visible to me this time).
The final episode had multiple sub-endings, promising a sequel, which I am eager to follow as well (although I heard that the cast is partially different). All in all, Bnei Aruba 1 was a pleasant familiarisation with Isreali series and listening to Hebrew in almost all conversations.
The recent decade has seen me moving away from U.S. and partially British crime drama (mini)series and focusing on wider geographical area. Thus, when I was referred to an Israeli one, I was anxious to see what was on offer from a country where security, army and intelligence form a vast part of daily life.
It all started working from the first scene, and the thrill was maintained throughout the season. In spite of some clichés, predictable scenes and questionable "blunders" around the Prime Minister, this series is pleasant to follow: it is thrilling, fast-paced, with good cast (particularly Ayelet Zurer as Dr. Yael Danon and Yoav Rothman as Assaf Danon), and you get an overview of beautiful Jerusalem as well as living in a highly secured country due to lots of hostile people around and within (although no Arabs were visible to me this time).
The final episode had multiple sub-endings, promising a sequel, which I am eager to follow as well (although I heard that the cast is partially different). All in all, Bnei Aruba 1 was a pleasant familiarisation with Isreali series and listening to Hebrew in almost all conversations.
Very well laid out. One of the best TV series I've seen after Breaking Bad
alvisgosai20 July 2017
This is the first Israeli native TV serial I've watched and it left me surprised. The characters and acting backed by a very strong storyline was too good.These sort of TV shows are very rare and it's a must watch if you like action, suspense, drama with good storyline. Edge of the seat thriller !
Riveting story with performed to match.
rafiweiner23 September 2018
Hostage to its concept
YohjiArmstrong19 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
HOSTAGES is a ten-part Israeli thriller series, later remade for the American market. The plot sees a surgeon in Jerusalem scheduled to perform surgery on the Prime Minister when her family are taken hostage by masked men who demand that she kill the PM during the operation. It's a corker of a concept...for a film. As a series it works less well because it has to sustain this relatively simple idea for hours, which leads to increasingly absurd plot twists. Inevitably every member of the family and even of the hostage takers has a back-story which has to be unpacked but as time goes on it all becomes too obviously artificial a method of stretching the drama out. Getting all this drama in also means that the hostage-takers have to act in the most absurdly unprofessional fashion, wandering off and letting the hostages have access to electronic devices and unwatched rooms. The final revelation is also disappointingly petty; I'd hoped for more from a Middle Eastern thriller but instead it's the usual domestic heart-string-pulling nonsense. The actors are good enough and the setting is unusual but it's a television series which would have made a better film.
Plot gymnastics and unconvincing motivations
paul2001sw-122 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
With many television drama series, it's a major writing problem, keeping things interesting while preventing the overall plot from spiralling out of control. Israeili drama 'Hostages' doesn't really solve this problem: it relies on a network of hostage-takers so powerful that at first it seems as if everyone is in on the gang, but so useless their hostages keep escaping; a mysterious "undetectable" poison, members of the conspiracy with unlikely personal motives, and finally, a heroine who chooses, in the end, to decide to play God. Although it's gripping in places, I found the motivations forced; moreover, there's something about a drama like this, that you just know that no-one's going to get free in episode two. I've seen plenty of T.V. with worse production values; but as a story, this one doesn't make a lot of sense.
Don't Miss Hostages!
Deanna_K15 July 2019
From the very first episode Hostages commands its viewers attention and doesn't let it go until the very last episode of Season 2! Unlike the American remake, Hostages cleverly weaves surprises, intrigue as well as a considerate amount of character development for a short time span show.
Pros:
-Great casting, and believable acting
-Loved the soundtrack, added perfectly to the intensity of each scene
-Intriguing plot
-The cinematography is visually striking, particularly if you like older buildings
Totally unrealistic final
spnania19 May 2020
subtitles will put some people off but this is worth checking out.
ib011f9545i23 July 2020
This is one for fans of Homeland or lesser spy dramas.
There is nobody who we would recognise as stars and the subtitles and the complicated plot makes it hard to follow at times but it is worth sticking with.
There was an American version of this but it did not last long.
I find it hard to praise this enough,it has good action scenes but also requires the viewer to engage their brain.
