Kan Cicekleri 200

 Episode 200 Hubba Hubba

Quick synopsis: Baran sets the mood. Another set of newlyweds. A chat with Huma.

Sabiha is 99% sure Dilan is her daughter. She visits the Demirs.

Dilan and Baran are getting dressed up, stepping out... Oh. No they aren't. They are staying in. She is wearing a white, wedding-like dress and a red wedding-like scarf tied in her hair. His face goes slack when he sees her. He is still in the Mardinesque white shirt and vest, sleeves rolled up. (Forearms.) More pewter cups. 

I like this fancy place.

It gets very lovey dovey and hand squeezy over dinner.

Firat and Gul look at themselves in the big foyer mirror when they get home. They're so darn cute. 

Azade-doom is berating Kader in the kitchen. Spare the rod....yadda yadda. Even as she watches Kader clutch her heart and the camera goes wonky to show a fainting spell coming on. And she goes down. Azade looks unconvinced.

When dinner's over Baran pulls up a new song on his phone. He takes down her hair, running his fingers through it. Then he pulls her against him for a minute, spins her around. Very close, very slow dancing ensues. There are candles and smiles, spins and cheeks pressed together, face caressing. Even Dilan, who scrapes her fingers through his beard.

The man knows how to set a mood.

She's got her hand on his neck, more comfortable, bolder now. 

A dip as they dance. 

They walk to the bed. Hands on her waist, pulls her in tight up against him. 

The camera goes fuzzy.

This is it, right? This has got to be the honeymoon night. They'll have kissed, done all the things married couples do. There's no more speculation. The fuzzy camera makes that clear. Weirdly.

Morning after, curled against each other. In PJs. (Family show, remember?)

But I do think they actually slept together. I'm sure we didn't get that wrong.

When she asks if he slept, she gets a tiny teeth-suck in return. Particularly when she goes to roll away out of bed and he grabs her back like a yo-yo and says, "come here" before the camera goes fuzzy again. 

They are GIGG-ly.

Whew! Kader is ok. Ish. Azade-doom feels a little ashamed. Enough to snap at Hasan when he asks if she said anything to upset Kader. Enough to mutter 'get well soon'. And look sheepish.

Kudret takes charge. No more work today; go rest. Firat approves. He's got a stake in the situation now, remember. That's his mother-in-law they're talking about.

Azade apologizes.(!) It's whispered, and to her back, but it's heard.

There's a lot more honeymoon face caressing--from Dilan now, who revels in it--and all the little intricacies they know about each other, calling each other husband and wife. Oooh, and there's grabbing of biceps. 

Well yah, that seems a given.

I'm glad they get the full marriage and honeymoon they will remember, a truly cherished, magical time that will blot out the disaster the actual wedding night turned out to be. This is soooo good. I think we needed it too.

OMG. Azade is on the war path again. Lady, you just gave someone you care about an almost heart attack. Lay off already. Take a breather.

Sabiha decides not to talk to Hanife. Given her disposition, she'd never tell her the truth anyway.

Boy, she got that right.

Except she does approach her. Just not confront her.

When the honeymooners are done shopping, Baran has other ideas. He wraps his arms around her from behind, hugging her tightly. When she turns around, he lays a prolonged kiss on her forehead. When he looks at her, she starts to get antsy and makes an excuse to walk away. But he won't let go of her hand. And pulls her back to him. Amusedly, he tells her she's running away again. She sheepishly puts a finger to her lips, unable to say words, a silent plea to just give her a moment. Finger to lips, a little nod of acknowledgment, a giggly smile and she takes off again.*

Azade-doom gets after Gul. But Gul--oh there's ma girl!--she calls her back into the kitchen, stoney-faced and without pause. Do whatever you want to me, but you don't go near my mom. She calls her on that BS and reminds her of Kader's unwavering service. Oh! And her bad decision and thoughtlessness in going after Kader like she did.  Azade leaves the room chastised and looking a little ashamed. Gul's point is that she (Azade) did this to someone (Kader) whom she actually cares for. It's brilliant. It calls the Karabey pride into question. They are the family that takes care of people. Azade is supposed to be better than this.

Firat overhears and nods, smiling.**

The honeymooners are heading back. They'll talk iwth the woman who knew Esra. This was all to kill some time, remember? A trip to get away from everything and needing to wait. 

Sabiha is having coffee with Hanife and Cevriye. They are looking through old photo albums. One photo in particular stops her cold. It's her husband, Dilan's father. The caption on the back said he owes Seyit his life. 

This is about as confirming as it gets, folks.

Gul and Firat steal a moment alone. Married, but still always this strife. The marriage will stay secret a little while longer. 

The old woman, Huma, confirms what they found out about Dilan's mom being framed, her family issuing a death warrant (criminiy), but it was hearing that her child died that almost did her in. 

Poor Sabiha.

Yes, she then went to Istanbul. Became a janitor at a private hospital, always hid her address to stay safe. But she bought Huma a house. And paid for her son's education. She must be rich now. (This seems like the kind of thing that Baran could use to find out more. He's good at digging into hidden purchases and alt finances. Or, Kerem was at least. sigh.)

I mean, hospital...rich lady...Istanbul...this should start something in their brains firing. 

The last Huma heard from her was last December. She was crying on the phone, had a big problem.  (Like maybe her adopted daughter Gulsah died? Or the dude she was fake dating named Baran was getting married to someone else?)

I bet this December phone call comes back into play later.

Yelling at the tv:
*I wonder if some of the reticence of Dilan coming across as being shy stems from not having received much love as a child. Not the unconditional, unabashed kind anyway.  Not like Baran obviously witnessed from his parents. And now there's this man who tells her not to look away, gives her compliments, tells her how important she is to him. Someone she knows would not say these things unless he was absolutely sure of them himself, whose word she has come to know, who says what he means. Maybe it isn't innocence per se, but being overwhelmed with the directness with which he loves her and tells her. The man is poetic, but not subtle.

