One of the most iconic scenes in the hit Netflix show Narcos is set at the Hotel Las Margaritas, in the Colombian city of Medellin. Amidst a backdrop of opulent wealth, luxury cars and lavish food, Pablo Escobar meets with rival families to call a truce, and announce himself as the head of the newly created Medellin Cartel.
I am guessing the Netflix producers had something similar in mind for the launch of Season 2 of Dubai Bling, by bringing the cast back together for a clear the air “getaway” at an exotic location.
Unfortunately, with Netflix having announced it was looking for $300 million in cost cuts this year, it doesn’t quite work. Don’t get me wrong, I am personally a huge fan of the Movenpick Ras Al Khaimah. Rooms there start from just AED527 a night, rising to AED2,573 for the fancy beachfront suites where the cast stay. (All rooms come with a decent balcony, brilliant coffee machine and free Wi-Fi. I also recommend the mobile price on Booking.com which is always cheaper).
As the various cast members arrive for their first big meeting since – well, since they all agreed to be paid AED9,175 per episode for another season – the sniping begins. One cast member’s Birkin “is obviously borrowed.” Another clearly arrived in a “borrowed car.”
Dubai Bling: Season 2 drama
“I saw him lingering around the boot cause he didn’t know how to close it,” says Safa.
Yes, you guessed it, Dubai Bling is back for another season. Here we go again, as 10 “millionaires” spend the best part of 6 hours and 24 minutes reminding us that they are millionaires. If you spent much of Season 1 wondering “Who?”, Season 2 makes the seamless progression to “Who cares?”.
The storyline is mostly based on their daily trials and tribulations. Ebraheem is trying to fix his friendship with Safa, but first he must fix his friendship with Safa’s best friend Zeina. “What matters to me is to be at peace with her,” he says movingly. Who cares?
“LJ” declares “fashion is where I find myself,” while Farhana Bodi finds herself at a matchmaker. Yep, you guessed it. Who cares?
The first episode is also notable for the lack airtime given to its two biggest names. Kris Fade barely gets a look in. Maybe he was busy on Cameo, where he is currently flogging video messages to fans for AED184 a pop. Guess it all adds up if you want to be a millionaire.
The season’s new hire Mona Kattan isn’t unveiled until the very end, declaring herself as the co-founder of Huda Beauty. “In 2017 the company was valued at $1.2 billion,” she says. No wonder she charges three times more than Fade for a Cameo video message, at AED551 a pop.
The grand finale of episode one sees the cast gather round a campfire, where each one must confess to their biggest regret, before writing it down on a piece of paper which is then thrown into the fire.
“I regret getting involved in drama that I shouldn’t even have been in,” says Ebraheem.
Surely, he doesn’t mean Season 2?
My confession is I didn’t quite make it beyond episode one, after which I am told LJ becomes a waitress, Farhana seeks love and Mona launches a new fragrance.
But I have no regrets.
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