Summary:
The episode begins with Burak being taken to his execution. Burak thinks Fiko is going to save him but when Ali Riza gets into the car and tells him his father wants him to die with honor, he believes his father sold him out. Burak is prepared with Plan B, so while he’s annoying and distracting Ali Riza with meaningless chatter, he secretly calls Murat to give him the signal for Plan B. Thus begins the war between Fuat and Haşmet when Murat pleads with Haşmet for Burak’s life in exchange for information about who killed his family. This is how Burak is saved at the last second as Ali Riza is about to pull the trigger.
While being questioned by Haşmet and Halide, both Burak and Murat throw their father under the bus and tell them Fuat ordered the murder of his family BUT don’t tell him they’re the ones who actually carried out the job. They lie again when they claim they just found out about Fuat however, nothing passes by Ali Riza who suspects they’re still hiding something. He doesn’t believe they would come forward with this information and betray their father so easily.
After the revelation, Halide suffers a panic attack as Ali Riza is taking her home. He attempts to calm her down and promises he’ll protect her and her father, but she asks him to take his family and leave so he doesn’t get involved. Ali Riza tells her it’s too late because death has already found him with Nihan, so he promises he’ll be with her as they deal with this new chapter in their lives. As he comforts her, he notices a van pull up behind his car so fearing it’s an attack, he gets Halide to safety and Ali Riza confronts them but notices it’s Muzaffer. He’s upset at Ali Riza for continuing to keep him in the dark and demands to meet him that evening.
Fuat is informed that Fiko was not able to save Burak, so he immediately realizes Mithat betrayed him. Fuat meets with Sheymuz and Galip to let them know Haşmet and Mithat have declared war on him and asks whose side they’re on. Before they can finish their conversation, Ali Riza makes a surprise assault however Fuat receives a tip at the last minute that he’s under attack and escapes before Ali Riza can capture him.
When Fuat gets home, he finds Burak and Murat waiting for him who managed to escape from Haşmet with the help of Fusun and Fiko. More lies come into play when they tell Fuat they had to tell Haşmet that he ordered the murder of his family in order to save Burak’s life. They play the recording of Murat’s confession that Mithat is using to threaten them, but Fuat assures them Mithat will be the first to die. They point out that Haşmet doesn’t know it was them that actually pulled the trigger so Fuat tells them he’ll take care of everything as long as they’re by his side.
That evening, Ali Riza meets with Muzaffer who confesses he was the one who tipped Fuat of Ali Riza’s attack. Ali Riza is livid! Muzaffer tries to justify himself by explaining that Fuat is not their ultimate goal – it’s the person behind the consortium who he wants to capture and he needs Fuat to do that. Muzaffer demands Ali Riza capture and turn over Fuat to him alive.
Later, as Ali Riza takes Halide home, they find Haşmet in the middle of a rage. He’s having a hard time dealing with the fact that he’s been associating with the person who killed his family. He also can’t believe someone betrayed him by alerting Fuat of their attack and suddenly blames Ali Riza. Haşmet tells Ali Riza he’ll believe he didn’t betray him if he captures Fuat alive and brings him to him. Thus, Ali Riza’s new dilemma.
The following day, Burak finds out Derya still wants to be with him so he decides to use her to have her erase the recording that contains Murat’s confession. She agrees but not before saving a copy to her phone.
Ali Riza, still uncertain of what to do with the dilemma he’s facing with Haşmet and Muzaffer, visits Hasan to seek guidance. He explains the situation that will ultimately determine his destiny. Ali Riza’s desire of course is to kill Fuat and Burak himself instead of capturing him. After listening to Ali Riza, Hasan suggests a third option. He says he should choose the option that he already has in his hands that will define his fate.
When Ali Riza visits Haşmet, he tells him where he can locate Fuat but before he leaves, he stops to speak with Halide. He tells her she’s changed his life so much that he doesn’t remember life before her. He shares his true feelings for her since he has a hard time opening up and express his thoughts and feelings. He tells her he doesn’t want her to forget in case he doesn’t see her again. She immediately knows he’s leaving to do something dangerous and begs him to stay. Unfortunately, he leaves to complete the mission he started, not just for Haşmet, but for himself as well so he can all move on with his life if he survives.
Ultimately, Ali Riza follows Fuat after he leaves the meeting with Galip and Sheymuz, but when he attacks his car, he realizes it was a ploy. Fuat is not in his car but does see Sheymuz who’s been shot in the head. At the same time, Halide decides to take matters into her own hands thinking Ali Riza has sacrificed himself and meets with Burak. She surprises him by pulling a gun demanding he takes her to their house so she can see Fuat. Burak protests but Halide tells him she has no problem dying as long as she takes care of the situation with Fuat. As Halide demands to see Fuat, he arrives and as he gets out of his car, he notices her gun and asks her what she’s doing. He tries to talk to her but Halide shocks everyone by shooting eight bullets into him!