**This will be a good stepping stone for Gul. She gains some ground by pointing out this flaw in Azade specifically because she understands what the Karabey name means (compassion, justice, care for their family).

1 Hagia Sofia chanted, and, in a nod to the honeymoon, 5 Mardin Forts chanted.

Culturisms:

Telkari is an elegant technique for jewelry, so says Dilan. I'll be looking that up.

Teaser 201:

Dilan is sorrowful over her small box of mementos, all that she has of her life. Baran reminds her they have a whole future to look forward to. They'll fill that box right up.

Kan Cicekleri 199

 Episode 199 Marriage And Honeymoon

Quick synopsis: A trip to Mardin. Somebody gets married. A singing finale.

The knock comes again from outside their hotel room. Baran looks daggers at the door as Dilan pulls away. A heavy, resigned sigh, and then he looks forlornly after her as she moves across the room. She actually escapes to the bathroom and he answers the door. The look he gives the poor hotel clerk. Oof. Like Amy Winehouse says, he could "Tear men down like Roger Moore" right now. Dilan is excited, if feeling overwhelmed. She's pretty smiley. 

Right! Gul's engagement ring fell out of her purse, onto the floor, right behind Azade-doom. Step on it Gul! Something! Cover it up. Firat walks in just as she turns around and puts himself between Gul and her doom. 

(See what I did there?)

Plus, the little squint and nod that he gives her on the way out is absolutely adorable.

I'm loving child-like Firat in love.

Baran and Dilan are both glancing and smiling during dinner, though Dilan just picks at her food. Uh-oh...and they both reach for the salt at the same time... She pulls away and just when I think he's going to hand it to her like he's done in the past, he salts her food.

Wha-?

Anyway.

Some more eating and then he gets up and goes around behind her to bend down and ask in her ear if she wants dessert.

I'm pretty sure that 's an innuendo.

Dilan gets panicky again and jumps up. No, she's tired. She'll go to bed.

Baran stalks. You know what I'm talking about. It's a very deliberate stepping, almost as if he's leading with his hips, like when he puts his hands in his pockets and leads with them and his shoulders. He's challenging these fears she has, countering her arguments. And he gets a to tip his head, a questioning look.

She immediately feels chagrined and almost turns around to tell him, but ultimately doesn't. 

Firat and Gul share (literally) a cup of coffee. 

OMG y'all. Firat is the cutest.

Baran is doing a lot of leaning down on her chair tonight. Dilan continues her ruse with a false yawn and a sidelong look like, whelp, here we go.

Baran is perpetually amused by this reticence. I think for the physical stuff, but also because she refuses to talk to him about it. The whole scene is painful and hilarious. 

She walks away from the vanity toward the bed but Baran stalks again, pulling on her arm to twist her around to face him. Just looking at his wife, that's all. She says goodnight and lays down.

He is smiling as he walks toward it too, amused.

And y'all, she's literally hiding under the covers.

He shakes his head in amusement. 

Holy Frick: he turns out the light. For the first time in, like, almost 200 episodes. 

As he reaches over to turn out the light on her side of the bed, she freaks out. What's she scared of, he asks?

She almost tells him. Or maybe isn't exactly sure, I think she might want to just sit with the new closeness for a bit, enjoying the newness of it to herself, this man she loves, loving her, and now openly wanting her too.*

She is still under the covers, but she is smiling to herself too.

But in the morning we are still doing the pretend-you-are-asleep thing.

And he knows she's faking. Ha!

Sabiha gets DNA results. None of the kids' are a match to hers. The children buried where Hikmet told her aren't her daughter. Now she's got a mission.

Cevahir is back at the mansion.

Is Gul going to be able to leave to go to the courthouse?

Dilan and Baran have an interesting conversation at breakfast. She has remarked before how getting to know someone's childhood brings you closer to them. Particularly in a marriage. And especially seeing and visiting the places. It's a very vulnerable part of themselves they share with you. And for DIlan, who feels like she lost her family, is missing a piece of her childhood, and is now being accepted by a new family, with deep ties in an old town, not to mention the man who is helping her find her mom... It's like a magic spell. A bit like a fairytale. A dark prince, a lost princess, a love that brings them together. 

I mean, remember when he didn't want the family back in Mardin to even know about her? Complete opposite now.

Now Sabiha is at the mansion too. Kudret and Cevahir sign off on the contract.

Ooooh! Now the lovebirds are side by side at the breakfast table. He's got his arm around her shoulders. It's lovely to see them both delighting in each other, cherishing their new closeness.

Cevahir is smarmy. But he's leaving. Dilan isn't home so Sabiha is taking off too. Gul gets away! Firat is waiting, And off they go, after he calls her Gul Karabey. Squee!

Sabiha calls Cevahir out. Like, form the doorway as he's crossing the drive. She struts forward and has some things to say to that man. His only aim? To see if he could infiltrate the Karabey family. Havin and Sabiha are not impressed. 

Hanife bought a gun. Lordy. She's really stuck on this Karabeys-will-enact-vengeance kick.

Dilan and Baran stroll hand in hand through the market. She takes teeny bites of a sample pastry. He brushes crumbs from her lips with his thumb. They hold parasols. (Is that a tourist thing in coastal Turkey?) Selfie in front of a mural.** She cuddles up to him. He takes her face in his hands and she...takes his in hers hands! She's a little bolder having told him she wants to know him better, know everything about him. He's bought her another scarf. This one has little coins dangling from the edges. He knows how to tie it in the traditional style. There's a musician playing in a square. They nod to each other; they'll dance.

It's the same dance as the wedding dance.

They get to mend the rift, do that dance over, in Mardin, with her in a Mardin head scarf, after having spent the day immersed in a personal old world paradise. Complete with hand slap to the ground (the Mardin ground), hand to the heart, to the mouth, to the head. Then hand to her. The complete dance, her tucked up against him. The people gather around, and he kisses her forehead when they are done.

Firat bought Gul a veil when she wasn't looking on their shopping spree. 

Hasan's man in Mardin tells him Baran and Dilan are walking and shopping, nothing else. 

