In Season 4, Episode 3 of 90 Day Engagement: Another WayMahmoud Elsherbiny introduced himself to the audience.
We have seen and gotten to know Nicole, his wife. Fans aren’t sure what to make of him.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud’s brothers see the 30-year-old fabric store manager as a “spoiled sweetheart.”
But viewers took some primary red flag. Most of them are not even subtle.
Nicole Sherbiny went on a “spiritual tour” of Egypt, where she was spotted beautiful in a cloth shop. She and Mahmoud fall in love and get married.
Subtext showing that they can rush into marriage just so Mahmoud can have sex. In Egypt, she would not be able to stay in a hotel room with him before marriage. But confident there is more to it than that.
Nicole and Mahmoud had clashed, mostly over their objections to her clothes. He never stayed more than two months in Egypt. And not long ago Nicole was planning a divorce.
However, Nicole tried again to get married. He clearly loves Mahmoud.
His parents, Harold and Wanda, came to help. But he has many understandable concerns. He had never met Mahmoud, he could not be there to support Nicole in Egypt.
It didn’t help that he first found out about Nicole’s wedding from a friend, who saw it on social media.
Speaking of which, Nicole reflects on her marriage to Mahmoud. It was strange, and he admitted as much.
Both have an official, legal wedding. However, that was not enough for Mahmoud’s family. To please him, he must marry in the context of Islam.
So, he, as Nicole said, had to crash other people’s weddings to find religious authority to sustain the union.
This prompted Nicole’s parents to ask: does she want to convert to Islam? Yes and no.
The thing is, Nicole has changed, she tells me. He insists that it is not a requirement, but he admires the peace and devotion of Muslims. That’s a normal reason for the first person to want to convert.
Nicole also added that she wants Mahmoud’s future children to grow up in a one-faith home. That is … an unusual concern for most converts. Nicole didn’t explain why.
Later, Nicole admitted to the confessional camera – but apparently not to her parents – that she had some second thoughts.
See, Nicole somehow doesn’t know (literally we don’t know how) that change comes with rules and expectations.
They do not follow Islamic dietary restrictions. And, although head coverings vary according to culture and personal preference for Muslim women in many places, Mahmoud clearly expects them to be “covered”. Even though she had promised not to wear hijab again.
Then, Episode 3 introduces us to Mahmoud live for the first time. Previously, we have seen him only in old photos and on Nicole’s screen.
He is 30 years old. He manages a cloth shop, where he has worked since he was a teenager.
Mahmoud met his wife there. She seems confused by the past conflict, because she disagrees with the idea of how she should dress, and also doesn’t exist.
Mahmoud understood that Nicole was thinking about something very different from him.
It’s interesting, because Nicole also thinks about things very differently from … almost everyone. only some This aspect has to do with him being American. Or not being Egyptian.
So Mahmoud knew that his wife was his own person. He loves her too. But it is not clear what changed her behavior towards him.
Before his wife returned to Egypt, Mahmoud spoke to his brothers. The brothers who consider him almost like the eldest son.
“Mahmoud is the youngest. He is our spoiled love,” one relative told the camera. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend yet.”
He continued: “Nicole’s first experience with women. So, she acted without expertise. She expected a lot in a short time.
One of Mahmoud’s brothers noted that his own wife was from another country. Fatima, he points out, is from China.
Apparently, married life was like a “war” for almost two years until the situation was resolved. That sounds unusual honeymoon period.
But Mahmoud is worried about friction with Nicole. In almost the same breath, he mocked her concern over some sexist double-standard.
Mahmoud openly stated that he found his wife’s arguments ridiculous.
Nicole asks why he can hold her hand if he’s happy that she can’t. Seeing him laughing behind his back was not good.
Then again, here’s a guy who knows he’s constantly fighting about clothes, but he’s still making wardrobe demands. So… Mahmoud’s marriage priorities are interesting.
The brothers said they had a “religious obligation” to “teach” Nicole about Islam.
One surface, which seems to control. But we must remember that Nicole converted to Islam, and they know this.
It is not uncommon for people of faith to offer advice, counseling, and education to newcomers. But Nicole’s situation is quite special.
(Can we talk about how he dresses like a secret assassin? That’s not a criticism, it’s an observation)
Nicole packed her things. Her parents would take the car and maybe some of her belongings back home on the long drive.
He doesn’t live in LA anymore. He gave up his apartment, jumped on a plane, and went to Mahmoud. Even after admitting to his parents that he was “freaking out” and didn’t want to go back to Egypt.
At the airport, Nicole and Mahmoud greeted each other with a hug. He wasn’t sure if the view would be acceptable.
PDA is very unusual in Egypt, but (straight) tourists will attract less attention than Egyptian locals. Mahmoud explains that hugging at the airport between husband and wife is not a good idea, although Nicole is not convinced.
Kissing is always another matter. And, in Mahmoud’s eyes, so was Nicole’s dress.
Even though Nicole is dressed in an aesthetic that can only be described as “Elevated Nun Couture,” this still isn’t enough for Mahmoud.
She felt that her outfit (long sleeves, pants, and turtleneck blouse) looked too good without the jacket closed.
Mahmoud couldn’t even leave the airport without “fixing” Nicole’s clothes. This is not a promising sign.