Jackson Heights: Aamina/Adeel/Noman/Marina |SPOILERS pg 27|Note pg1 - Page 50

And on choices, Michele's was another track where once again we saw a woman making her own choices - we can argue about how wrong or right they were, but the fact remains that till the end she truly did live life on her own terms. Rizwan had always been around, he was dependable well-to-do and made no bones about his interest in her, perfect husband material some would say, but hamari pyari Michele!

Hiding behind the drab colors and a brusque exterior, was a hurt scared, but a still hopeful woman. Hurt because her previous marriage had left her scarred; scared because she had trusted someone once and see how that had turned out for her, and hopeful because she was unconsciously waiting to be swept off her feet, why else would she not accept Rizwan's proposal? As it turned out jalaibee Jamshed was by no means her knight in the shining armor and she did end up getting hurt once again, but the fact that we actually saw a woman in her mid-to late forties being depicted as an individual in her own right earns Team Jackson Heights a huge round of applause, from me at least.

When was the last time we saw a middle aged woman who was not just there in the story because she was a maa or bhabhi or bahu? The way these women are depicted it is as if they do not exist as entities in their own right, mere props without any desires or ambitions of their own other than those associated with their husband, brother or children. In sharp contrast here, not only was Michele an individual in her own right but one who commanded, not demanded, the respect of those around her and wielded quite a bit of power as well. No matter how much Rizwan tried to persuade her till the very end, she stuck to her guns and chose her own path.

Like Salma, we saw Michele evolve throughout this seven month journey as well. The woman we saw walk away in this last episode though alone was not lonely. Selfish and self-centered as he had been, in his own Jamshed helped Michele lay her inner demons to rest. Empowered rather than merely wielding power like before, Michele was now back in touch with who she once had been, a woman not afraid to live and love. This new Michele was reflected in her choice of brighter clothes and noticeable makeup. Rizwan can wait as long as he wants, I don't think Michele is now going to look back, she has well and truly moved on.

As their leading ladies moved on, our two resident bad boys Sikander and Jamshed were left with a lot to chew on. These seven months had been quite eventful for them as well. Sikander might've turned over a new leaf but the damage he had inflicted on his family for so many years is not the kind that fixes itself; his work, trying to build a bond of trust and affection with Iman, has just begun. Jamshed ended this journey as a more honest, wiser man; the lessons he learned here will stand him in good stead in the new journey he's just begun.

A multitrack story Jackson Heights had a lot of characters that walked in an out of the narrative, the various tracks too intersected, overlapped and paralleled throughout, and it is to Vasay and Mehreen's credit for keeping all the this coherent and meaningful. There were loopholes for sure - the insurance and zevargaffe was a big one and I am yet to see an abusive man come around like Sikander did without any professional help - but overall I thought for the most part it all gelled well together.

In terms of writing, I found it to be an intelligent script and particularly enjoyed the mirroring of Bhatti sahaband Jamshed's track, so much of the bhanja's story provided a very sharp insight into mamu's story of fifteen years ago. Domestic abuse and the battered wife syndrome are very serious issues and these was woven very well into story without turning it into a documentary. The May-December romance, between Jamshed and Michele, was another topic that we don't really get to see too often, and I thought it was handled pretty deftly not turning it into a sleazy, cheap relationship. Overall what I really appreciated was that all characters walked away with dignity and grace, with everybody getting a second shot at starting over. I don't think it happens quite as smoothly in real life but I liked the optimism I felt at the end of a very emotional finale.