He's so wrong.

They did it! Firat and Gul are married!! Cihan was the best man. Firat is unstoppable when his eyes are smiling.

Baran and Dilan watch the sunset from a hillside. It's a local legendary spot. Star crossed lovers would come and yell what was in their hearts. The words never disappeared, just echoed off the hills. Dilan points out that this means they are surrounded by love stories. Their story should be there too. She spreads her arms wide and yells "I love you, Baran Karabey!". He yells it too, that he loves her, and then they stand, clasped together on the hillside in the setting sun. And Baran...sings?!

Hold. the. phone.

OMG Dude can sing? Ok, this old world fairytale is complete.

No, it's not, because now she's singing too! 

Officially this is the love episode. Official honeymoon.

This is a happy, souls-bared, couple.

Culturisms:

Dilan and Baran's room service set includes pewter like teacups. Interesting. Is this high end cutlery in Turkey? I like it. It looks like treasure.

*Ok, for as much as I'm always going on about 'how have they not kissed' I do have to say, even aside from this being one of the points of dizi, it's one of the things I like about his show. There's not a jump to physical stuff. Options are nice. 

And as much as I like that part, there are also some really disturbing things too, very centric things, that I could do without. Like him salting her food. It's a cultural thing, I know, and I accept that as much as the not kissing thing. But the pervasive husband-knows-best undercurrent, even when she's asserting herself and proven to be right, is something I cannot get behind. 

 But once you've accepted the vendetta bride as your plot premise, in for a pound I guess.

One last thing: I do actually quite like this push back that she does to assert herself, and is proven right so many times, to undermine that stereotype that he is the last word. I suppose this could also be a trope, but it makes the show palatable to a more feminist audience.

Yelling at the tv:
**I think they walk past a chalk drawing of the Elvish gate at Kazakdum on a wall. #Azade-doom.

Teaser 200:

Dilan is in a wedding dress. Baran closes the door. They have room service again. A new song. Some disrobing. Honeymoon episode part 2. The man knows how to set a mood.

Kan Cicekleri 198

 Episode 198 Honeymoon-esque

Quick synopsis: Kudret gives Kudos. A trip to Mardin. Wedding vows.

Dilan now has a photo of her and her mom together. Her mom's profile is obscured but it shows the 2 halves of the medallion, one on each of them. She has been worried what kind of person her mom is. The photo shows them holding hands, smiling at one another. She obviously loved Dilan very much. 

Silah tried to strong arm Gul but she told him to knock it off. She's marrying Firat, not him. Firat, who is now puffed up with pride, has the grounds to tell Silah to get lost, and stay lost. 

And Gul didn't say it just to get rid of Silah. She meant it. Firat whoops and swings her around. It's good to see them happy.

Havin has exhumed samples from 2 graves of orphans, possible matches for Sabiha's daughter. But she hopes they aren't. (We know they aren't.)

I guess exhumation is easier in shows in Turkey. #nobiggie.

Cevriye is having a delicate pregnancy. She needs to take it easy. As in, not move-to-a-different-country kind of easy. They aren't going anywhere. I hope her trouble is just a plot device and not actual plot. That would suck.

Baran and Sabiha agree, in different soliloquies, that once Dilan finds her mom, they'll never be parted again. It's like a new start for the lovebirds, with him, with his family, her mom...they will finally be in a happier state, no more missing pieces.

Ooooh, Cevahir is at the mansion. It's for a meeting they planned on, but it's still a significant moment, to see him walk around the corner; the snake is in their house. But there's him against 4 Karabeys--3 if you count Hasan as siding with Cevahir, which he'd likely do. What can Cevahir possibly do to them?

Firat brings up a possible hitch in the contract. Cevahir stares at Hasan like he's trying to activate him. Which I guess works, because then Hasan bugs his eyes out at Firat like, c'mon man! Firat only looks to his uncle, being on the upstanding side of things now.

Kudret agress. Best to get the lawyers involved. Cevahir plays it off. They're right. His lawyers were trying to be pragmatic and didn't realize it was business with friends.

He's so slippery the way he turns it around.

In fact, he insists they should draw up a new contract, scrap this one. Kudret agrees. He also sees Firat sneak a wink to Gul (isn't she proud of him?!) and that makes him really smile. Firat gets kudos for his insight.

Dilan is a hot mess. Baran proposes a quick getaway for the couple days they need to wait for the woman who raised her mom to return. Where to? Dilan confesses that, in her dreams, while she was kidnapped, she used to reunite with him in Mardin.

He had the same dream. We saw it, him running through the ancient streets, trying to catch her.

Positively cosmic, these two.*

And they are leaving right now! Gul will get them packed and have their bags sent on. 

Cevahir and his glare seem to be quite forgiving of Firat finding the mistake.

Azade is still giving Gul grief. Which makes Gul worry. If Azade can't get over Dilan and Baran, how does that bode for her and Firat? 

Firat lets Cihan in on their plans to elope. 

Azade-doom continues down the war path. Cihan steps in. He needs Gul to run an errand. It's her excuse to get out and meet Firat. Azade can't refuse her golden boy. She tries though.

They are flying to Mardin. 

Mardin is not the small village we've been led to believe it is. 

I smell a honeymoon about to happen. 

The hotel is paradise.

Firat sneaks up on Gul as she's walking to meet him. He's so smooth. It's adorable. He looks about 12 years old when he smiles.

Baran is in full-on charmer mode. He knew this trip was what she needed because he knows her. Everything about her, he knows in his heart. 

What does she want to do first? See all the places he went as a kid. All the spaces where he grew up. It's a lot. Is she sure? Oh, she's sure: hands in his lapels, gazing up at the man she loves, not looking away. She's sure.

He really is going to lean in, he really is...the phone rings. When he rolls his eyes, he almost looks right at the camera. 

We know B. We know.

