The power of the overlooked

Zenzi is back — and the stakes are bloodier than ever in season 2 of this raw local crime thriller

- Rolland Simpi Motaung

Generally, I am apprehensive of adaptations of foreign stories for local audiences as if we don't have pertinent stories of our own to tell.

The crime thriller series Unseen, on Netflix, however, is an exception due to its universal and contemporary themes.

Adapted from the Turkish Netflix series Fatma, created by Özgür Onurme, Unseen returns for an explosive second season.

The South African version follows domestic worker Zenzi as she continues her pursuit of justice and healing. Brilliantly portrayed by Gail Nkoane Mabalane, Zenzi is timid, yet courageous, quiet, but her murders ring loudly in the underground world and in corporate corridors.

In the first season, released in 2023 on the global streamer, we saw Zenzi losing loved ones due to being tangled in an intricate corruption scheme involving gangs in the Cape Town area, bankers and the government.

In this second season we not only see how deep corruption can go when private and public representatives collude, the story goes deeper to explore Zenzi's relations with her estranged sister, Naledi (Dineo Langa) and their shared grief.

As in the first season, bodies, blood and tears flow through the six episodes, with Zenzi at the centre in her trademark coat and hoodie.

What is it about this story that has got local and global audiences excited and bingeing in their homes?

For award-winning production company Gambit Films, it is about telling such stories in a thrilling, but relatable, way. Having produced successful shows like Blood and Water, Nommer 37 and Suidooster, this Cape Town firm has learned how to capture viewers with electrifying drama.

Travis Taute, who produced and directed both seasons of