Unlike so many American tv shows it actually uses real locations,not 1970s style sets.
Not worth the time
brenofigueiredo-1364525 January 2020
Masterpiece
amitaman00721 December 2019
Excellent psychological thriller
Coralknight10 June 2020
Typically any suspense/action thriller coming from Israel will involve a Palestinian sub-plot of someone trying to blow something up. Hostages is a breath of fresh air and a masterpiece of intricate plot twists mixed with suspense and action. There were a few holes and issues with predictability (I guessed the major "twist" in the first episode after the character set-ups), but for the most part it is very well-acted and gives the viewer insight into the lives of various segments of Israeli society. In fact, the underlining theme seemed to be that if you take away the "other" (i.e. the Palestinians...never so much as mentioned once here) in the surreal, dehumanizing and ultra-militarized society that is Israel, the citizens themselves will eventually turn on each other for whatever reason. In the end of season one, you find yourself asking if there really are any heroes or "good guys" to be found at all in this series. That being said, I'd say just watch Season 1, as the 2nd seems to have jumped the shark.
Amazing series from Isreal
searchanddestroy-16 October 2020
After FAUDA, I discover this awesome TV show, and not speaking of the same topic. But I must admit that, for once since I watch modern series, I highly prefer the second season; the first one was unbearable to me, mainly because of the characters, too smooth, too polished for my taste, and too much predictable for some one like me. In the second season, you also have a hostage case, more complex, where things are explained one after the other, and with a terrific bad guy, a pure evil one, played by an Israeli actor who really looks like a Nazi SS officer !!! ha ha I have rarely seen such a pure disgusting and sophisticated SOB whom you wish to die in agony after one episode. An excement second season with a good ending too.
Just forgot in my previous comment.
searchanddestroy-127 October 2020
One important thing that has not been mentioned in the other comments. This series from Israel is absolutely without Palestinians, which is very surprising in such a political thriller show made in Israel. Only in the last two episodes, maybe they are vaguely evoked, and only for a kind of subplot, which has nothing to do with the main one!!!
Nevertheless...
bshanley-6146128 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I watch every Israeli political drama I can find. Big fan. Nevertheless, this one jumps the shark a few times each episode. The acting is fine, it's just that the situations and each step toward their resolution are just preposterous to anyone with any police training, medical training, to anyone with common sense, or to anyone who owns a television or has gone to a movie theater. Examples from Season Two, the episodes I watched last night: setting up an operating theater in a dirty, abandoned building using only their limited amount of bottled water for cleaning, entering a pitch black abandoned tunnel with flashlights, but sitting and having a conversation in full light, sans flashlights. The list could go on and on. It get it about suspending disbelief, but this is ridiculous. A kidnapped prime minster, a Russian "doctor" sprung from prison to operate on the PM, a dog that "comes back to life.," a secret daughter. Korean soap opera stuff. Stop already! I'll finish the season, but I had to warn you.
OK, I finished the second season. I downgraded from 4 to 3. Utterly improbable and ridiculous. Try this on for size: I'm a highly expert international assassin. A woman discovers my true name, so I kill her, either by breaking her neck or strangling her (not shown on screen). But in my sniper nest, moments before I'm to shoot, a woman from the intelligence service appears. I've got a great idea. I won't kill her. I'll only knock her out. She'll sleep and I'll leave her and go take the shot. No way will she wake up and disrupt. No way. After all, I'm an expert international assassin. What crap.
OK, I finished the second season. I downgraded from 4 to 3. Utterly improbable and ridiculous. Try this on for size: I'm a highly expert international assassin. A woman discovers my true name, so I kill her, either by breaking her neck or strangling her (not shown on screen). But in my sniper nest, moments before I'm to shoot, a woman from the intelligence service appears. I've got a great idea. I won't kill her. I'll only knock her out. She'll sleep and I'll leave her and go take the shot. No way will she wake up and disrupt. No way. After all, I'm an expert international assassin. What crap.
Started well, but...
acmilan-hr5 April 2022
Draws you In then fails miserably
e_pipersberg13 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I feel guilty writing a bad review of an Israeli production as I have a strong connection with the country and wanted this to be good. Unfortunately it took me 14 Episodes to pull the pin on it in exasperation.
