We told you we were counting down to this. All of us at TMB fixed a date in one central location to watch Africa Magic’s new comedy series, Hustle.

We have been waiting for this for two months. The colorful cast. The promising storyline. The promise of earthiness.

We just ‘finished’ watched Episode 1 – and our verdict? Disappointing.

The entire Episode 1 is a collection of tired and (it bears repeating) unimaginative cliches about Lagos. As if someone went back through time and told a story fit for 1986. As if we haven’t heard these same stories again and again and again told in this same exact way, about a Lagos many of us (two of us grew up in the slums) do not even recognise.

We asked each other for the first words that came to our minds: and it’s resoundingly ‘cliche’.

It reminds us of the disappointment of the movie ‘Surulere’. How could this supposedly big-budget production come out looking so small, and not-yet-ready?

We are disappointed. But maybe it’s because we had such high expectations. So we will sleep over this and we will think about it again.

We really want to love this one. It has everything going for it. Including an excellent Supervising Producer, Uche Ikejimba, and everyone’s favorite Nollywood aunty, Mldred Okwo.

Meanwhile, there is a bright spot, and it shines as bright as the glittering Iro and Buba that she wore in a 3-minutes appearance that completely stole the entire scenes: Sola Sobowale.

She more than delivered. She delivered over and above. And made the 25-minute slow-wind completely worth it.

So we think this is going to be a hit, irrespective of its immediate faults. Because Seun Ajayi, the apparent central character, is very likable.

And because Sola Sobowale. She is forever and ever!

YWriter