What I Loved:
I love that Haşmet and Ali Riza have joined forces again and go after Fuat together. Their transition from enemies to partners was so seamless, it’s obvious they have an underlying father-son bond. I also love how Ali Riza and Halide continue to support each other. Their underlying bond of losing family in the same tragic setting was very prominent in this episode. Ali Riza definitely stepped up and was Halide’s shoulder to cry on as she dealt with strong heart-wrenching emotions. He stopped trying to separate himself from her knowing that they’re destined to be in each other’s lives no matter what they do. Of course, I loved Ali Riza confessing his feelings to Halide and then sharing a sweet kiss. The tenderness and emotions they displayed seemed so real. Halide shooting Fuat – what the heck! I must admit, I was shocked that she went through with it. She was hardcore. I loved that she didn’t waste any time – she got to the point and emptied that clip on him. No mercy! This episode showcased Tolga Sarıtaş, Ayça Ayşin Turan, and Ahmet Taylan’s acting skills. They all brought their A-games to this episode with their believable emotions that made it AMAZING.
What I Liked:
Fiko survives another shooting! I swear this man has nine lives but he needs to be more careful because he’s down to seven. Even though he’s a bad boy, I would miss him if he died since he’s entertaining to watch when he interacts with Burak. I really liked that Sheymuz didn’t give into Fuat’s threats. He had the guts to stand up to him and attempted to be fair and hear Haşmet's side of the story before deciding what to do, unlike Galip who like a coward took Fuat’s side immediately. I like that Ali Riza left Halide with his mom again while he took care of business. Ms. Rukiya and Halide have bonded into a mother-daughter relationship that is authentic so Halide has a mother figure in her life that she can talk to without worrying about a secret agenda, like Melek. I thought it was so adorable when Halide called her “anne” causing Ali Riza to do a little double-take.
What I Disliked:
I disliked the half-truth Murat and Burak gave Halide and Haşmet. These cowards know how to watch out for themselves by omitting the fact that they were the ones who actually pulled the trigger and killed Haşmet's family. They blamed Fuat for everything and even pretended to just learn about the information. Mithat and Melek not telling Haşmet the entire truth is also wrong on so many levels especially since it involves Melek’s family. She continues to be selfish and greedy and her only concern is gaining power instead of getting justice. I’m disappointed Melek didn’t tell Haşmet the entire story but I guess she has her priorities. I liked Muzaffer at the beginning of the series for helping Ali Riza with his revenge but when he disrupted the attack on Fuat at the restaurant, I was not happy. It was unfair of him to accuse Ali Riza of wanting to give up on their operation just to please Haşmet. Ali Riza sets him straight when he says he doesn’t care who he pleases but they were at the point where they were going to finally take over the consortium once he killed Fuat but Muzaffer ruined it. And what is wrong with Fusun?! I can’t believe she helped Murat and Burak escape. I understand Murat is her fiance but she knows what family he’s from so she should know they obviously did something wrong to be in that situation. She’s in for a shock when she finds out what Murat did. Derya needs to grow up. She knows Burak doesn’t truly love her so her erasing the recording from Melek’s phone for him, even after she listened to it, is absurd. At least she made a copy of it before she erased it – but still, she has to know he’s just using her. And last, I can’t believe Sheymuz is dead. He would have made a good addition to Team Haşmet but of course, Fuat knew that so he had to get rid of him so he wouldn’t have to go against him as well.
What Needs To Happen Next:
After the shocking ending, there are several questions that need to be answered. Does Fuat survive Halide’s attack? I know he was shot eight times but I believe I saw a signal between Burak and Fuat right before Halide shot him. Was that perhaps to check if he was wearing a bullet-proof vest? What are the Ersoylu’s going to do with Halide for shooting Fuat? Will they use her to win the war against Haşmet? Melek needs to tell Haşmet the whole story about his family’s murder and stop being selfish. She should know Mithat is capable of back-stabbing her so she should think about having Haşmet as her ally instead of an enemy before the truth comes out. Ali Riza needs to put Rasim in his place already. He’s annoying and takes advantage of everyone so Ali Riza needs to knock him down a few notches and make him pay back all the money he stole and stop acting like he’s better than him. We need to know who the “Old Man” is. Apparently, he’s a very powerful person who controls the consortium so will he be coming into town now that the consortium is at war? What is Ali Riza going to do if Fuat does survive? Will he kill him himself, capture him and turn him over to Haşmet or to Muzaffer? And last, how will Ali Riza react to Halide shooting Fuat?
My Thoughts:
I was so disappointed that Ali Riza let Burak slip through his hands after having the perfect opportunity to finally avenge Nihan’s death. He should have just done like Halide and emptied his clip the second he threw him into the grave. I am really loving the new screenwriters, Yilmaz Şahin and Çağla Kizilelma. They’re awesome and bringing new life to the story. They started with episode 15 and have helped the show move at a faster, non-stop pace. I want to point out that the previous writers did a fantastic job too but the new writers are giving Ali Riza and Halide more screen time along with substantial dialogue. My favorite quote is by Ali Riza to Halide “There is no life before you, Halide. I don’t think it will be after. You are my light, Halide. The light that illuminates my heart and soul.” Perfect Ali Riza, just perfect.
