Then one day it all came to and end….it was that simple, it ended so abruptly that I failed to grasp the enormity of what happened…
Ruh Ikizim - Soulmate
Episode 15 was a sad and frustrating look at Eda and Serkan post-breakup. It’s so hard when two people are desperately in love but can’t be together and we saw all the emotions of a situation like that in this episode. Some of us may identify more with Serkan, while some of us more with Eda but what I appreciate about how this episode was written was that no one is really to blame here. We may want Serkan to tell her the truth, and I do, but I understand his logic in not telling her. He thinks that he is saving her heart from breaking every time she looks at him. I understand this impulse especially given Serkan’s poor self-esteem, he thinks that her parent's death is more painful for her than losing him.
Eda is hurt and reeling from Serkan breaking up with her so abruptly, she can’t understand it, it doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t have the whole story yet, she had only been told that he doesn’t want to be with her anymore because she is distracting him from work which is what’s most important to him. Their parallel conversations, him with Engin and her with Fifi and Ceren, was such a great illustration of just how alike Serkan and Eda are. They both take on the blame. They both declare that the other one is their soulmate. However, with the lie that he told her, Eda thinks that he never really loved her when in reality he loves her more than anything else in the world. I’m glad that it seems in the next episode she does start to question that there is more to the story of why Serkan broke up with her. I think she needed to get over the initial shock of the breakup before she could think rationally.
The real issue between them is unresolved childhood trauma. Serkan believes that he is unlovable because of the way his parents seemed to have favoured his older brother and then sent him away when his brother died. This is his perspective and it may be true but it might also be skewed because he was never allowed to deal and process the grief of that death. His parents shipping him off to boarding school so soon after that death means that he has learned to cope by internalizing his emotions and putting up walls. Eda in turn deals with the grief of losing her parents by distancing herself from anyone who had anything to do with them, namely her grandmother, except for her aunt, who basically created a new identity for Eda. This is classic avoidance behaviour. These childhood traumas prevent these two from now being able to deal with the past as adults and have caused these two soulmates to be torn apart.
The resolution of the story is going to be helping each other heal from these past traumas.
What I loved
Both Kerem and Hande were excellent in episode 15. I appreciate so much the lack of histrionics and overacting that can sometimes come when actors try and convey such intense emotions. However, here we are treated to two actors that have the ability to show us the depth of their feeling and pain without overdoing it. Hande especially had the tougher role to play this week, she had to play distraught, angry and vulnerable, occasionally all in one scene, and she was more than up to the task.
I loved that, in a bit of role reversal, it was Fifi who provided the most of the comfort to Eda in this episode. I really love her character and wish that they would give her more to do that doesn’t involve Erdem. She was sweet to Eda, bringing her warm milk to calm her down. I mean, she did want to go pummel Serkan so she’s the same in that way, but I’m happy she’s getting more screen time and they are exploring different aspects of her personality.
I’m glad that Eda went back to Serkan’s to give him hell. I think this happens to all of us, after the initial shock of a situation, there are always things we wish we would have said so I’m glad she took the opportunity to vent to him. It will be helpful down the road for Serkan to realize that she really did love him if she could be this hurt by him. It was sad when she said that he has nothing in his life he can replace her with and when she’s out of earshot he whispers that he knows that. He is willing to live the rest of his life unhappy rather than hurt her for the rest of hers.
Serkan is initially uncomfortable with Eda at Art/Life but very quickly adjusts and is quite happy that she is around. He really does breathe better when she is there. It doesn’t matter to him that she is hating him right now, to get to see her is enough for him, although he doesn’t like it that she is seemingly indifferent to him and won’t take his advice. I think if Efe hadn’t hired her, it wouldn’t have been too long before Serkan figured out a way to get her back into the office. He does tell her that she made the right decision in coming back but she is quick to tell him she isn’t looking for his approval.
I loved Seyfi defending Serkan to Leyla when she says that Efe is so handsome, Seyfi says ‘Serkan is the cutest!’.
Eda was furious at Ayfer for contacting her grandmother for money but after the girls tell her of Ayfer’s own money problems, she starts to see the situation differently and forgives her aunt. This is what Serkan needs to see in Eda -- her capacity to put herself in other people’s shoes and forgive their transgressions. We’ve seen Eda do it multiple times, even with someone she may not love as much as she loves her aunt like Aydan. Eda is a very compassionate person and I am completely convinced that she would never hold her parent's death against Serkan. And if she did think of them when she saw him, that would fade with time as grief acknowledged does.
Eda is wearing her engagement ring at the office and when Serkan questions her about it, she tells him that his mother said it would remind Serkan of her if he saw it so she’s wearing it to torture him with it and also to remind herself of the kind of man he is. She then asks why he is still wearing his engagement ring and he tells her that it is to keep other women away and keep his mind on work. She reminds him that her name is engraved on it and it’s Eda that is protecting other women from the kind of man Serkan is.
Efe leaving Eda behind because Serkan lied to him and told him that Eda was delayed, classic Serkan. He’s standing outside the office whistling as she comes out and sees Efe’s car drive off. Serkan says ‘Efe’s gone but Serkan is here’. He’s so pleased that she has to ride with him. She is less pleased, but I do love that she doesn’t let him tell her what to do when she confesses that she’s nervous about the presentation he says she shouldn’t have agreed if she isn’t ready and she retorts that he shouldn’t have let her into his life if he wasn’t ready for a relationship.
