The aim of this paper is to examine how orthodox judaism is portrayed and represented in popular culture, with a focus on the TV-show Unorthodox. The analysis centers two characters from the series, Esty and Yanky. The method used is narrative analysis with a deductive framework, focusing on the characters’ agency and how it relates to societal structures.

Agency in this study is analyzed through four distinct approaches: resistance agency, empowerment agency, instrumental agency, and compliant agency. The analysis involved a detailed review of each scene to determine the type of agency exhibited by the two characters. Previous research indicates that representations of Jews in popular culture have varied across different time periods. In recent years, however, the portrayal has shifted towards depicting Jews as "cool" and as possessing agency. This analysis yields similar findings, particularly emphasizing that primarily women are depicted as having agency, a trend also noted in earlier studies. Furthermore, this analysis shows that the two characters display different types of agency. The results also show that the tv-show depicts a nuanced portrayal of orthodox judaism.