A bit of a shifting of gears for this weeks outing of Sen Çal Kapimi. Not a filler episode by any means but more of a fleshing out of some of the teased backgrounds of our main character and also some of the side characters. Writer Ayse Üner Kutlu once again brings classical literature, astronomy, greek/roman mythology and other symbolic elements in to her story telling and elevates the well worn tropes of romantic comedies to something a whole lot more.
What I loved
Serkan and Eda
Serkan and Eda get to spend a lot of alone time together this episode and it definitely, but subtly progresses their love story.
They arrive in Antalya at the hotel that Ferit is a partner in, Serkan, Eda, Engin, Pyril, Selin and Ferit in three separate vans, wasteful. Anyway, Serkan and Eda stroll in holding hands, cue Selin’s jealous face, and Selin and Pyril both give her the once over for travelling in shorts and a t-shirt. She scoffs at them and says she will never dress like them. Selin looks like she is auditioning for Aladdin on Ice.
They all head to their rooms including Serkan and Eda who are in a huge suite. It’s lovely with a giant terrace but only one bed. Ah huh. Serkan asks where her other suitcase is, and she says she only has the one, and he questions what she is going to be wearing for the few days that they are there. She tells him she has shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. He is scornful and says that this weekend is important for him and she’s going to show up at the award presentation in flip-flops? She reminds him that he didn’t tell her anything about the weekend including what she might need to bring to wear. She goes to take a shower and when she comes out a couple of women with a whole rack of clothes show up and Serkan tells her that the clothes are from a ‘sponsor’ and she is to pick out some things, and the more she chooses the happier that sponsor will be. We are treated to a dress Eda up montage with Serkan as watchful hubby. I was really prepared to be annoyed with this scene, Eda had just said that she wouldn’t dress up like Selin and Pyril, but it was fun and Eda takes so much joy in annoying the hell out of Serkan, who we find out is the ‘sponsor’ of the clothes.
They are supposed to meet with a couple of investors for a golf course but they are a couple and are going through a bad time and are on the verge of a divorce so the meeting is postpone. Serkan tells Eda that he needs her by his side for the rest of the trip. Eda cajoles Serkan into going swimming in the sea with her. They play around in the waves for a bit and then head back to the cabana where the team is assembled. The meeting gets postponed again and Eda suggests that they play volleyball much to Engin’s delight. He is very different than Serkan and really seems open to having some fun, unlike the other workaholics on the team. They have a lovely sunset game with the six of them and end up back in the sea to cool off as the day ends. As an aside, it really seems like the cast gets along really well, and while not necessary to be able to enjoy a show, it’s an added bonus for the audience when we can imagine that the cast actually had fun filming their scenes.
Eda and Serkan are back in their room and they discuss Selin and Ferit and Serkan says that their relationship seems strained, Eda says that Ferit seems sweet, Serkan asks her if he is sweet and she says no, he is charismatic. Eda says that they are getting along well lately, not fighting as much and Serkan agrees that they are doing well with the fake engagement. He tells her that he needs her to help him get Selin alone so he can talk to her, and she says she will figure out how to get Ferit away from Selin for a bit.
Later, Serkan and Eda meet up, Serkan is annoyed that Eda has learned the names of some of the patrons and staff at the hotel and they greet her as she comes to sit down with Serkan. It’s hard to tell if it’s jealousy but he seems particularly mad about the male waiter knowing her name. She tells him that this is what she is like and not everyone only thinks about work and never acknowledges the people around them. He thinks that she talks too much and she says how does that effect you? He reminds her that their goal is to make Selin jealous and if she’s off talking to other people they can’t accomplish this goal. She says fine she will not leave his side and look on him with such love. She says this is the hardest part, pretending to be in love with him. No one is buying that, Eda. It really seems that Serkan likes having Eda around him all the time, if we compare this to his attitude about spending time with Selin, where it seems like she basically had to make an appointment to see him, we see the contrast. Serkan may say that he is annoyed by her presence but he seems to crave her attention, Selin is nowhere to be seen in this scene so why does Eda have to be by his side?
Birol bey, the man Serkan needs to sign the contract, comes and sits with Serkan as a woman joins Eda at the bar. She introduces herself to Eda as Seville, she is Birol’s possibly soon to be ex-wife. The two woman bond about the men in their lives, Eda refers to Serkan as a sweet robot, as Birol and Serkan also talk relationships. Birol tells Serkan that if your eyes look for her and you can put up with her nonsense then it is love. Erol and Seville are a mirror for Eda and Serkan.
