Masumlar Apartmani: Season 1, Episode 18

by
ma-18

Spoilers follow. 

 

“Love is a callus that stretches out between your flesh and your heel, allowing you to either take a step in pain or remove it with pain.” - Rumi*

 

Inci & Han

Since they made the hasty decision to marry, Inci has come close to seeking a divorce multiple times, but has never quite crossed that threshold. She pushed aside the issues that existed between them and focused on carving out happy moments with him, believing that they could weather the storms that had come their way. But, in the moment when he relied upon all of her assurances, unilaterally deciding that they would both live together in his family’s home, believing her when she told him that they would take care of his family together, and that he would no longer have to shoulder this burden alone, she left. And, in a state of painful lucidity following her disappearance, he almost understands why, as he sadly wonders: who would willingly stay with his family for him? 

Her departure marked the third time that he has been abandoned, and Han went through various stages of grief trying to cope. His first instinct was to find out where Uygar had gone and search Esra’s apartment for Inci. When this failed, he spent his night in a dumpster dive, talking to a mannequin he had stolen from a store window. Unable to reach her or find news of her the following morning, with his anger at its zenith, he stormed into Naci’s apartment to force him to leave Safiye alone. Naci, wisely and calmly assessed Han’s aggression, understanding that Han was looking to pick a fight with him because Inci had left him. Han tried to bait Naci by telling him of Safiye’s hatred for him, but Naci rightly called his bluff, explaining that love and hate cannot sit beside one another; and if they do, then it is not love, but rather an illness or an obsession. If he had lost hope when he received “Safiye’s” final letter, he never lost his love for her, or grew to despise her. He gently tells Han that Safiye’s actions now, may look like hate to him, but that was only because he didn’t fully understand the depth and power of love*. His poignant words calmed the torrent of anger sweeping over Han, leaving him in a state of despair, anguish and defeat. 

When he returns home that evening, bruised and bloody, after getting the beat down he had desired, he gently places his head upon Safiye’s lap, utterly devastated. To add insult to injury, the following morning, Esra drops off divorce papers. Although it is unclear how Han will react to Inci’s decision, I enjoyed watching his trajectory this episode. The anger, crazy laughter, belligerence, and pain that he experienced have not only helped him ‘shed his mask’ as Gulben put it, but also may allow him to move past his idealistic notions of what could be, to focus on what actually is, possibly helping him heal and soothe his young self. 

Naci & Safiye

It took him 22 years to return to her, to honor the promise that he had made to his father on his deathbed, vowing to take her outside, to the park, to the birds - to save her from her mother. Despite his father’s encouragement, Naci couldn’t believe that she would still want him because there was a cruel truth in that final letter. It painfully pointed out that he had stolen her dreams. If it weren’t for him and his steadfast devotion to them, her mother would not have forced her to quit school and imprisoned her in the house. He recounted how he had waited beneath her window every 6 months to see a sign from her, which never came. Had he not had Gulru’s support after losing his father, so soon after parting with her, he would not have been able to cope with the loneliness. And though Gulru helped him through his father’s passing, they couldn’t be happy together as his mind and heart remained with her, just as hers stayed with him. Dreaming of what they could have been and remembering what they once were, Naci and Safiye have quickly become the most elegant romantic pairing on screen today. I can’t praise this storyline enough. 

 

Gulru 

Beneath the bitterness and anger, lies a very determined woman. Upon learning of Naci’s condition, Gulru refuses to leave, desperately trying to find a way to save him. She not only makes an appointment with another doctor, but she tries to confide in Safiye, believing that maybe if Naci were happy, his illness would not be fatal. Of course, Safiye refuses to listen to her, focusing only on Gulru’s betrayal, which Gulru defends, telling her that she fought for him and stayed beside him, while Safiye gave up and left. Perhaps she knew she was fighting a losing battle, wanting to be with Naci, but in this light, it is difficult to see her as treacherous or conniving. She simply wanted more from Naci than he could give to her.  

 

Gulben

It has been a delight to watch her character these past few episodes. Her kind heart shows through in everything she does: pushing Safiye (literally) to talk to Naci, assuring Han that Inci was happy with him, and putting her father to bed. The moment she really shined was when, despite the awkwardness, she told Esat that Inci should not have left Han in this way because if you love someone, then you stand by them, unless there is absolutely no possibility of a future. Although tears appeared in her eyes as she said these words to him, she bravely pushed past her feelings, and thanked Esat for bringing her father back. Surprisingly, when she refused his offer to help, telling him that she would call Bayram if she was unable to reach Han, it almost seemed as though he felt a smidge of remorse? I was not a fan of this romantic pairing in past episodes, as Gulben was living in a dream, but in this conversation, she was painfully present, and he seemed somewhat interested. I am curious to see what happens next, as I don’t think the Esat-Esra pairing will play out in a romantic way. Also, kudos to Gulben for trying to make amends to Esra, and for trying to ease her very understandable and warranted, fear and discomfort.

 

Hasibe

Hasibe may be the best villain ever. I am consistently stunned at how terribly petty and selfish she is. Unfortunately, there is a truth to her character that is frighteningly real. The most heartbreaking part of this story is that despite all of her cruel and vicious abuse, Safiye still seeks her good opinion.

 

Neriman

Not only did she try to protect Han from Ege (and Ege from Han), but she tried to cheer him up as best she could telling him that Inci was suffering from their separation just as much as he was, and that when you love someone as she has loved Emre for the past five years, those feelings don’t just disappear. 

She stood up to Ege when he hurt her by telling her that she was the only normal person in her family. Although she regretted the pain her words caused, it was appropriate for her to try and level their situations by reminding him that his father had blackmailed Inci. No family is perfect. 

 

All in all, another wonderful episode. The light and comedic moments, when Han and Safiye teased Gulben about Inci staying in her room, or Gulben and Neriman told Han to shower, were sprinkled throughout this bolum improving the tone of the entire story. What was characterized by insult and abuse before is now more aptly considered teasing and playful banter. I cannot wait for the next episode, and am very curious about how (and if) Han and Inci will meet again. 

Last Updated: Jan 25, 2021 15:08 pm (UTC) Filed Under:
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