‘Marked’ (2025) Netflix Series Review - Lacks Clarity and Flow

The start of this show intrigued me as to what the rest of the plot holds for us. But it took me a while to figure out what exactly Marked is about. At the center of the plot is Babalwa, a devoted religious mother. She works as a cash-in-transit security guard. Her world revolves around her daughter, Palesa, who is suffering from cancer. Life certainly is not easy for her. She is a thorough professional. How do we know that? When an attack unfolded on her team, she was the driver and she swiftly drove her van to safety and saved the lives of the team. Her team is highly dependent on her for such events. However, she is facing a money crunch. One day, her daughter has a seizure and falls down. When taken to the hospital, she and her husband were told that the equipment needed for the operation was in another province. But immediately, MaB, as people call her, knows that the doctor is hiding something from her. To her horror, they learn that her daughter doesn’t have much time left and needs the operation as soon as possible. Sadly, the family doesn’t have enough money to sponsor her operation. So what will this mother do now? Desperate to save her daughter, she turns to local moneylenders and, unfortunately, falls into their trap. She now ends up teaming with a local dealer named Zweli alongside her co-worker Tebza. Through them, she gets involved in a very risky yet high-paying assignment. But one wrong shot cost her everything- her life and her dear ones. Will she take the offer? Will she be able to save her daughter’s life?

Now, as simple as this reading of the plot might look, the show sadly isn’t that captivating. As mentioned before, when I started watching, it looked interesting with all the gun shots being fired, but people looking like statues, and MaB driving the van through a busy road to save everyone. But slowly, the plot becomes complicated. It takes you some time to figure out what exactly is happening. Another issue that one can face is the introduction of the characters. It is very difficult to understand who is what and what role they have in MaB’s life. Throughout the 6 episodes, you are only left confused and wanting more from the plot. Also, the pacing is very slow. They are taking their own sweet time to introduce us to the characters. A lot of times, you are left wondering why MaB is the only one facing all the challenges. She has a husband, too. Why isn’t he taking all the pain or even sharing the burden to raise money for their daughter? We understand that she is the protagonist, but still, he is the father too. Spanning over six episodes, you are left frustrated by the time the credits roll. The plot no doubt has depth, but again, it's nothing new or refreshing. Neither is it having excellent execution. So in all three episodes, you are getting nothing extraordinary.  This show can be passed if you don’t want to be left with a predictable plot and an unsatisfying ending.

Final Score- [4/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times