Vay vay! Let’s talk about that ending! (Spoilers from Episode 7 of Masumlar Apartmani are included in the following discussion.)
Flabbergasted and stunned may best describe the audience after that final scene. Some key reveals were made about Han in this episode, but the object beneath the sheet in his car, is probably the most shocking. No, it was not Haluk Bey’s body, cok sukur, but rather a mannequin, seemingly dressed as the teacher, who first inspired strong, affectionate feelings in Han. When Esat recounted Han’s feelings towards this woman to Esra, Esat focused on how angry Han had gotten when the scarf that was given to him by her, was taken away by another classmate, and how close he came to strangling that child. Although Han was only 9 years old when the incident took place, and the teacher, according to Esat, sought a transfer and left shortly thereafter, the event weighed heavily upon Esat, so much so that when Esra questions him about his friend, years later, this memory immediately comes to mind. To be fair, Esat also discussed the resounding loneliness that Han experienced as a child, particularly on the weekends at his boarding school, when he had no home to go to, and sat in a large empty room, eating his meals alone - giving us a much-needed glimpse into Han’s sad childhood.
Esat’s memory also helps explain why Inci astutely pointed out that Han was not ashamed of his family or Safiye’s actions, but was rather proud of them, and that his pride caused him to be defensive when Inci tried to ask him about seeking external medical help for his sister. A similar dynamic between shame and pride was also present in the exchange between Neriman and Safiye, where Neriman accuses Safiye of being ashamed of herself because she stopped learning. Neriman explains that this shame inspires her to study more because she does not want to be like Safiye; she wants to be proud of herself. Likewise, when Neriman tries to give Gulben adult diapers to prevent her from soiling her sheets, Gulben’s pride prevents her from accepting a possible solution to her ‘shameful’ problem. It is a tough battle that we are seeing being played out on screen in this dizi. There are so many warring emotions at play within each character and between these characters. On the one hand Han is handsome, intelligent, charming and kind, while on the other hand, he is violent, angry, secretive and cruel. Similarly, Safiye is maternal, caring, and responsible, while also abusive, controlling and stubborn. It seems that Han and Safiye are much more similar than we may have initially thought; despite having such different childhood experiences, they share the same mindset as adults: obstinately refusing to acknowledge that any problems or issues exist in themselves or their family that require external help or change.
The shining light of this story is Inci, not because she is not flawed, but because in spite of all that she has been through, primarily with her parents, but also with Uygar, she is fearless, and in Han’s words: refreshingly real. It is this authenticity that allows her to intuitively feel that Han is hiding something from her. He placated her concerns this episode with gentle caresses, but I think (and hope) that Inci will not stop searching until she learns the whole truth. Esra, Haluk Bey, Memduh Bey, and Ege are now all adamantly opposed to Han, and have warned Inci to stay away from him. But, for her part, Inci has often admitted that she was drawn to Uygar because she thought she could help him. It is possible that she may view Han’s secrets in the same light, but it is unclear if she will be able to provide all of the help that Han urgently needs. The love that was so passionately burning between these two seems to have been abruptly extinguished with these post-nuptial reveals. I’m curious to see how much of that initial spark will remain after all of Han’s secrets are exposed.
Gulben’s track this episode was disappointing. She had made so much progress in the last episode, saving Neriman from Safiye, and in this episode, raising her voice to Safiye, but it was all for naught. After tying her newly shortened locks, she returned beside her sister, once more, apologizing for her words, and submitting herself anew to whatever Safiye wanted to impose upon her. This felt like a missed opportunity for some character growth for Gulben. What if she had not reconciled with Safiye? What would have happened then?
Haluk Bey is quite assuredly the terrible man that Memduh Bey described him as. He not only blackmailed Han for money (twice), but also tried to manipulate Ege into leaving his grandfather to stay with him, not because he sincerely wanted to reconcile with Ege, but only to see how Ege could be of use to him, possibly to help him pay off his debt. I must confess that I am glad that Haluk Bey is deceitful; there are so many characters in this dizi with multiple shades and dimensions, it is nice to have a single character who is simply kotu. There may be more complexities that will be revealed about him in the future, but for now, I’m happy with this result.
Another scene that I must mention is where Bekir Bey longingly gazed at Gulben, while Gulben’s eyes were happily fixated on Esat, who soon excitedly accepted Esra’s invitation for chay, which was only issued because Esra wanted to extract information about Han for Inci. What a tangle!
As we look ahead to Bolum 8, I wonder how Han will respond to Gulben’s newfound knowledge of his marriage to Inci, and how he will answer Inci’s questions about his nighttime escapades. Let’s keep those shocking reveals coming!
