Summary:

The Ihtiyar accepts Balaban’s deal and gives him a seat at the table in exchange for deactivating the bomb.  After Balaban does as promised, she warns him that it’s more difficult to stay at the table than it is getting there.

As Ali Riza and Halide wait for the bomb to explode, the clock stops with no explosion.  Ali Riza receives a call from Safir, who informs him he can remove the bomb from Halide so they can leave.  Once they’re off the ship, Ferit and Ali Riza take Halide home but notice she’s having a hard time breathing.  Ferit offers to stop at the hospital but she assures them she’s just trying to deal with the traumatic event.  Ali Riza asks her if she was harmed, but she reassures him they didn’t do anything to her, not even Balaban when he came on board to see her.  Ali Riza asks her what he wanted; she avoids telling him the truth so she says he just wanted to let her know she would be released once his offer was accepted.    

Haşmet runs into Balaban as he’s leaving the Ihtiyar’s house and attempts to strangle him for what he did to Halide, but is stopped by Safir and the Ihtiyar, who tells him Balaban is now part of the consortium and is therefore untouchable.  Haşmet refuses to sit at the table with him, but the Ihtiyar tells him she had to agree to his terms otherwise Ali Riza and Halide would be dead and assures him that once she finds out who he’s working with, she will hand him over and he can do whatever he wants to him.

Burak meets with Balaban to check the outcome of his plan, he tells him the Ihtiyar accepted and he now has a chair at the table.  He points out that he found it odd that the Ihtiyar didn’t care at first when Halide was the only one involved, but when Ali Riza was added into the equation with the bomb, she seemed more concerned which caused her to change her decision.  Balaban tells Burak the next part of his plan is to remove Ali Riza from his position with the consortium by making him so upset that he won’t be able to stop himself from attacking him during their consortium meeting the following day.  He tells Burak if Ali Riza is removed, then he could replace him which Burak is willing to do.         

Halide and Ali Riza finally arrive at her house, soon after Haşmet also arrives and gives Ali Riza the news that Balaban was given a place at the table in exchange for deactivating the bomb.  Ali Riza tells Haşmet that before he sits at the table, he plans on teaching him a lesson for what he did.  Later, Ali Riza meets with Hasan who tells him he followed Balaban after he left the Ihtiyar’s house to a warehouse that appears to be his central location where he does the majority of his deals.  He shows Ali Riza a photo of Balaban and Burak having a meeting at that location which confirms they’re working together.  Ali Riza, along with Ferit, coordinates a surprise attack at Balaban’s warehouse by posing as drivers, and once inside, they annihilate everyone in sight. 

Later, Haşmet approaches Mithat unexpectedly to talk, however, Mithat attempts to find an excuse to avoid speaking with him but Haşmet doesn’t allow him to escape.  Mithat takes the hint and finally agrees to meet at Ali Riza’s dealership.  Once they arrive, Haşmet asks Mithat what he thinks about the situation with the consortium, Mithat says he hasn’t had a chance to think about all the issues they’ve had to deal with lately.  Haşmet knows he’s lying, so he tells him everyone that becomes the patron comes with a plan but when things don’t go their way, attitudes begin to change.  Again, Mithat pretends to not know why he’s asking, and at that moment, Ali Riza arrives and joins their conversation.  Mithat becomes even more uneasy, so Haşmet asks him what he thinks of Balaban joining the table.  Mithat says he doesn’t have an opinion since it’s a decision the Ihtiyar made and they must follow.  Haşmet finally gets to the point and informs Mithat the Russians told him he was the one who sold them the Ihtiyar’s merchandise for $5 million dollars which he then had his people, meaning Burak, steal the merchandise from them.  Mithat denies involvement and blames everything on Burak, however, Ali Riza clarifies that they’re not blaming him but rather warning him that Burak is working with Balaban.  Haşmet tells Mithat that Burak will soon become his son-in-law and will be close to him so he wants to know if he’ll allow him to continue to do what he wants.  Mithat lies again and says he’s not happy with Burak and is only following the Ihtiyar’s orders with the marriage.  Haşmet warns Mithat to not allow others to destroy their friendship and to continue to work with him otherwise he’ll make a mistake if he works against him.  Mithat assures him that he will always work with him before he leaves. 

Afterward, Ali Riza shows Haşmet proof that Burak and Balaban are working together and informs him that he has a plan already in place to make him pay for what he did to Halide.

Muzaffer visits the Ihtiyar to reassure her she made the right decision to save her son’s life, however, she says she doesn’t feel any joy since she’s not able to tell Ali Riza the real reason she did it.  She says it’s harder now that she’s so close to him but yet unable to show him any affection.  Muzaffer suggests perhaps it’s time he knows the truth, but the Ihtiyar says she wants to build a relationship with him first so he can get to know her and possibly love her before she reveals the truth.  She says she has too many enemies who will try to harm him if they find out that her son is alive.  Muzaffer mentions that Ms. Rukiya has also been concerned lately about Ali Riza’s birth parents, so the Ihtiyar suggests speaking with her first to decide if she’s ready to tell Ali Riza. 