Later that evening the four of them have dinner together and it turns out that Birol and Seville’s story is almost exactly the same as what Serkan and Eda are living at the moment, other than the fact that the relationship between them isn’t real. One nice moment that happens is that when Seville asks Eda if she is a landscape architect and Eda has to say no not yet, Serkan jumps in and explains and says that Eda has a lot of talent. I like the fact that neither Serkan nor Eda are shy about complimenting each other's talent.
The older couple end up pushing away from the table in an argument and Serkan and Eda says that at least they will be avoiding marrying each other when it’s clear they are not suited when suddenly it seems like the other couple have reconciled and will now happily sign the contract with Serkan. The use of this older couple is a little clunky, showing that two people very similar to Eda and Serkan have made it 25 years in a marriage, it’s a bit heavy handed, but it’s a way for our couple to see that the fact that they are different doesn’t mean they can’t be together.
That night Serkan is trying to work and Eda, in her very cute dinosaur pjs, is bored and pacing around behind him on the terrance. He suddenly gets up and starts packing a backpack. She asks where he is going and he says to a special place, she asks if she can come with him and he says no. She asks if he will be alone and he says yes, she asks if he will be back in the morning and he says yes, she asks if he will tell her where he is going and he says no, she asks why and he says she’s not allowed to ask so many questions. She asks again if she can come with him, he says no, she says she will be very bored alone in the room. He says she can’t come because she will get tired, she says she won’t get tired and he says she doesn’t get tired of talking. She says fine, she won’t come, even if he asks, he says he’s not asking. She silently gives him the puppy eyes and the next scene is the two of them walking under an arch and she says that it’s good that he insisted that she come, he says that he didn’t, but she says that his eyes were insisting that she come. It’s a very light and funny scene that illustrates just how hard it is for Serkan to say no to Eda.
They have come to the ruins of Apollo’s Temple, Serkan gives the history of the site, tells her that he loves the architecture, and tells a little about Apollo to Eda, that he was the god of poetry, art and prophecy. She says, like you, always looking to the future and not living in the moment. She wonders if this is why Apollo gave up his love. Serkan asks what she means and she says of course you don’t know this side of the story. She tells him that Apollo fell in love with a beautiful woman by a river one day and asks for her name, at this Serkan flashes to the moment in the first episode when he asked Eda for her name and she wouldn’t tell him. Eda continues and says that Apollo tried and tried to get the woman to marry him and eventually she says yes, but Apollo remembered that he is immortal and that the woman is human and will eventually die, Apollo tells her he will come back for her and she waits for him, with her face turned to the sun until she turns into a flower one day. Serkan says the sun god, Apollo, risked getting burned. I tried to find this particular story in the myths of Apollo but nothing came up, I think it might be Ayse using a little poetic license and co-opting the Apollo and Daphne story to fit to the Eda and Serkan story a little better
Eda says that it is so quiet, like they are the only people left on earth, he asks her if she is ready to see the most beautiful view, she excitedly says yes, he asks if she wants coffee, Serkan offers her a choice between the blue mug and the red mug but pulls them back and says that she will get the blue one, leaving him with the red one. If we remember back to the last episode and Eda telling Serkan about the meaning of the colours on the mood changing mug, blue is excited and red is in love. Very interesting. A few moments later the Perseids meteor shower starts. Eda asks him if he wishes on falling stars and he says no, then asks her if she does but she tells him to shut up she’s wishing, he laughs and tells her tonight all your dreams will come true.
They watch the shower and Eda makes more wishes, she then asks where Sirius is and Serkan points out the star for her. He then tell her the story of how he rescued Sirius, I think from a dogfight, and took care of him. Because he shared with her she tells him that she and Melo have known each other since they were babies and when she was young Melo couldn’t say Eda she called her Dada and still does. Serkan says he likes Melo, that she is very sweet, Eda says that all her friends are and Serkan says she is lucky. He asks her what she plans on doing after graduation from university and she says she still wants to go to Italy and become a world famous landscape architect, she says maybe they will meet up again someday in a garden that she has designed. He says he would gladly walk through a garden that she has designed. He asks if she is ready to go to another place for daybreak and she is very excited they are going somewhere else.
