Summary:
The episode starts with a much-anticipated confrontation between Haşmet and Fuat that takes place at the request of The Old Man. Of course, the conversation is hostile and full of hatred from both sides. Fuat first attempts to defend himself by claiming his family was killed by mistake, but Haşmet knows it’s a lie since Fuat never attempted to kill him again after he stepped down from the consortium. Fuat finally admits he did it to gain power which causes Haşmet to become enraged since he took him in after his father was killed. Fuat accuses Haşmet of never loving or appreciating him. He claims he always felt like an obligation to him so he did what he had to become more powerful. Haşmet threatens Fuat that he won’t always be able to hide behind powerful people and ultimately he will go after him. At that moment, Mithat arrives who also has a confrontational conversation leaving Fuat even more infuriated.
After Ali Riza informs Burak he has Murat, he attempts to call him but is unable to reach him. They reach out to Hasan but one of The Old Man’s guard’s answers the phone and informs Burak they will be picked up and instructs them not to resist. Armed men arrive and take Ali Riza and Burak away. At the same time, Halide, Ferit, and Sabri are also approached by armed men as they leave the location where they left Ali Riza with Burak.
Once all the key players are together: Haşmet, Fuat, Mithat, Halide, and Ali Riza, Haşmet informs them he went to The Old Man to get his help for Halide. Fuat says he agreed to the Old Man’s order but Ali Riza interrupts him and says he exchanged his life for Halide so she could be released. Halide becomes infuriated and screams at Fuat for taking her to the same location where they killed her family. Ali Riza takes her outside to give her time to calm down before she attacks him again. Haşmet informs Fuat and Mithat the Old Man asked for a temporary cease-fire. He will also provide more details at their meeting the following day regarding their partnership going forward. They all agree.
As Haşmet, Halide, and Ali Riza leave, Haşmet takes that opportunity to scold her after what she did. Both Haşmet and Ali Riza are not happy she put herself in danger. When Halide tries to justify her actions, Haşmet very lovingly tells her he will make a deal with the devil to keep her safe. Mithat informs Melek of the temporary cease-fire until their next meeting. He tells her they shouldn’t choose sides (Fuat vs. Haşmet) but should just worry about their own interests and family. Burak has a hard time understanding the cease-fire but Fuat is more upset at him for not following through with his order to kill Halide and reminds him it’s all his fault they’re in this situation because of his obsession with Halide. Murat comes to his rescue and tells Fuat if Burak is going to take over as head of the family then he needs to back off and let him do it instead of constantly criticizing him.
When Haşmet gets home, Ali Riza also gets a lecture by Haşmet for not waiting for him to return and putting himself in danger. Ali Riza explains he couldn’t risk leaving Halide with Burak so he did what he had to do. When Ali Riza asks what The Old Man asked in return for helping him with Halide, Haşmet says he had to give up his pursuit of revenge against Fuat. Ali Riza suggests taking care of Fuat for him but Haşmet tells him they need to wait until the outcome of the meeting to decide what to do next. Ali Riza asks Haşmet if he can “take out” of Erol and Ahmet for betraying them which Haşmet agrees. Before Ali Riza leaves, Halide asks to speak with him in private. They finally get a chance to reconnect after escaping from Burak’s crazy hands. They reconcile after they both realize they can’t stay away from each other.
Later that evening, just as Ali Riza hangs up after speaking with Halide, Muzaffer sneaks up on him and points a gun to his head, and tells him only love can get a person like him killed. After Ali Riza brings him up to date, Muzaffer wants him to keep Haşmet in control so he doesn’t attempt to do anything to Fuat. When Ali Riza asks why Fuat is so important to him, Muzaffer tells him Fuat is the closest person to The Old Man who will be the key to capture him. When Ali Riza says he can also get close to The Old Man, Muzaffer tells him that will be his new mission.
The following day, Fatih’s funeral takes place but first Ali Riza plans to find and punish the people Burak used to plant the bomb that killed him as well as get retribution from Erol and Ahmet for their betrayal. Ali Riza shoots and kills the two men responsible for making and planting the bomb but allows the woman who was hired to deliver it to live so she can deliver a message to Burak and Fuat. When the woman arrives at Fuat’s house, she presents them with Ali Riza’s gift which turns out to be the two dead men as well as Erol and Ahmet’s rosaries as a message to let them know they discovered that they conspired with them.
During the consortium meeting, Fuat begins to complain that Haşmet did not obey the ceasefire by attacking Erol and Ahmet, however, Haşmet quickly shuts him up by reminding him that they both were a part of his team and Ali Riza followed his command and took care of them for betrayal. Fuat claims he feels threatened but again Haşmet tells him to shut up so they can start the meeting before it escalates again. The Old Man’s messenger brings forward a sealed envelope that contains their new agreement. Haşmet asks Ali Riza to read it which includes an agreement to not take revenge against each other for past events, the new patron will be Mithat, and Fuat will step aside due to health problems and will be represented by Murat. Fuat goes into an angry fit, blaming Mithat and Haşmet for conspiring against him. He attempts to confront Haşmet again who responds with the promise he made Halide that he will bury his anger and pain and will not take revenge but if anyone tries to hurt his family again, he will not keep his promise and destroy him. After Fuat leaves, a shocked Murat is welcomed by Haşmet and Mithat but Murat is reluctant to take over his family’s chair but is reminded that for the safety of his family, he will step in and take over as ordered.