The following day, Balaban makes his first appearance as a member of the consortium, however, Ali Riza surprises everyone with his actions.  When Balaban reminds him that now that he’s part of the consortium, he’s untouchable.  Ali Riza refuses to let him go without punishing him for what he did to Halide, so he grabs him and puts a gun to his head.  The other partners remind him of the table rules and going against them is punishable, but Ali Riza doesn’t care.  He says he won’t let Balaban go free without punishing him for touching Halide.  Ali Riza takes Balaban by force to his warehouse and shows him what he did to his workers and proceeds to kill his last few workers in front of him.  He tells him he will never again touch Halide and proceeds to burn his money.  

Balaban asks Ali Riza if Halide would also act the way he did for their love and informs him that he told Halide about his father’s involvement in her family’s death.  Ali Riza loses control and beats Balaban to the point that Ferit needs to take him off him.  Ali Riza immediately rushes to speak with Halide.

Muzaffer calls Ms. Rukiya and asks her to meet him at the park, however it’s a plan so the Ihtiyar can speak with her.  The two ladies strike up a conversation about their families and both share stories of losing a child.  The Ihtiyar loses her courage to reveal her identity and about Ali Riza and leaves.  As she gets into her vehicle, Muzaffer is waiting inside, so she tells him she couldn’t reveal the truth.  Later, Ali Riza calls him and asks if the Ihtiyar killed his father.  Muzaffer tells him it’s not true and once Ali Riza tells him the information came from Balaban, he tells him he’s just trying to ruin his relationship with the Ihtiyar.  After they hang up, the Ihtiyar, who was listening to their conversation, tells Muzaffer that while she’s trying to get close to her son, her enemies are trying to turn him against her, and she will not allow it.

Ali Riza arrives at the clinic and asks Halide why she’s been avoiding his calls, so she gives him the excuse that she’s still trying to get over the traumatic event.  Ali Riza tells her to ask him the question that’s been tormenting her since he rescued her.  She tells him Balaban told her that his father was involved in her family’s death, but she assures him that she didn’t believe him.  Ali Riza confirms it’s true but he’s still trying to find more information since he just learned about it himself.  He tells her his father did work with Balaban but because he worked with the intelligence agency and was infiltrating the mafia. Halide questions him why he didn’t tell her before, so Ali Riza tells her he couldn’t say anything to her until he knew for sure.  Halide tells Ali Riza that she’s getting tired of the secrets and not knowing anything about him, but he assures her that he’s ready to die for her and loves her more than his life. 

Afterward, Ali Riza takes Halide home and encounters Haşmet.  He tells him he taught Balaban a lesson but left him alive.  Haşmet warns him he’s going to get a severe punishment by the consortium, but Ali Riza doesn’t care.  Before he leaves, Ali Riza asks Haşmet if he can stop by later with his family to formally ask for Halide’s hand in marriage.  Haşmet is reluctant but accepts his request. 

When Ali Riza arrives home, he finds Ferit waiting for him.  He tells him they found an ex-policeman, Kara Batak Selim, who may have information about his father and Balaban.  He says after he was suspended, he started an illegal fighting ring for the mafia and the only way they can speak with him is during a fight so they will need to find a fighter.  Ali Riza tells Ferit to enter his name as a fighter but Ferit is reluctant since the fight ends when one of the fighters dies.  Ali Riza tells him to schedule it anyway.   After Ferit leaves, Ali Riza announces to Ms. Rukiya and Emine that they will be going to Haşmet’s house that evening to ask for Halide’s hand.  They’re both stunned by the short notice but excited.

That evening, the Altay and Gürkan families gather for the engagement ceremony.  However, before Haşmet is able to accept their engagement, they get interrupted when Mithat shows up to speak with him.  He tells him he received a video from Balaban that he needs to watch, which is the video of Fuat receiving the order to kill Haşmet's family by Ali Riza’s father.  Haşmet is shocked to say the least.  When he returns to his house, he asks to speak to Ali Riza in private and asks if it’s true that his father was responsible for the death of his family.  Ali Riza tells him it’s true, but he just found out and is trying to confirm the details, however, Haşmet doesn’t let him explain.  He tells Ali Riza he’s not allowing him to marry his daughter and tells him to leave before he kicks them out of his house.  Ali Riza pleads with him to not do that but Haşmet yells at him to leave.  Halide interrupts their conversation, but Ali Riza leaves when Haşmet threatens to kick his family out himself. 

After the Altay family leaves, Halide tells Haşmet she knew about his father because Ali Riza told her about it after Balaban showed her the video.  She tells him he’s trying to find out the truth and accuses Haşmet of treating Ali Riza unfairly because it’s not his fault for what his father did.  Haşmet tells her he hid the information from him so now he can’t trust him or allow them to get engaged.   

The following day, Ali Riza and Ferit arrive at the location for the fight.  Ferit attempts to take his place saying he has too many things going on and nothing will happen if he dies.  Ali Riza doesn’t let him, he says he has too much anger inside him that he needs to blow off.  When Ferit reminds him of the high risks involved with the fight, Ali Riza tells him he’s willing to die to find his past because it’s better than living in the dark.