He is looking very Old World in his shirt sleeves and vest, no jacket. Dilan is grinning like mad. They're so happy! Have we ever seen them this happy? Maybe right before the wedding? At one point she is riding a horse through the streets, led by Baran. (Because he was afraid she'd get tired?) They end their tour lounging under a canopy. It's just like a fairytale.

Which are the next words out of their mouths!

If I had just waited 2 seconds...

She loves the city where he grew up, the city he loves. It's a final piece of their puzzle fitting into place.

Hasan is having them followed in Mardin. Hasan, you rat.

Gul and Firat are going through the paperwork they need. Like a health certificate "and lung x-ray". Wha-?** Firat is right: this prep feels like army level discipline. 

He dutifully contradicts her when she says her passport photo is ugly, with a, "Who? You?!" exclamation of disbelief. So adorbs.

He has a ring,

The same ring. From before. He couldn't throw it out. 

I love these two..

Firat continues to be adorable. What's to worry about? he asks. We already did the hard part, making you forgive me. 

I have to say, I'm not one for smarmy puppy love stuff, but as close as this is to that, it's pretty darn cute. I love this new Firat. I suppose it's in direct contrast to how he was raised, to see this upbeat, smiling, child-like optimism. Yes please!

They almost kiss. Firat smiles as she leaves. His eyes just shine when he smiles. He's so smitten.

Baran and DIlan are back in their room and she looks pensive. Her shoes are hurting her feet.  They're super cute patent leather Mary Janes, but the heel on them... Woof! Who wears those for sightseeing? D, c'mon. Baran gets cream to put on her foot. I think this is the most intimate touching he's done. She can barely stand it. In fact, she's antsy. Almost panicky. She has a bath and Baran gets room service. 

At bedtime, Dilan is braiding her hair. He gives her a present of a fancy handheld mirror. (I knew this was a Beauty and The Beast vibe! Dude gave her a mirror for crying out loud.)

In her ear, he says it's not more beautiful than her.*** She starts having heart palpitations again. 

The mirror shows her that she couldn't get the braid right in the back. 

(Holy frick. Does Baran know how to braid hair too?!?)

Maybe, but what he actually does is undo the plait with two fingers--far more sensual, to be sure--running the fingers through her hair. Then takes her hand and pulls her up, swinging her around in front of him.

"Leave it down." Then runs his fingers along it from her head down, as it falls along her neck, then ribs, skirting her dressing gown, and rests his hand on her waist. Pulls her close with a deliberate tug.

This is some Sultan level shit right here.****

And you know Baran. He's just watching her the whole time.

And now I'm having heart palpitations. The man knows a slow seduction.

Azade is aware Hasan is having them followed. She's there when he gets the report. In fact, she directs him to keep it up. Then she goes into the kitchen to boss Gul around. Gul had put the ring in her purse, but in her haste she accidentally knocks it over. The purse falls to the floor, the ring tumbling out behind Azade-doom's back.

Baran moves his hand to her lower back. Pulls her even closer. It's agonizingly deliberate. The intention is clear. There's no farce, no oops button, no extenuating circumstances. He wants to feel his wife against him. He leans just a hair's breadth more down. 

There must have been a knock at the door because she asks, trembling, if he heard the door. 
He doesn't move. Yes, he heard it.

Are they going to answer?

A small teeth-suck. (The absolutel best response.)*****

Ever so much closer. He's millimeters away now. Her eyes are closed. I think she's resolved to let it happen. 

The show ends there.

Well played, gang. Well played. 

Yelling at the tv:

*There's going to be some symbolism forthcoming with this trip to Mardin. I can feel it.

***While this is very romantic, I don't get these comparisons. A person's beauty compared to a thing. I guess it's typical, but to be called more beautiful than a mirror is weird. Less like comparing to a sunset, for example. Plus, the mirror is literally her reflection so it's almost like calling her not more beautiful than herself. Anyway.

*****Kudos to whomever wrote that tiny teeth-suck in place of a 'No, we're not opening the door." It was absolute perfection as a response. And it couldn't have happened--I'd have never recognized it for what it was--would never have known how perfect that simple response could be if you hadn't brought me along this far.

Culturisms:
**LungX-ray!?! Holy moly, that seems extreme.
****In my head, Sultans and their surroundings have taken on the same level of prominence as Arthurian knights, but with a middle eastern aura. Like an answer to the western fairy tale kings, but with their own brand of magic, power, intensity, and intoxicating romance.

Teaser 199:

Breakfast. Deeper connection.

Kan Cicekleri 197

Episode 197 Chasing Down Leads

Quick synopsis: Meetings with people who have info. Gul makes a declaration. All the staring.

Baran is asleep but Dilan is tossing and turning. She is too excited. They are going to meet her uncle later. Baran wakes up and decides he will take her out to breakfast after they watch the sunrise, to distract her.

Sabiha is still reeling from finding out Dilan is probably her missing daughter. Her hair is all the way down; mother vs. business woman, mother like daughter. I kind of feel bad for Havin. She's been with Sabiha all this time and never gets similar attention. She doesn't seem to mind though. 

Baran is a little rumpled and frowny from sleep. Dilan is scared that maybe her mom won't want her after all this time. Or wonders what kind of person she is. If she won't live up to her dreams of her. More pep talking. He's her sanctuary, she tells him. And he loves it. There's more sweet talking at breakfast, and a new development, something that I think will propel them forward a little. They are doing the usual compliments, professing love for each other, and Dilan gets nervous and looks away. Baran puts a hand on her arm and says, "Don't be shy. Don't look away." And it's encouragement as much as an invitation.

I've thought about this. All the times they just stare at each other. I mean, how long do you look at someone before you either move in or look away, right? And he's just staring at her, unphased. Maybe it's the ease with which he maintains eye contact that is so unsettling? Is this an Eastern thing? Turkish thing? Gangster boss thing?*

I'm curious, if they just keep staring at one another, how long does that last? Both in the immediate, and also as a phase of getting closer? Will we have another 50 episodes of the staring in comfort (unlike the earlier staring of longing and challenge)?

Maybe she looks away because it feels like a trespass, and for him, he was raised with parents who did this to express their love and it feels natural to him.