We next see them descending some stairs and Eda says she has never talked so much in her whole life, that it was the most beautiful night of her life, we are left to conclude they have been talking all night. Serkan says she needs to hurry up and she tells him not to do that, that every time they get closer he gets cold and is rude to her. He says okay he won’t do that, she tells him that she is serious, that they are spending so much time together, pretending to be engaged that it is normal for them to tell each other things to share things. He tells her to be quiet and listen and she finally hears the waterfall that they have come to. She convinces him to go for a quick swim. I thought for sure we would get a kiss here, but no, however lots of handholding and other touching.
They return to the hotel where everyone has been waiting for Serkan, Pyril ambushes them in the lobby and chastises Serkan asking ‘where have you been?’. He tells her to back off, that everything is fine and he is ready, Pyril looks at Eda as much as to say, ‘you’re causing trouble again’. Eda states that it’s their last day, Serkan asks again for her to distract Ferit so he can get 5 mins alone with Selin to convince her that she shouldn’t be with Ferit. Eda asks if he really thinks he can convince her in 5 mins? Serkan says yes he does.
They go back to the room to get ready for the awards ceremony, Eda is doing her make-up and is on the phone to Melo, Ayfer and Fifi, Melo asks how Antalya is and Eda glances over to where Serkan is standing shirtless and loses her faculties for a moment, not attracted to his muscles, eh Eda?
Of course the episode ends with the Officer and a Gentleman like whisking away of Eda by Serkan. He takes her by the hand to lead her away from the press where is was just about to sacrifice herself, and then carries her across the sand to the boat so she doesn’t have to try and walk in the sand in high heels. Swoon. He didn’t stick around to sign the contract he was supposed to with Birol and Seville, who to be fair were looking on adoringly as he swooped in to save Eda from the press, and he also didn’t stay to have the conversation with Selin that he was apparently so desperate to have. This is Serkan in love, throwing away all his carefully laid out plans to spontaneous take Eda away on a boat as the sun sets.
Melo and Fifi
I loved Fifi dressing Melo up for her interview, why dressing and acting like Fifi would be a good thing, I’m not sure, but for comic effect it was golden.
Baba Bolat coming to the rescue and offering Melo a job was so wonderful and it’s good to see that he has a heart, it’s going to be so interesting to see why he has such an adversarial relationship with Serkan. I think it's got to do with the brother that died.
What I liked
The Bolats
We got a few more tantalizing peeks into the Bolat family. They are a sad, lonely bunch I think. Alptekin, after his conversation with Serkan on the phone, pulls out a book and tucked inside is a photo of him with a child that is obviously, from the dark hair, not Serkan. I am convinced now that the Bolats had another child who died, and it seems like he was Alptekin’s favourite.
Aydan is worried that Eda is getting too close to Serkan, she worries that the romantic evenings at the Mediterranean Sea will seduce them, and she is right to be worried.
I think it’s going to be more than just Eda who will get under the skins of the Bolats, Melo is going to be an assistant at the holding firm, Alptekin offers her a job after witnessing her disastrous video job interview and I think he finds her charming. Safie is already team Eda and seems to have easily bonded with Eda’s friends and aunt.
Pyril and Engin
There is an obvious attraction between Pyril and Engin but she seems particularly unwilling to pursue any kind of romantic relationship with him. She is a text book workaholic and it seems that she uses work as an excuse to avoid having to think about anything else in her life. She says as much to Selin at the beach. She and Engin have a lovely afternoon, when plied with enough alcohol she loosens up and has fun with him and then with the whole team. But the next morning she is back to tense, work focused Pyril much to the dismay of Engin.
I think this is why Pyril is so unnerved by Eda and Serkan’s relationship, she sees Serkan as a kindred spirit who is also only focused on work and avoids romantic distractions, but now that Eda is in the picture and Serkan is changing to meet Eda’s needs, it’s throwing Pyril off. She doesn’t like that her friend isn’t solely focused on work because it’s holding a mirror up to her own existence.
What I didn’t like
Selin/Serkan and Selin/Ferit
We started the episode where we left off at the messy dinner party with Selin and Ferit and the reveal of the engagement contract. Selin has the gall to read the small piece she ripped out of Eda’s hands out loud to the table. Honestly, who does she think she is? And why doesn’t Serkan tear her a new one, no one acts likes it’s a problem that she snooped through their stuff?!!? They pass it off as a joke between them and the dinner ends but not before Ferit takes a picture of that small piece of the contract. Yeah, buddy, any sympathy I might have had for you is gone forever.