After the meeting concludes, Ali Riza asks Haşmet if he knew what was going to happen, but Haşmet denies knowing about the Old Man’s plans. He mentions he was more giving than he thought he would be, which concerns Ali Riza since Haşmet refuses to tell him what he had to promise the Old Man in exchange for Halide’s life. Haşmet tells Ali Riza he needs to continue to live like a sword, not for him, but for Halide from now on. When Fuat informs Burak of the change in power within their family, Burak goes into a raging fit but Fuat tells him they will discuss it further at home in private. Mithat gives the good news to Melek, Halide, and Derya once he gets home, who are all very happy for him. He also mentions that Fuat was asked to step down and Murat was named the new leader of the Ersoylu family which Derya does not agree with. When Murat finally arrives home, Burak tries to accuse him of going behind his back but Murat reassures him he had no idea they were going to make that decision which he tried to decline but to keep him safe, he had to agree.
Later that evening, Halide finds Ali Riza drunk at a bar by himself. She’s concerned for him since he hasn’t slept for a few days and tries to get him to leave but he refuses. He tells Halide he’s been thinking of the words she said to him that there are no winners in their world, only losers and says he’s just waiting for that to happen to him. Halide finally cuts him off from drinking and convinces him to leave with her who takes him to a hotel so he can sleep with no interruptions. On the other side of town, Murat reluctantly gives the news to Fusun who is not happy that instead of him leaving the mafia world, he’s going to become one of their leaders. She asks him to leave so she can think about their future since she knows their plans of living a peaceful life is not going to happen anytime soon.
The following day, Fuat and Burak set off their revenge plan against Haşmet, Mithat, and Ali Riza but it doesn’t go as planned. Burak attacks Haşmet's vehicle but when he checks to make sure Haşmet is dead, they find Ahmet dead inside. Next, Mithat is targeted while at his tailor but when the snipers check to make sure he’s dead, they find Erol instead. And last, Ali Riza is assaulted by snipers while eating breakfast with Halide. As they attempt to escape, Ali Riza is wounded and as they get ready to get off the elevator, two snipers are waiting for them however Murat arrives just in time to help Ali Riza and shoots the snipers. Murat immediately calls Burak to tell him to go home because his plan has been terminated leaving a shocked Burak completely speechless. While the incidents are occurring, Haşmet has his own plan of retribution. He manages to get into Fuat’s house by massacring all his guards and doing what he promised Fuat he would do, kill him.
What I Loved:
I love how both Halide and Ali Riza take care of their parents and vice versa. Ms. Rukiya is a mom that always has the right thing to say to Ali Riza when she sees him struggling. She keeps him grounded and reminds him to not lose his conscience. Although Haşmet seems a little rough towards Halide, she is his most precious thing in the world and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Halide’s concerns for Haşmet are also very touching especially when she sees him so lonely and detached from everyone and everything. I also love the new attitude Ali Riza has towards Halide. He is no longer distancing himself from her but acting like a real boyfriend. Finally!! When he calls her just to hear her voice was the sweetest thing that even caught her off guard. Watching a drunk Ali Riza was entertaining, to say the least. He was just too adorable when he tells Halide that he only has eyes for her when Halide points out the table of girls that kept checking him out. Then the following morning, he’s still being cute and playful with Halide when she asks him if he remembers what they talked about the previous night and he tells her he remembers being with a beautiful woman that he may have picked up from the bar. Adorable!
What I Liked:
I like how Ali Riza and Haşmet's relationship continues to evolve. They seem to understand each other more and are starting to have a father-son type relationship. It appears that Haşmet is OK with Halide and Ali Riza having a relationship even though they haven’t said anything to him to make it official, but he knows he can trust him with her. I like that Mithat was chosen as the new patron. He was the obvious choice since Haşmet and Fuat have too much drama so it will be interesting to see what type of patron he’s going to be since Mithat tends to be power-hungry. With Melek by his side, they will be a power couple that will be very interesting to watch. And last, I liked when Murat finally defended himself against Fuat who always treats him like a step-child next to Burak. I’m sure we’ll see a more confident Murat in the coming episodes.
What I Disliked:
Derya is ridiculous. When Melek tells her they used her to betray Burak, the first thing she does is call Burak to beg him not to be mad at her since she didn’t have anything to do with the betrayal. She’s so pathetic when she tells him she could never betray him which I’m sure he’ll use to his advantage. I also disliked Fusun when she accused Ali Riza of dragging Fatih into his mess and therefore responsible for his death during the funeral. How uncaring is she?!? And again, she is being the biggest hypocrite for criticizing Ali Riza when she’s dating Murat! I also did not like the fact that Muzaffer is still attempting to use Ali Riza. Since their last confrontation, it appears Ali Riza is not 100% with him anymore but he may be using him as well as he continues his quest for revenge.
What Needs To Happen Next:
A lot of unanswered questions have developed. What did the Old Man ask Haşmet in return for saving Halide’s life? During an earlier conversation, Haşmet tells the Old Man “he’s now with him” but what does that mean? Haşmet also says if he had done what the Old Man had asked him earlier, he would not have lost his wife and sons. Does the end of the episode suggest Haşmet went against the agreement or is it part of the plan with the Old Man? What did Ali Riza mean when he told Halide they are setting the rules after escaping the sniper attack? Why did he tell Murat he was late getting there? How did Murat know he would be attacked? Will Burak and Murat become enemies after Burak’s revenge plan was terminated?
My Thoughts:
I got the feeling this episode was like a new beginning. There is a new consortium, a new boss, new rules, and perhaps new alliances. I’m so happy Ali Riza and Halide reconciled and decided to have a regular relationship. I don’t think Haşmet has a problem with it anymore but maybe it’s too soon. I have been watching and re-watching the adorable scenes between Ali Riza and Halide on repeat for days especially the bar scene. I really hope the writers continue to include more scenes that are fun and romantic to lighten up the mood a little so these characters can be happy in between betraying each other. My favorite quote from this episode is from Ms. Rukiya to Ali Riza “One minute with your beloved is the most valuable thing in the world.” Beautiful!