Season 1 consisting of 10 Episodes was OK. Just. Despite the far fetched premise it was buoyed by a couple of interesting characters namely the female lead which offset the labouring idea that was dragged out over the duration. The finale was completely inexplicable with the Surgeon announcing the patient dead on the operating table, in front of her colleagues, then somehow he mysteriously appears alive in the next series. The pesky head of security who always looked like he was sucking on a sour lemon was an absolute moron and don't get me started on the Soldier boyfriend. The plot holes and ridiculous scenarios were there but I was happy to let them slide in order to see where the next series would take me.
Well... Series 2. I could not believe the gaping plot holes and far fetched storyline. It made Israeli intelligence agencies look like bumbling idiots and the negotiator who had to explain every thing to advance the story was infuriating. The cool calm and collected Doogie Howser lookalike, Mr Fix it was so stiff and forced, I could not wait til his scenes finished. Plant a gun to make it look like suicide??? Really? Israeli Crime Scene analysis would not have worked that one out!! How about the report that shots were fired despite a silencer being used. Someone used a hair pin to get out of handcuffs... On and on. One annoying thing after another, you get the picture.
In fact the more I think about it, the less I want to write about this utter waste of time. 4 episodes in I gave up, hoping the wife would die already.
Do yourself a favour and give this crap a wide berth. If you want your faith restored in Israeli drama, try Mossad 101. That was excellent!
Season 1 consisting of 10 Episodes was OK. Just. Despite the far fetched premise it was buoyed by a couple of interesting characters namely the female lead which offset the labouring idea that was dragged out over the duration. The finale was completely inexplicable with the Surgeon announcing the patient dead on the operating table, in front of her colleagues, then somehow he mysteriously appears alive in the next series. The pesky head of security who always looked like he was sucking on a sour lemon was an absolute moron and don't get me started on the Soldier boyfriend. The plot holes and ridiculous scenarios were there but I was happy to let them slide in order to see where the next series would take me.
Well... Series 2. I could not believe the gaping plot holes and far fetched storyline. It made Israeli intelligence agencies look like bumbling idiots and the negotiator who had to explain every thing to advance the story was infuriating. The cool calm and collected Doogie Howser lookalike, Mr Fix it was so stiff and forced, I could not wait til his scenes finished. Plant a gun to make it look like suicide??? Really? Israeli Crime Scene analysis would not have worked that one out!! How about the report that shots were fired despite a silencer being used. Someone used a hair pin to get out of handcuffs... On and on. One annoying thing after another, you get the picture.
In fact the more I think about it, the less I want to write about this utter waste of time. 4 episodes in I gave up, hoping the wife would die already.
Do yourself a favour and give this crap a wide berth. If you want your faith restored in Israeli drama, try Mossad 101. That was excellent!
Suspend disbelief...
ikanboy9 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I won't go into all the silliness of this show, there's reams of it. The plot is interesting but the machinations of it drove me crazy. The Masks! 4 people show up wearing masks. One guy shows everything except his nose. At some point or other every face gets revealed to the hostages but the bad guys keep insisting on wearing masks! Everybody gets to be untied and in their rooms, where the doors are locked...but not the windows???
If the goal is to kill the PM then the hostages will have to be killed. No-one seems to think about this. The Surgeon (mother) never figures out that no matter what she does her family is going to have to be killed. It would have made a better movie, but making it a series meant dragging out the ludicrosity episode after episode.
If the goal is to kill the PM then the hostages will have to be killed. No-one seems to think about this. The Surgeon (mother) never figures out that no matter what she does her family is going to have to be killed. It would have made a better movie, but making it a series meant dragging out the ludicrosity episode after episode.
Potential to be remarkable show, fails to live upto expectations
ektasharma3 June 2019
A one time watch. Show starts of well and builds up the thrill of figuring out what will happen next. But fails to deliver what's promised by the end. The climax becomes a bit predictable and whole show leaves up with loose open ends that audience has to figure out themselves.
Tisca chopra and Ronit roy acting is on point. All the other supporting star cast were okay but no one leaves an impact throughout.
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