Turkish shows I watched or tried to this week
Because why not! The good, the bad, and the ugly
Ask ve Ceza (Love and Punishment) - oldie but goodie about a woman who gets pregnant from a one-night stand. On the plus side, her partner in that is hot and also smitten at first sight. On the minus side, he gets married to someone else shortly after, his family is psycho, and the heroine doesn’t want the kid. The chemistry between the leads is great. They also play genuine adults, which is amazing (and the heroine is allowed to be ambivalent about the pregnancy; the only reason she doesn’t go through with the abortion is that she has a medical condition that would make it problematic.) It’s an “old” show and it’s rather startling to see how much more frank and less conservative it is than modern ones. I am on ep 7.
Carpisma (Collision) - I am sort of watching it, because I love the leading actors and the concept of it (four people whose lives intersect in a literal car crash, who unite to take out an evil dude), but the execution is full of holes. Still, Kivanc plus an OTP or two means I won’t ditch it, even though I don’t love it as much as I thought I would. I am on ep 9 (so yes, behind.)
Halka (The Ring) - objectively speaking, this is probably the most solid of all the airing Turkish shows I am watching, but the fact that crime/detective/conspiracy genres are not really my thing, keeps it from being n1 favorite for me. Two men who are connected in complicated fashion trying to infiltrate a crime ring that took out their father (sort of, long story), tough mob girls etc. It’s very good. I have watched 8 eps.
Hercai (Unreliable) - If you have been anywhere near my tumblr in the last few days, you saw my obsession over this. Yes, I realize, this is basically a mix of a Rosemary Rogers opus and a Japanese cellphone novel, and no, I don’t care. The old-fashioned and exotic to me setting, the delicious “he marries her for revenge on her father but falls for her” set-up, the chemistry between the actors, the sheer emo meloness of it all. I love it. Only one ep is out and I have devoured it.
Kalbimin Sultani (Sultan of my Heart) - if you want historical realism or nuanced politics, look elsewhere. If you love a gorgeous fairy tale though, come right in. Our heroine is a young Russian woman who is hired to be the governess to the Sultan’s children, but in reality she is there to spy. Unfortunately, she and the studly Sultan fall in love. Obstacles present themselves (though at least unlike some of the other Turkish heroes, the already-married status is no problem for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.) It really is darling. It was a Russian-Turkish co-production and I am watching the Russian version (with 24 eps of 45 minutes each) because while the Turks ended it early due to ratings, Russian TV ran the entire thing. I am on ep 1.
Kara Sevda (Black Love) - sometimes, I am just in the mood for an exquisitely made and acted tragic love story. The hero of this is a smart, hardworking young man from a poor family. He meets a beautiful rich girl who falls for him and is willing to give up her society friends and wealth to be the wife of a mining engineer in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, a wealthy psycho who is obsessed with her manages to part the two. When the OTP meets again, it’s years later. She is unhappily married to the psycho, he is a rising star in his field, and they never got over each other. Bring on the tissues and the smelling salts. I am on ep 2.
Kardes Cocuklari (Sisters’ Children) - I am hardly the arbiter of highbrow tastes (see my obsession with Hercai), but this is pure soapy trash. Ancient secrets, lots of boring baddies getting too much screen time, romance sidelined due to weird family drama etc all mean I watch it in the background or fast forward through it. Still, there is enough there (mainly Afra, who I really love) to keep me watching. It’s by the writer of Fazilet and you can see a lot of the same issues Fazilet had, but sadly without the addictive obsession that was YagHaz. I am all caught up with this one.
Kuzgun (Raven) - revenge with a dash of romance where our protagonist plans revenge on all who destroyed his family and turned his childhood into hell. That includes his childhood BFF who is now (of course) a stunning blonde. This is somewhat less romantic and more revengy than I wanted, but it’s still a solid, deliciously angsty good time. Five eps are out and I have watched them all.
Samanyolu (The Milky Way) - they are first cousins in love! But she spurns him for an abusive husband! But never fear, that marriage ends and they may get together! Exclamation exclamation exclamation! I am only one ep in, but this is deliciously overwrought. It’s an older, complete show, so I will probably watch at my leisure aka very slowly.
Tek Yurek (United Heart) - it a hockey sports drama with some romance and other stuff thrown in. I liked the first ep, but I frankly don’t have enough time, so I will probably go back to it when my viewing list is shorter.
Vuslat (Reunion) - I tried, I really tried. I made it through five episodes before giving up out of sheer puzzled boredom. I could not follow the plot because it was so disjointed and rambling, most of the characters were unpleasant and boring (that includes the heroine - that actress is neither great at acting nor does she possess much onscreen charisma. Her chemistry with her leading man is nonexistent.) It seems to be doing well enough, but it’s cancelled to me.
Yemin (Promise) - I have found a weekend family kdrama in a Turkish envelope! Our heroine is basically saintly - when we first see her, she is in prayer. She takes care of pigeons and her dead mother’s grave. She is so dutiful she agrees to marry some man she doesn’t know because her elderly “godfather” is dying and it’s his wish. Surprisingly, I love her anyway. But I feel bad she is going to be saddled with her arranged husband, who has little to recommend anyone. Frankly, I am more interested in whatever story will evolve around his very young uncle who is a single father to a mute little girl. He is not only good-looking but a really decent man. I kind of wish he was the one entering the arranged marriage. I am two eps in.
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