Anyway, then they almost kiss at sunrise. 

No for real!

She heeds his encouragement for a brief moment, and leans in, like really leans in. He's so patient, leaning even slower than she does. So patient.

She loses her nerve at the last moment (not new) and he just tucks her in close, tucking their blanket around them. 
It's cute though, she actually tried to pucker up. And they try again--he just waits for her--but in the end it's only more love talk. Which is good too.

Azade-doom wants to know where they ran off to so early. She's so nosey. Kudret tells her, "Leave them kids alone". Pink Floyd’s got nothing on him. Hasan tries to wind her up and she shuts him down.

Baran wants her to finish her breakfast sandwich before they go meet her uncle. It's a very big sandwich.

Firat wants to elope; Gul wants to wait for approval. I'm uncertain what Kudret would tell them to do, as much as he's coached him on not causing more troubles for Gul. He was also the instigator of the get-her-away-from-all-this plot, so...elope? I think? And Firat has a point: It's not like there aren't going to be problems waiting in line for them anyway. And he's really rededicated himself to her. He's in for the long haul. I approve.

Hanife and Cevriye are still plotting to leave. 

Dilan is a bundle of nerves. Her earrings are pretty neat in this scene. They decide they won't say who Dilan is when her uncle comes. Best not to alert any family just now. Especially if Baran's theory about Esra trying to disappear is correct. They want to find her first, not someone who still wishes her ill. 

Azade is such a bee-atch.Gul is mopping and she deliberately dumps her coffee out. Twice. Then stomps on the mop. She is a siamese cat from Lady and the Tramp. Kader sees all this but can do nothing.

Dilan's uncle is skeptical; Baran is a big boss but Ezra’s family has disowned her.** They don't know of her whereabouts. He'll say no more. 

There's the worry that Baran's extended family will find out she's adopted, but also, now they know her father is tied to his mother's death and father's shooting. The ripples of a search into Hikmet's widow could touch upon other hidden dangers. And if Dilan's mom is disowned, they might try to actively keep Dilan from dredging up the past for them. 

Kader is convinced Gul can never be a Karabey while Azade-doom is alive.

Well. There's a thought…

No, I'm just kidding. She does more to hurt herself than anyone else ever could.

Havin is getting some old files that will help Sabiha know for sure her Dilan is one of the orphans buried in a cemetery. Or not. Hikmet said she was dead. Without her dad, and her mom estranged, she'd be an orphan, buried in one of only a few places.

Ahmet! Kader gets an Ahmet visit. Those mages, they gotta stick together. Gul is listening too.

Ooooohhhh. Ahmet says karma is gonna get her, Azade-doom. People get what's coming to them. 

What'd I say? Hmm?

Her black heart will be her undoing. Me and Ahmet, we're like this. 

As active advice, it's not really helpful. But it is consoling.

Kuderet has found out that Cevahir's African companies are clean. (What?! No way.) He sets up a meeting to discuss his proposal. Cevahir is pleased. He smiles like a vampire, really relishing his teeth and probably wishing he had actual fangs.

Azade won't let up. She's as bad as Lady Tremaine with her Cinderella-ing. 

Now DIlan is doing the staring. Not as intensely, but all the while thinking of how wonderful Baran is. When he asks about it, she says nothing and he does it again,"Don't say that." An encouragement and invitation, just like before. Say the thing. She does and he brings her hand to his mouth for a kiss across her fingers. 

The man is intense.

She confesses that even when she was with Sabiha she always thought about him. He says ditto. More staring. 

One of Baran's guys found out Esra's story. It's a bit long. They'll meet up. 

Sabiha is going to have the three orphans buried in the cemetery exhumed for DNA testing. 

Rich people, ammiright?

Dilan's mom had a whole crazy past herself, akin to anything we've seen thus far:
Married Hikmet; had a daughter. But some other guy was after Esra and slandered her.*** Hikmet took the daughter and left. His family put out a death warrant on her. (She's from Mardin too, so gangster.) She fled to Istanbul in search of her daughter. 

Zowie.

Another day, another person to talk to: the woman who raised Esra is in the old village. 

Silah has turned into a bit of a jerk. I wondered if he would. Sure, Gul broke off the engagement but he's being very controlling and pushing her around physically. Firat sees this and headbutts him. Gul pulls them apart and yells, "I'm marrying Firat, not you!"

News flash for Firat.

She was troubled between Firat wanting to elope, Azade-doom being vindictive, and her mom just being sorrowful for her, but this aggression from Silah seems to have cemented her resolve.

The old woman in the village isn't there. But someone else remembers her, calls Dilan by name. And gives Dilan a photo of her mom. Esra's hair covers most of her face in profile. 

 Culturisms:
*I feel like maybe there's a piece of Middle Eastern culture I haven't grown up with either, like a sultan gazing upon his love. Knights are known to do similar things in courtly love, but it's from afar. There's never this idea of languid, lounging love, a slow burn in close proximity. 

To recap: all the staring.

** The conversation with her uncle, short as it is, has a very call and response feel to it, like the "you're right, and" argument strategy. The uncle says things like "I respect you, but" and "Your wish is my command, however". It feels like Marie De France's Art of Courtly Love, where she directs how to refuse if you are noble and your partner is middle class. Or in this case, the partner is noble and you are not. Or maybe Machiavelli with his similar instruction. 

Yelling at the tv:

*** OMG! Was it Hasan?!? Is that where his crush for Sabiha comes from? But he doesn't recognize her now? It would be just like him to slander a woman for spite.

In a similar way to Dilan being Baran’s freedom from his prison of revenge, he is now a freeing force for her. At a time when she loses her family and is looking for another, she relies heavily on this found family, Baran being the focal point of it.  

Zippo Hagia Sophias chanted.

Teaser 198: They are in a new bedroom. Gul packed for Dilan. They are staying in Mardin for a little while. Ooh la la.

Kan Cickleri 196

 Episode 196 The Search Continues

Quick synopsis: Some new leads. Firat has a secret plan. Haters gonna hate.