Ferit flat out asks Selin if she wants to get back together with Serkan and she denies it, he says why are you so jealous of Eda then. And it’s true, there are several moments in the episode where it is obvious she is jealous and it is written all over her face. She is still in love with Serkan and Ferit has noticed.
Selin has a talk with Pyril and says that she is just trying to get control of everything, in this way she is like Serkan. I don’t think Serkan wants to get back together with Selin, he just doesn’t want her to be with Ferit because Ferit is so close with Kaan. Selin is trying to break up Eda and Serkan because she doesn’t think they are right for each other, the difference is that she is still in love with Serkan, whereas I don’t think he was ever in love with her. I think he loves her, as a close friend, and would have ultimately married her, but he doesn’t feel any passion for her. They would have been together because they come from the same place, their dads are partners, they ‘fit’ in each other’s social circles etc., and also Selin goes along with everything that he says.
I can’t yet tell if Ferit is a weasel or he’s just an idiot. Regardless, he had to know, given their history, that Kaan would use any ammunition against Serkan that he can get so the contract to the press was a logical step for Kaan. I hope Serkan punches him if only because it makes Eda look like a gold-digger. Selin at the end insisting that Eda had to talk to the press was a very blatant attempt to force her into debasing herself and and very nasty ploy on Selin’s part. She basically said ‘go embarrass yourself to the press while I figure out a way to prevent this from affecting Serkan’s reputation’. It was callus and mean and I was so glad that both Engin and Pyril told Eda that she didn’t have to do it and if she insisted that they would stand with her. Selin’s face at the end says it all, as Serkan takes Eda by the hand she has such a look of longing and jealousy that Pyril can seemingly see it through the back of her head.
Melo and Kaan
Kaan takes Melo out again and convinces her that he is interested in her but they have to keep it a secret because Serkan is crazy and obsessed with him. Projecting much, Kaan? He has definitely taken on the role of George Wickham in this story. She agrees because the poor girl is so smitten. He also tells her that he’s got her a job interview. She so happy and spontaneously hugs him. I hate this blatant manipulation of such a sweet character but I think that Melo is resilient and hopefully won’t be too hurt when this is over. Kaan is going to need to pay in various painful ways before the series ends.
What I hope happens next
Selin has been playing a dangerous game of trying to provoke Serkan by being with Ferit and bringing him into the holding company but it is not serving her well as Serkan recognizes it for what it is and it is inadvertently driving Serkan and Eda closer together. Selin is in love with Serkan, that is plain for everyone to see, but he doesn’t love her like that. She should cut her losses and stop using Ferit, as much as he is an idiot, he doesn’t seem to be a truly bad guy yet, and doesn’t deserve it.
Serkan has left behind his careful laid plan of getting Selin alone and convincing her to leave Ferit, was he going to ask her to marry him instead? He has deviated from the plan to rescue Eda from throwing herself to the wolves and confronting the paparazzi that have showed up. I hope that he doesn’t blame Eda for this turn of events.
The days away have shown the two of them that they can enjoy spending a lot of alone time together, particular Serkan seems to want to have her by his side every minute and you can’t convince me that it’s because of Selin. As much as he would hate to admit it, I think Serkan is a very lonely man and having Eda around has given him a taste of sharing his life with someone and he likes it. They spent the whole last night together talking, she says that she has never talked so much in her life, and if we assume that she wasn’t monologuing they had hours of conversation. I’m hoping we get more scenes illustrating just how compatible these two characters are and that it progresses to the realization that they are meant to be together. They have obvious physical attraction to one another, how many times did Serkan tell Eda she is beautiful, he couldn’t seem to stop saying it, but I think the more time they spend in one another’s company, especially alone, is reinforcing the idea that these two are meant for each other, it’s written in the stars.
Ayse Üner Kutlu is again proving that she is a master of the slowburn, show-don’t-tell style of romantic story telling. She give us beautiful imagery, poetic dialogue and two gorgeous, damaged people who are slowly coming to realize that their souls are already intertwined. The thing I appreciate the most about the way that this story is unfolding is that, other than the fake engagement, this is a realistic progression of two people falling in love, there doesn’t need to be any overt dialogue, the audience doesn’t have to be told that these two people are in love, we are seeing it in their faces, in their actions and in the way that they obviously enjoy spending time together.
