Summary:

The episode begins with Burak infiltrating Haşmet’s property as he slowly makes his way into his house until he finally finds him.  Thinking that he will kill Haşmet easily, Burak asks Haşmet if he’s ready for his funeral, but Haşmet surprises him when he turns around holding two grenades.  Burak thinks Haşmet is bluffing since Halide is there, but Haşmet lies and tells Burak she escaped a while ago.  Burak becomes annoyed that Haşmet is ruining his plan, so when Burak suggests they come to an agreement but Haşmet refuses.  They hear gunfire outside which means help has arrived for Haşmet so Burak tells him he’ll leave but promises he’ll be back.  Haşmet tells him to crawl back into the hold he came out of because he’s going after him just like he did with his father.

After Ali Riza loses Balaban and gets over the shock of hearing his father’s voice on the phone, he tells Aslan that his father told him he was returning and hung up.  Aslan tells Ali Riza to give him his phone so he can attempt to trace the call to try to find out where the call came from.  As they figure out their next steps, Ali Riza receives a call from Sabri who tells him Burak is attacking Haşmet’s house.  Aslan and Ali Riza rush to his house and successfully attack Burak’s men outside, and once they get inside, Ali Riza finds Haşmet.  He informs him Burak already left and tells him where he can locate Halide who he locked in the bathroom to hide her while he dealt with Burak.  

Once Halide repairs Haşmet’s wounds, she asks Ali Riza how his plan went with Balaban, so he proceeds to tell her that he lost Balaban at the last minute.  Ali Riza fills in Haşmet on the attack that was planned on the Ihtiyar, which he took her place to get Balaban.  After they leave Haşmet to rest, Ali Riza tells Halide he received a call from his father, which Halide mentions is odd that he would call after all these years and precisely now when he’s about to capture Balaban.  Ali Riza recognizes that his father may not be as innocent as he thought, but he hopes that he isn’t the person behind Balaban or her family’s murder.  After Ali Riza introduces Aslan to Halide, he tells her they plan on tracing the call to see if they can figure out where the call came from, however Halide asks Ali Riza to stop by his house first to see Mert and his mom because he can’t avoid them forever. 

At the same time, Murat arrives home to find a worried Fusun.  He tells her their trap on the Ihtiyar failed because Ali Riza surprised them with an attack, so they had to flee.  He comments that Ali Riza is always one step ahead of them like someone is feeding him information.  Later, Fusun asks Murat when it’s going to end so they can leave, but he tells her their war won’t end until one side is defeated plus he can’t leave Burak by himself.  When Burak arrives, he tells Murat that his mission also failed and wasn’t able to kill Haşmet.  He suggests they have a mole within their group who’s feeding information to Ali Riza, so Murat suggests it could be Mithat who they both don’t really trust.     

Meanwhile, Melek has been taken captive by Mithat after she pulled a gun on him but couldn’t go through with killing him after she received a call from Derya.  She accuses him of betraying everyone, including her, to get what he wants. Later, Mithat meets with Balaban who tells him they have a mole within their team.  Mithat suggests it’s Murat, but Balaban assures him he’ll figure it out and before he leaves, he asks him when he plans on picking a side since he continues to work with both teams.  At that moment, Haşmet calls Mithat to let him know Burak attacked his house and demands that he bring him to make him pay for what he did and also so Mithat can prove his loyalty to Haşmet.      

The Ihtiyar finds out from Muzaffer that Ms. Rukiya doesn’t want her anywhere near Ali Riza, but she says that’s impossible because Ali Riza needs to find out the truth soon.  She tells Muzaffer how Ali Riza is in constant danger, especially earlier that day when he found out Murat and Balaban had planned a secret attack on her which Ali Riza took her place in an attempt to counter-attack.  Muzaffer informs her Burak also attacked Haşmet earlier that day, so the Ihtiyar orders Safir to kill Balaban in order to make the power behind him come out so she can destroy them before they make another attempt. 

Later that evening, Balaban speaks with Murat and Burak.  He tells them he used a music box with a surprise device inside and while playing back the recording, they hear Fusun speaking with Ali Riza informing him of the surprise attacks.  Murat is devastated so Burak tells Balaban that they will handle it themselves.   

After Balaban leaves, Fusun asks Murat why he’s acting differently that caused his attitude to change.  Murat tells her they’re all just tense from the war, but Fusun points out that Burak is the one who wanted the war and dragged him into it.  Murat, still in shock about finding out that Fusun is the mole, tells her that soon they will be able to leave like they planned and tells her to pack.     

Ms. Rukiya visits Haşmet with the excuse to see how he’s recovering, but really, she wanted to talk to him about Ali Riza not getting blamed for his father’s past since the last time their family was there, he kicked them out and didn’t allow Halide and Ali Riza to get engaged.  Haşmet informs her he already spoke with Ali Riza and is aware that he’s not responsible for his father’s actions, but he's concerned about learning new information about him.  Haşmet confides in Ms. Rukiya that he knows who his mother really is and recommends she talk to Ali Riza herself before someone else does.  He warns her that the Ihtiyar will not stop until she tells Ali Riza.  Ms. Rukiya says she’s been wanting to tell him for a while but could never find the courage to do it for fear that his world would collapse once he finds out.  Haşmet assures her that Ali Riza will recuperate because that’s the kind of person she raised.  Before Ms. Rukiya leaves, she tells Halide that she tried to talk to Ali Riza earlier, but he refused to listen to her so Halide tells her she has an idea to get them together.