Sabhia has brought the bracelet to Dilan. Is it hers? Yes. Her mom gave it to her. Baran is watching Sabiha closely. She gasps when Dilan says "mom".  Name, age, bracelet...all the same as her daughter. She almost faints. After she leaves, Dilan tells Baran that she's had the bracelet as long as she can remember. And Hanife didn't give it to her, so she knows it must have come from her real mum. She remembers losing it in the stable and seeing Baran there. And she knows her mom told her it would ward off evil, so she never takes it off.

These seem like solid clues. If I were a betting person, I'd expect Baran is filing these details away. And if they ever come out for Sabiha to hear...well, then that's a done deal. Mom found.

Baran tells his grandma, in front of Kader and Gul, that no one can force Gul to do anything she doesn't want to do. And that's final.

Nice touch, B.

Dilan pulls out her 1/2 medallion. Another tangible clue. They will go to her family and ask them about these things.

Baran wants to run some background on Cevahir (good thinking!) before agreeing to his proposal about expanding with the Swiss company. Kudret will check him out. Hasan is listening on the patio. He calls Cevahir but gets his 2nd in command instead. Hasan is officially 2nd string. He smooths his hair in the foyer mirror to make up for it. Cihan doesn't help, telling him he has a retro look. He assumes that's a compliment. Burt Reynolds gets mentioned. (!)

I think the writers are just having fun now.

They go to Dilan's family's house. Will they lie to her again? Or will she get more info on her mom? Will Baran pull a gun again? No joke.

He won't. He could...but he won't. More like he won't need to; he's got Dilan. As witnessed, she's the only firepower they need.

Hanife, of course, assumes the worst and freaks out.

Dilan doesn't waiver. Baran is perfect as hired muscle. Seyit takes a step toward her and Baran glances down and back up like, 'nuh-uh Buddy".

The tale of her mom giving the 1/2 medallion to Seyit for her wedding is false. It came from her father so long ago. But, she has one 1/2 and her mom has the other. Which we know, but they didn't. Baran is thoughtful upon hearing this.

And Dilan wants her childhood photos please.

Azade-doom has stuff to say. Absolutely no one is surprised. Except maybe about this part: She's not going to listen to even Baran about Gul. She'll do as she pleases. Firat gets pulled in too. Ohhhhh, she's nasty.

And doesn't even drink the coffee she made Gul bring. Honorable Rat mention.

Gul is fed up, just as Firat is finding courage. Ditto Dilan. Baran keeps pep-talking. They look through the photos. She was a cute kid. Baran gets good news: Someone who knew her mom is on their way there. Big hug. The lady brings a scarf her mom knitted for her that got left behind.

(Sabiha is crying over the matching hat at her house.)

They also find out that her mom used to hang out in Mardin, Baran's hometown.*

Firat proposes they marry in secret. And he does it in such a sweet way--nonchalant, matter-of-fact, easy peasy. And when Gul asks, For realz? He says. Of course, now come in for a hug. It's adorbs.

More pep talk for Dilan, more forehead kisses, lots of tucking her into his side.

Hanife stirs up trouble with Cevriye. Like, let's-move-anyway trouble.

Baran has struck on a thought: this finding no trace of Esra, it's like she's trying to erase any traces. Like she's on the run.

Kudret calls relatives in Mardin. Nada. But some of her extended family contact info is coming. They find an uncle! Esra never left Istanbul, but that's all they know. This wins Baran another kiss on his cheek. He's such a happy camper. 

They will meet the uncle tomorrow.

Yelling at the tv:

*I bet they totally knew each other as kids. Or played together, or something.

Their back bedroom hallway is lit blue now. Curious.

The end scene is one of them hugging and happy. It's no cliffhanger, and a little weird, but kind of nice for a change.

0 Hagia Sophias chanted.

Teaser 197:

They meet the uncle. He's not especially helpful. Even Baran's reputation won't budge him. Baran is a little fuzzy from the wind. They need to keep their search a secret because: adoption + vendetta = chaos.

Kan Cicekleri 195

 Episode 195 Is Gul Ok?

Quick synopsis: Firat's plan thwarted. Gul is stressed out. We see BenevolentBaran.

They are ready to knock on a door. Dilan stops him at the last second. He kisses her palm for reassurance. They knock. The woman who answers looks a little like Dilan. 

Gul is still MIA. 

Oh, but so is Firat.

He plans to make off with her.* But as he rounds the hedgerow, she is laying on the cobblestone drive. Kader is looking for her and comes running up too. Gul passed out on the driveway was not part of his plan. Firat rounds the corner with Gul in his arms just as Silah's family is leaving. Silah tries to take her but Firat pushes past with a muttered, "The engagement? Can't you see what's happening man?!" Kudret rushes them off.

Sabiha has pieced together who was in her van to drop the bracelet and what it means.

The door they knocked on was Esra Yilmaz's house, but the wrong Esra. I feel like maybe all Okan did was look in the phone book. They hear about Gul and rush home. The doctor (a woman) confirms Gul's collapse was stress related. Has she been through anything dramatic recently?

Shared looks; Kinda.

No more stress for Gul. Doctor's orders.

Hasan immediately starts talking smack, saying it's all a trick to get out of the engagement. Kudret stomps out that theory. Even Cihan is fed up. The doctor says she will be fine though. She gives Firat instructions and the prescription. He's in charge evidently. When Baran and Dilan get there, Baran starts in on him. What did he do now? Kudret takes control of the situation and explains. Firat's place has definitely been upgraded. Hasan and Azade aren't invited into the study where he lays it all out. They make plans on their own. 

Kader has changed her tune too. She laments not heeding Dilan's advice to let Gul follow her heart. That will change from now on too. Firat literally takes responsibility for all the trouble he's caused, Gul fainting included. Dilan gives him hope. Do this, follow this path only if you plan to follow through and have the courage to stick it out. 