Serkan is back treating her and talking to her like nothing has happened. This is both annoying and wonderful. Annoying because they need to have some honest conversations about what is going on with them and wonderful because it shows that they still have that connection between them. I think that Serkan feels comfortable talking to her and teasing her because she seems to be okay with their situation. It isn’t until the off-roading scene that she allows him to see that she isn’t okay. When he chastises her for being reckless with her driving and she could be hurt. She answers ‘would it matter?’. The look on his face when he realizes that she thinks he wouldn’t care if she was hurt was painful to see.
But our missed opportunities never leave us, and every time they come back to haunt us, we ache.
The scene at the end, with Eda unconscious in a ditch, was predictably what we expected would happen; one of them was going to be hurt. Was this similar to Erkenci Kus? Yes. Did I love it anyway? Also, yes. These are dizi staples and ubiquitous in romcoms of all varieties, one lover has to realize what really losing the other would mean to come to their senses.
What I liked
Aydan made an attempt to comfort Eda when she finds her that night. This was a little confusing as Aydan seems to know that Serkan didn’t tell her the truth about the accident with her parents. Did Serkan tell his mother he was going to lie? Aydan does her best to tell Eda that all things will pass, which is great but you know what would be better? The truth, and it could easily come from Aydan. If she claims to care about Eda’s feelings, why not tell her the truth herself? Eda’s parting shot is that Aydan should think about how she raised such an uncaring son, which isn’t true. Aydan should think about how she and Alptekin screwed up their son’s self-esteem so much that he feels like he’s not worthy of Eda’s love.
The logic in our minds had always been at odds with the logic of life itself.
Eda finds out about Ayfer contacting babanne for the scholarship money. She is furious at her aunt because Eda had always refused to be reliant on her grandmother. I’m glad this secret is out and it means that Eda has no reason to go to Italy now. I really want more on the backstory of Eda’s animosity towards her grandmother. It seems like there’s more to the story than what we have been told.
I’m going to come out and say it, I really like the Efe character. He’s been nothing but nice and incredibly helpful to Eda without any romantic vibes. He is also being polite with Serkan, even though he doesn’t need to be. He notices that at one point, Eda is uncomfortable at Art/Life and suggests they move to another location, but he leaves it up to her to decide. I very much appreciate that there are no power plays between him and Serkan over Eda.
Serkan tells him that Eda is going to be a bit delayed so Efe can leave and Serkan will take Eda to the Bolats. Efe just says ‘okay’ and leaves. Glorious lack of any sort of territorialism, I love it. I’m 100% convinced that he’s working for Eda’s grandmother and 75% convinced that he’s a distant cousin of Eda and Ayfer’s. The tidbit that he’s also from Mardin wasn’t so much a dropped hint as it was a sledgehammer. Given that he’s a world-famous architect and couldn’t be paid to help Eda, I’m assuming that he is part of the family. My hope is that he’s been sent to do a bit of spying and to help Eda with her career and that’s all. I really don’t want him to turn into a bad guy and be out to ruin the Bolats.
Engin is the world’s best friend and thankfully Serkan has him to talk to, now if he would only take his advice. He took one look at his friend’s face when Eda was leaving with Efe and took it upon himself to ask where they were going because he knew that Serkan couldn’t.
I also appreciated that Serkan and Eda were both mature and calm at the office. Unlike some other recently broken up characters, cough*Selin*cough.
I am so pleased that I both like and dislike Selin in equal measures. She is a self-centred childish brat one minute, giving Ceren all kinds of attitude at the office and the next she is whooping it up in the offload vehicle with Efe yelling for him to go faster. I actually really like that she’s multifaceted and I also really loved that she didn’t overstep and try and console Serkan in any way this episode.
What I disliked
Alptekin. Really, truly a terrible father. Let’s recap: He sent his prepubescent son away to boarding school two weeks after his brother died; He actively looked forward to his son’s business failing so it would force Serkan to come to work at the holding for him; He refused to attend his son’s engagement; Agreed to let Ferit work at the holding just to aggravate Serkan; He left it up to Serkan to tell Eda about his involvement in her parent's death.
Did I miss anything?
He did attempt to tell Ayfer the truth but chickened out. I’m wondering if we will learn some things about the past that will redeem this character but, for now, he must shoulder the blame for ruining his son’s life.
What needs to happen next
Eda and Serkan need to have an honest conversation about the past and see if their love is strong enough to help them heal together. I think Serkan will be surprised at how much Eda truly loves him and hopefully, this will help him overcome the neglect he suffered from his parents.
Alptekin needs to step up and be the one to tell Eda and Ayfer of his role in the death of Eda’s parents. This might be the only thing that can repair the damage in his relationship with his son.
We need to find out more about Efe and his possible ties to Eda’s grandmother
Selin needs to grow up and get that sour look off her face, she is to blame for her own misery. It’s interesting that she doesn’t blame Serkan at all for the wedding fiasco but is ready to go to war with Ferit. More proof that she never really loved Ferit.
A sad but beautiful chapter to Eda and Serkan’s love story. These two actors are so good at the subtle, little moments that convey so much of what they are feeling. Hande Erçel in particular was exceptional, she is so believable in all emotions she was required to play.
I understand that there were some issues with one of the actors testing positive for COVID during the shooting of episode 15, which led to a slightly truncated show this week. The production and shooting schedule for any turk dizi is insane and I feel like we should be grateful that they were able to give us such a good chapter to the story this week.
For awhile just little bit, this woman saved me from the usual miserable state ,
She reminded me what kind of man I am, or rather a person.
That I also have character traits that can live.
She taught that life may not be as meaningless as it seemed.
As soon as I got rid of her shackles, again he returned to the previous state.
I just realized how much I need her ….
**All quotes are Sabahattin Ali, Madonna in a Fur Coat