Cliffhangers:

Halide visits Ms. Rukiya and tells her the reason her father didn’t allow the engagement was because of new information they just learned about Ali Riza’s father.  She explains that he was part of the mafia and was one of the people who ordered the murder of her family.

The consortium meets to vote on the punishment for Ali Riza for his actions against Balaban.  Mithat proposes they remove him from his position as their sword which they all agree with with the exception of Haşmet.  Mithat then proposes a replacement and he suggests Burak.  They again put it up for a vote which Mithat and Balaban agree and again Haşmet remains quiet.  They offer the position to Burak who gladly accepts thus kicking Ali Riza out of the consortium.

Muzaffer meets with the Ihtiyar to ask her if she will intervene with the consortium’s decision on Ali Riza’s punishment if it involves death.  She tells him, everyone, including Ali Riza, must follow the rules, however, she would never allow them to kill him.  Muzaffer tells her if they take away his power, he’ll feel like he’s dead, but the Ihtiyar doesn’t agree.  She tells him you have to die to be reborn and Ali Riza doesn’t get his power and strength from the table, she says he gets it from her because they have the same soul.

Ali Riza prepares for the fight of his life to get to the truth.  He goes up against a fighter who is known for breaking bones and ending his opponents within minutes, but as the fight begins, Ali Riza is defending himself and even hurting his opponent.  However, he gets a powerful punch that knocks him on the floor almost knocking him out unconscious as his opponent prepares to finish him off...

Questions Left Unanswered:

What will Ali Riza do now that he’s no longer the sword?  Will he focus on finding out the truth about his father?

Will Mithat team up with Balaban and Burak to attempt to take over the table now that the balance has changed once again and thus go against Haşmet?  Will Murat also go along with them? 

Will Haşmet and Mithat declare each other enemies since he obviously went against him when he chose Burak as their new sword? 

Will Halide be forced to choose between the man that she loves and her father?

What I Loved:

I love that we saw a different side of the Ihtiyar.  I often wondered if she had the maternal instinct since she hadn’t shown any affection towards Ali Riza, but this episode definitely portrayed a different person.  We saw the mother who had her son taken away and who has suffered for the past 20 years thinking her child was dead.  We saw how much she wants to have a mother-son relationship with Ali Riza but for his safety, she must continue to keep her secret otherwise his life will be in danger.  I also love that she has been protecting him for the past few years once she found out about his existence.    

I love that Ali Riza and Halide took the time to talk about his father’s involvement with her family’s murder.  Although Halide was trying to avoid him, Ali Riza made her talk to him about the subject to answer her questions and to explain the situation even though he didn’t have a lot of information.  I love how Ali Riza assures her that he loves her more than his own life and nothing will change that when she tells him that she always feels like she doesn’t know him.    

What I Disliked:

I dislike that Halide had doubts about having a future with Ali Riza after their traumatic event.  I understand she’s concerned about Ali Riza being involved in the mafia world, but she will always be involved in that world too because of who her father is and not just because of Ali Riza.  I love that Melek has become a great support for her and while Halide told her about her concerns with Ali Riza, she reminded Halide that she’s a strong woman who won’t go through the same problems as her mother did with Haşmet.

Mithat is turning out to be just as bad as Fuat.  I disliked that he showed the video to Haşmet about Ali Riza’s father when he knows very well that Burak and Murat were the ones who actually pulled the triggers.  I’m sure he won’t reveal that information so he can continue to use it to his advantage.

I hate that Haşmet was so quick to think the worse of Ali Riza instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt and allowing him to explain the situation about his father.  He should know by now that Ali Riza would do anything for him and Halide and has been diligently working to find the people responsible for his family’s death.  Haşmet let his anger get the best of him and was 100% unfair to Ali Riza.  He didn’t even listen to Halide when she tried to explain his situation and instead forbid her to say his name.  I must note that Haşmet didn’t betray Ali Riza during the consortium meeting when they voted on his punishment to remove his position and again abstained from voting for Burak to replace him.      

My Thoughts:

I think the onscreen interaction between Ruzgar Aksoy with both Olgun Toker and Tolga Sarıtaş is impressive.  They all have great chemistry that makes the viewers forget that they’re acting.  I especially enjoy the scenes between Ruzgar and Olgun because they’re always so entertaining.  We can see their characters don’t really like each other but must work together to get what they want.   

I would like to see more character development with Halide.  She was such a strong character at the beginning of the show but now she hasn’t been given much opportunity to showcase her acting skills since episode 16 where she was spectacular.  Ayça Ayşin Turan is an awesome actress that can handle anything so perhaps allowing her to work alongside Ali Riza to discover the truth about her family’s death could be a good scenario.  She has shown us that she can definitely handle a gun.  

I thought the fight scene was awesome! Tolga did a superb job making it look so real – I felt like I was watching an actual fight.  I thought that it was perfectly choreographed, the background was ideal and of course, the music was on pointe.  I loved everything about this scene.