Baran didn't know about Silah and his parents making the visit to ask for Gul's hand. He wants them to figure this crap out. Kudret is all 'slow your roll there, Baran'. You and Dilan didn't take the quick path either. And anyway, they've got this. Focus on Dilan's mom. 

Baba, you're the best.

Dilan voices her concern to Baran, that someone is forcing Gul to marry. He asks who can do such a thing. 

Gee, I don't know...the hyper prejudiced lady who terrorized Dilan for months, including burning her suitcase full of her only belongings? I know there's a lot he doesn't know about that time period, but he does know about that. There's a few things that haven't been on Baran's radar apparently. 

Okan sends a photo of her father, Hikmet. As happy as she is to have a face to the name, now she also has a face to the man that separated their family.  Baran comes up behind and puts his arms around her, covering her hands with his. They rest their heads together, turning to almost kiss. 

Kader has forgiven Gul. Firat is all in. Azade-doom is talking smack. Firat will have none of it. Leave them alone grandma. And of course, to her, it's 'challenge accepted'.

The photo of her bio dad makes Dilan wonder, does she look like him or her mom? She compares her reflection to the photo. Baran thinks she probably favors her mother. After all, that's where beauty comes from, right? A little sexist, but he's smitten and wants her to be happy. 

Dilan gives Gul the same advice she gave Firat. It's hard, but the difference now is that she's got people in her corner. Dilan, for one. 

The next morning, there's more intimate hair brushing.** Baran tries to make a move again, telling her how lucky he is to have such a magnificent, beautiful, etc. etc. wife. She's still shy though, and says thank you (again).*** And bolts to check on Gul. He narrows his eyes as her hair slips through his fingers on her way past him and I think he's remembering that one, disastrous time she also said thank you. And what it meant. How she couldn't put her feelings into words and froze. Like, if he walked up to her unbuttoning his vest as he came, she'd probably faint dead away. 

Well, really, who wouldn't?

Hanife is still on a bender about leaving. I swear, she and Azade-doom are peas in a pod.  Seyit finally says, enough. They’ll stay and help Dilan build her future. 

1. The Karabey boys talk business: the Sabiha file, why Derya took the fall for more than she actually did, bodyguards, Sabiha and Firat, Sbiha and Cevahir, Sabiha's past.

2. Cevahir wants to know why Sabiha seems distracted. Hasan breaks up their happy meeting and introduces himself to Cevahir. He also invites himself to stay when Cevahir leaves. 

Why doesn't she just kick him out?

3. Gul and Dilan visit Baran in the study. He is BenevolentBaran, which is nice to see. And thanks to Dilan, in this case. He asks Gul point-blank if his grandma (or anyone else, but she gets a specific mention) is forcing her to marry Silah. Gul denies it. I guess it does her no good to say so now? Anyway, Silah is coming and she'll tell him she made a mistake and can't marry him. So in effect, I guess no one is forcing her to marry him. Maybe too, now that her mother has said she wants only her happiness, the pressure is off. Azade-doom can do her worst and they'll just leave or whatever. 

4. Baran supports and accepts her decision. No small circumstance. And if she has a problem in the future, she goes to him. A glance at Dilan; we are always here for you.

Ya done good, Baran.

Dilan thinks so too. She walks slowly over to him, leans down, kisses him on the cheek. It's noteworthy that she instigated the contact. I think it signifies a shift. She is in awe of his compassion, how he cares for everyone. He stands up and gets to say, "So you're in awe of me?" I want that for her too, to be able to repeat his compliments back to him. To see her say, "So you think I'm magnificent?" 

Silah is pissed. He gets petty. Kudret and Firat are walking nearby. Firat sees Silah getting upset and yelling at Gul. He runs over and pushes him. Kudret tells Firat to take Gul away. He has a message for Silah. It's a frowny, fatherly, look-me-in-the-eye message: step off. Or else.

 Kudret thinks she’s scared of something, has his suspicions of what, and advises Firat, take her away and marry her.**** Firat confides to Gul that he wasn't going abroad, but was going to kidnap her. Firat is now fully under Kudret's wing. And Gul sems excited about the plan. Or at least, that it was the plan. Firat gets to profess his love again. *sigh*

Cevahir tracks Hasan down at the seaside. (He's still new-villain enough that he continues to get from-the-ground-up camera shots.) When they introduced themselves at Sabiha's, it was fake! He's in Cevahir's pocket. Don't make Siyar's mistake, Hasan. Plus, Cevahir puts in a dig about Hasan's crush on Sabiha. Poor rat.

None of the Esra Yilmazs they seek out are Dilan's mom. She wants to give up. Where's the stubborn Dilan Karabey he knows so well? She thought he didn't like it when she was stubborn? (More banter ensues.)

Sabiha shows up with the bracelet. Baran knows the significance of it to Dilan. She tells Sabiha her mom gave it to her when she was a child. Confirming Sabiha's wildest dream. Baran is watching closely.

Yelling at the tv:
*Firat is talking to a friend, telling him to bring the car around back. The guy seems nervous and Firat tells him--I kid you not--"C'mon. This isn't the first girl you've abducted. You're not going to get in trouble for this one, I swear." 

What the hell, Firat?!?

***Just once when he's complimenting her, instead of her usual, demure, shy face, I'd love to see her beam up at him, unafraid and letting him see her love shining out of her face. Just to look back stalwartly, accepting sentiments so freely given, comfortable in her own skin. Maybe that's coming. Her reticence is certainly not unreasonable on her part, considering how her entire childhood she was treated as an afterthought, or a straight-up burden.

Culturisms:

**Am I missing a cultural staple? Is brushing your lover's hair a thing? Like even back to the time of 1001 Nights? If so, I'm totally game. 

****Again, I feel like I'm missing a piece of cultural literacy about kidnapping the girl. Or maybe I'm forgetting about my Greek and Arthurian roots. Is this a common trope in the East? And maybe Firat's weird phone call to his friend is less offensive than it seemed? I mean, if Kudret condones it, encourages it even...

