Episode Summary
With Serdar The Doctor being Ebru’s husband’s childhood friend, he is in town to attend the same wedding. Imagine the coincidence! In trying to deal with this new shock, the first quarter of the show is hilariously funny as the troupe tries to devise plans within plans to keep the parents ignorant of the house of cards the youngsters have built with their lies. Sleazeball Levent has been elevated to “Guru” Levent, who is the ultimate relationship expert with his astute observations about relationship dynamics, his vast experience and his clever advice on how to sidestep the minefield Ozgur and Ezgi have entered. They decide to band as a group and somehow keep Serdar at bay without the parents understanding too much about the real story of Ezgi’s fascination with Serdar or Ozgur’s lies about his relationship with Ezgi and his profession.
Ezgi is understandably hysterically nervous and is lashing out at Ozgur in her usual diatribe of blaming him for everything. This leads to one of the funniest exchanges between them, and Can’s facial expression coupled with his physical posture of someone who has been pushed over the edge is a sight to behold. His comic timing for a character who is innately naughty but charming, jovial but intelligent is really quite excellent. He is believable as someone who cannot be taken seriously at first blush but over time proves himself to be very aware of contextual clues.
As though Serdar showing up wasn’t bad enough, he comes to the wedding with his provocatively clad sister, who is none other than the journalist Yeshim, who took her revenge on Ozgur by attaching the moniker of Bay Yanlis to his name when she did her feature article on him in Episode 1. Turkish comedy knows how to stir the pot and now the spicy pot is literally boiling over…!
Yeshim’s actions against Ozgur were a result of her feeling insulted by Ozgur and who she thought was Ozgur’s girlfriend, but Ozgur clears the air and even tells her that he forgives her for what she did. Instantaneously, she becomes the purring cougar who now wants to find her way back into Ozgur’s life again, and Ozgur in his typical fashion does not turn down the attention. Ezgi is watching all this with growing disdain, and after keeping her cautious distance from Serdar till then, decides to start dancing with him. Ozgur is also quick on the draw, enters the dance floor with Yeshim, and is quick to ask for a change of partners. When Ozgur and Ezgi are back to dancing together, neither admits that they are jealous of the other’s divided attention and fall back into their bickering while they hold on tight to each other.
With her nerves frayed, Ezgi has taken a sedative earlier in the day and as long as she stays away from alcohol, she would be fine. Her parents are watching from afar with growing alarm, the physical dynamics of Serdar’s attention on Ezgi and her responsive behavior, and her mother cannot hold herself any longer, marching over to demand an introduction. In the confusion of the moment, Ezgi gulps down half a glass of spirits and at the opportune time, when everyone is gathered around her trying to understand how she knows Serdar, she faints into Ozgur’s arms.
On the side, we find out that Soner the Pislik has left his now no-longer pregnant fiancé and is feeling extremely remorseful about leaving Ezgi. He comes to Ozgur’s restaurant to drown his sorrows with his good friend Gizem, who is the maître de at Ozgur’s restaurant. Gizem miraculously had no idea what her good friend Soner’s 3 year old girlfriend had looked like and is quick to correct the Pislik’s impression that Ozgur is Ezgi’s new boyfriend. Feeling threated by Ezgi, Gizem promises to help him win her back as long as he promises to take Ezgi away from Ozgur’s establishment as soon as possible. Gizem secretly fancies Ozgur and her ambitious self wants the job Ezgi has scored. To her horror, Emre has revived his lip reading skills from his days of being CeyCey on Erkenci Kus, and is on to Gizem’s sinister plans. This will lead to many comic moments, I am sure, but for now, we have two possible suitors for Ezgi outside of Ozgur.
In the meanwhile, it is obvious to the parents that Ozgur and Ezgi love each other deeply, and they start talking formally among themselves about a possible betrothal. When both the mothers have their ‘chat’ with her child, the troupe is now into the next gear with their plans. Ozgur and Ezgi must act in a way such that the parents decide it’s a bad idea for them to be together. Guru Levent saves the day by articulating the next phase of the relationship where the men start acting all possessive and jealous, and Ozgur and Ezgi run with this thread to create a whole new tapestry of lies that erode the parents’ perceptions of their personalities.
Ezgi paints Ozgur as a controlling boor who tells her what she can or cannot do; Ezgi acts like a jealous maniac in front of his mother telling him how he must manage his work life, and the two together have a loud argument about how Ezgi does not want children and what their life together will look like with irresponsible involvement with the possible child’s life. After these shenanigans, Ozgur’s mother, who had fallen in love with Ezgi and had even presented her with a beautiful bracelet the night before, cannot get rid of her and her family fast enough. Ezgi’s parents are also completely bewildered with the turn of events and make a hasty retreat and on to their way back to Bursa.
The portrait of a happy, beautiful family is shattered within the same weekend in which it had been created, and with that Ozgur and Ezgi prepare to get on their way back to Istanbul after Ezgi bids an awkward goodbye to Ozgur’s mother.
What the audience finds out almost at the very end of the episode is that after Ezgi had passed out the night before, Ozgur carried her back to her room, laid her on her bed and unsure of whether she was physically OK, had fallen asleep next to her while guarding over her. Ozgur knew what he had done, and unbeknownst to him, Ezgi had also woken up in the middle of the night to find him next to her, a happy, satisfied smile on her face. The episode ends on them in the car verbally saying that there is no longer a need for them to be together, while their wistful expressions suggest otherwise.
Episode Analysis
Lies have a way of catching up and it never leads to a good conclusion. This whole episode was predicated on Ozgur and Ezgi navigating a slippery slope as they tried to keep anyone from being hurt by their lies. However, in their web of lies, both Ozgur and Ezgi have elements of truth in their relationship that neither is able to or wish to acknowledge yet.
The way Ozgur looks at Ezgi with affection, the kind of rapport and understanding they have developed, is endearing. He has picked her up time and again, being her guardian angel when she has been at her worst. This episode marks the third time he carried her to bed with no other intention than to make sure that she is doing okay. For a man like Ozgur, who is acutely aware of what a man has on his mind during every step they take with a woman, this is refreshingly pure, both for him and for the audience discovering him. The way Can portrays the contrast between the earlier impression of a callous playboy and the real, sensitive Ozgur underneath is very well done.
Ezgi’s character is taken aback with the feelings she is beginning to have for Ozgur. In her heart she already knows the answer but it is so far away from the ideal she has built in her head, she is unable to resolve a plan for the future that keeps her from getting hurt. She doesn’t trust her heart with Ozgur yet and I believe the next episodes will unpeel this journey of building their trust with each other. That they have deep affection for the other is evident. When Ezgi was nervous at the wedding, Ozgur comes up behind her and puts his hand on her, reassuring her that they will get through this and she acknowledges that they are stronger together.
Theirs is the atypical screen romance but quite natural in progression in real life romance. Many of us get to know our partners as friends first and an initial interest leads to igniting a spark that never goes out. I am enjoying discovering Ozgur and Ezgi through a similar lens.
In contrast to their relationship, we see Ozan and Deniz, who follow the typical romance trope of prickliness that turn into something more meaningful, and on the other side we see Cansu and Levent who are in a relationship with ill-defined boundaries for what the future can bring. Witnessing the various shades of love as these youngsters navigate their life wounds, hopes and dreams has been a joyful watch, especially when brought to life by such a colorful and beautiful cast.
This episode, in particular, was a visual treat with excellent wardrobe and makeup, some that continue to poke at Can's detractors, but that is left to an attentive audience's imagination. I am sure I am not alone in noticing several of these back-handed references to all the ways Can has been belittled over time. I cannot help but respect that way he and his team has stood up proudly against all the negativity.
If I have a good read of Asli Zengin's style, I believe the next few episodes will create scenarios that allow Ozgur and Ezgi to truly believe in their love and make confessions that put them on the path of no return. I am looking forward to the funny ride to get us there!
Article Copyright (c) Dizilah & mh.