Teaser 196:

I think Baran got a haircut. They are back at her family's house. She's nervous. He's there for her. They are in this together.

Kan Cicekleri 194

Episode 194 Dilan Takes Charge

Quick synopsis: Firat is leaving. The dads keep their secret. Baran backs her up.

We have new opening shots thrown into the mix. Baran on a horse in the paddock and Dilan in the road by the fence remain.

There's a lot of scenes lately to counteract Dilan feeling alone in the world, like she has no one. Her old family isn't really her family, and the Karabeys--Baran in particular-- are spending a lot of time reassuring her. It's a two-pronged effort. First, there's the deepening connection she feels to Baran, and he to her. Quite frankly, they needed this after Sabiha's destructive machinations, to tell each other how much they mean to each other. And it's an even deeper sense, back to the beginning, from their first seeing each other when she would watch the horses on the way to school. There's an admission of an almost cosmic, fated connection. It makes me wonder if they are setting up a scenario where they actually met as children and felt a connection to each other.

Then there's this insistence that Dilan herself, through her own actions and character, is responsible for her place in their lives. Like a Beauty and the Beast storyline, she breathed life and love back into them all. She engendered their love and loyalty. She is deserving of it on her own merit. Her birth, while a secret in one family, is the reason another family exists the way it does. And we know the importance of being worthy to be a Karabey, and how Baran's and Kudret's interpretation of the ideology are based on merit, the goodness of the person. She is a Karabey more than she ever was a Demir.

It's as though there's been a trade, more than a life for a life--although that works too--in how each family treats the secret: one with guilt and shame, and the other with trust and care.

And still, they are like this close to kissing.

Kader really does just want it to all be over for Gul. Once she's married, has her own household, is away from these infernal Karabeys (Azade-doom and Hasan only)...it will all be ok. She gives her some bad advice though, which pains me: our hearts don't always show us the way; sometimes we have to show them. I feel like Ahmet would disagree. I'd like to convene the Mage Club and take a vote please.

In case we forgot, Gul remembers Firat telling her he's leaving. He feels like he's out of options. He remembers her saying she didn't love him while looking him in the eyes.

It ain't good, kids.

Cevriye is on board with fleeing. Cevdet is not.

Baran has an address for someone who was in prison with Hikmet.*

Kudret wants a word with Seyit. The word is safety; he tries assure him of of the Demir family's safety. For everyone. But Hasan...should they reveal  what he did? But Baran...he'll kill Hasan. And that would only bring more suffering. I have to say, it's weird that the dads are upset about one secret (Dilan's adoption) and agreeing to keep another (Hasan's treachery).

Or maybe not. People are complicated.

In this case, Dilan went through a bunch of crap and if Baran kills his uncle, she'll go through a bunch more. Stay silent for the kids, that's their plan. But what comes around, goes around. Kudret hasn't forgotten and he'll make Hasan pay. Don't worry about that.

Hikmet's wife visited him only once in prison. He told her their daughter was dead. She was devastated. He felt bad and if she'd come again, he was going to tell her the truth. (Curses!) So that means she hasn't been looking for Dilan.

(It's very windy in this scene. I think Baran isn't so much caressing her face as holding her hair down.)

Sabiha is still obsessing over Dilan's state of mind and rubbing her half of the medallion. Havin finds the jewelry that dropped in the van when Dilan rode with Sabiha to Ayten's grave. I think it's Dilan's bracelet. The same one she lost in the stables early on.

The visit with Hikmet's prison friend only left more questions: 

Why did he separate mother and daughter? 

Why did he tell her Dilan was dead?

(Was it to protect her from Hasan?)

I have questions too. All of them revolving around why Baran's parents were the target in the first place.

The bracelet goes into a drawer without Sabiha seeing it. (Curses again!)

Kudret talks to Firat about his decision to leave vs. fight for Gul. "Listen to me carefully," he says and then the camera backs away as he keeps talking. We don't hear the rest. Neither do Hasan and Azade, who are trying to eavesdrop. 

Dilan visits her brother one last time before the family skip town to leave. Him, she's always loved. 

Baran is still not a fan of all that the family did to her. He scowls, stares blankly back at the welcome, cracks his neck to the side a little. You know, gangster stuff. It's fun to watch this all be in defense of Dilan. He is constantly assessing.

Silah's family are over for the asking part of the engagement process.

Dilan goes rogue and runs back into the house, to her not-my-parents. 

Gul is taking a long time with coffees for Silah's parents. She is also not in the kitchen when Kader goes to check.

Dilan walks into the house like a boss--a Karabey--with all the authority that goes with that. She holds her hand up for silence, says they don't need to leave, that her family--the Karabeys-- will not hurt them.** She has full authority to make this statement, as the wife of the head of the Karabey family, and Baran confirms it by taking her hand.

What Kudret said before still stands, and didn't exactly lay the groundwork for this, because it could have been overturned by Baran. But Dilan's decree is an extension of his power and his resources--in her own right--as she commits them to keeping the Demirs safe, not just refusing to come after them. As was the previous case.

That said, they leave. They have no other business there.

Seyit follows them out, apologizes to her back. She won't forgive him for killing an innocent person; she still thinks he is responsible for Baran's mother's death. And he and Kudret agreed--they tell no one the truth, that Hasan did it. He can't correct her.

He gets the stink eye from Baran.

Still no sign of Gul.

Sabiha finally sees the bracelet. The one she gave her daughter, first Dilan. The one Havin found in the van. 

Okan found out Dilan's mom is in Istanbul.

Yelling at the tv:

*It's not an address so much as a tree by the side of the road, but whatevs.

**Baran and the boys wouldn't hurt Cevdet. They've already said so. But the vengeful factions might if they found out. That's what the Demirs were guarding against.

Hasan reminds me of a muppet. I think it's the mustache and round head.

0 hagia Sophias chanted.

Culturisms:

Nobody uses Sabiha's pool either.

Teaser 195:

Dilan has a picture of her father now. Does Baran think she looks like her dad? Maybe. But she's beautiful, too; must be like her mom.