Aslan invites all the men to his restaurant to spend some downtime together and to celebrate Mert’s recuperation.   As they enjoy some drinks and listen to Hasan sing, they get a surprise guest, Halide.  Ali Riza invites her to join them but tells him she brought someone with her, Ms. Rukiya, who wants to speak with him first.  Outside, Ms. Rukiya apologizes for the hurtful things she said to him and asks him to forgive her, but Ali Riza tells her she was right.  He confesses to her when Mert stopped breathing and he thought he had died, he put his gun to his head and was ready to kill himself because he felt like there was no point in living.  He also confesses that he often regrets the path he took because of the pain and suffering they’ve been through, but Ms. Rukiya tells him everything happens for a reason.  Ali Riza says he still doesn’t know what that is especially now that his father seems to be involved causing him to rethink the past, but Ms. Rukiya tells him the past should stay in the past. 

The next day, Mithat informs Burak he has to take him to Haşmet, who requested he turn him over to him for attacking his home.  Murat attempts to go with him but Mithat tells him it only involves Burak.  On their way, Mithat tells Burak that Haşmet made him pick a side to know where his loyalty stands by having him turn in Burak.  He also tells him that Haşmet has no idea he’s walking into their trap.  Once they arrive at the location, Mithat makes it appear like Burak is being held by force when Haşmet arrives in an attempt to fool him.  However, as soon as Haşmet tells Mithat that he picked the right side, he reveals that he chose to be with Burak and signals for his armed team to show up.  Haşmet reminds him that he’s the one who wanted war and signals for his armed team to show up including Ali Riza, Ferit, and Aslan. 

Burak and Mithat become nervous when the confrontation gets intense and doesn’t go as planned, so Mithat attempts to bargain with Haşmet who doesn’t accept.  Ali Riza tells him they wanted the war, so they should stop wasting time.  Mithat accuses Haşmet of sending Melek to kill him, which is why he took her captive, but Haşmet denies it, telling him he would never involve a woman in their business.  Knowing that they are outnumbered and overpowered, Mithat tells him if they each go their separate ways unharmed, then he promises to release Melek.  Haşmet doesn’t believe him so Mithat tells him Halide is also with Melek who can guarantee their safety.  He says they will go home safely if they do the same, otherwise, if they die so will Melek and Halide.  At that moment, Haşmet receives a call from Halide to let him know they’re safe and on their way home, so he tells Mithat he has twelve hours to leave town along with Burak, Murat, and Balaban otherwise they will be meeting again for the last time.

Afterward, Ali Riza calls Fusun to warn her that Burak told him they discovered his spy and tells her to leave right away but Fusun doesn’t believe him.  She tells him he’s wrong and that Murat has agreed to leave just the two of them, but Ali Riza asks her to send him her location just in case she needs help.      

As Fusun hangs up with Ali Riza, Murat tells Fusun they’re leaving his world and Burak behind but in reality, he’s planning on killing her for betraying them.  On their way, he stops near an overlook of the ocean with the excuse that he wants to say goodbye to Istanbul before they leave.  As they enjoy the scene, Murat confesses to Fusun that the only person who ever loved him growing up was his mom so after she died, he felt like an orphan since Fuat never really loved him.  He says he did something he shouldn’t have which caused him to close himself off from the world for eight years, so he didn’t have any friends until he met her.  Murat confronts her and asks why she betrayed him by giving information to Ali Riza.  Fusun is shocked and tells him she did it to protect him, so Murat pulls out his gun and tells her if she really did it to protect him from his world then he’s going to kill himself in front of her so she doesn’t ever forget the image.

However, Ali Riza shows up and shoots him in the arm, so he drops the gun.  Hasan takes Murat with him so they can hide him until they figure out what to do with him while Ali Riza takes Fusun and tells her she’s going to have to disappear for a while for her safety. 

As Melek deals with the aftermath of what Mithat and Derya did to her, she gets the courage to tell Haşmet the secret she’s been hiding from him.  She confesses that she discovered the actual murderers of his wife and sons are Burak and Murat and that she tried to get him to listen to the recorded confession she had but Mithat deceived her and convinced her into not revealing the information to him.  Haşmet becomes upset at Melek for taking so long to tell him and also becomes enraged about the revelation.  He seeks out Hasan who tells him Ali Riza has Murat captured so he orders him to take him to his location.

Cliffhangers:

Haşmet informs the Ihtiyar that Mithat chose to be with Balaban, so she tells him she’ll take care of the rest of the matter.  After she hangs up, she tells Muzaffer to add Mithat to their kill list so they can finish what they set out to do immediately.  Muzaffer asks her what her plans are for Ali Riza, so she says she plans on talking with him soon…

Balaban asks Burak if Murat took care of Fusun, but Burak tells him they left and hasn’t been able to get a hold of him.  Balaban tells him it doesn’t matter because now they can move onto the next plan that involves the both of them…

Haşmet confronts Murat and asks him if he killed his family.  Murat confirms they destroyed his family after their father ordered them to do it.  Haşmet tells Ferit to untie him so Murat can face him to receive his punishment ….

Aslan tells Ali Riza he finally got a location from the phone number his father used so as they make plans to leave, Halide shows up and surprises Ali Riza.  He tells her his plans, so Halide invites herself in case he needs her help.  Once they get to the remote location, Ali Riza asks Halide to wait in the car since they don’t know what or who they’ll encounter inside.  As Aslan and Ali Riza scope out the abandoned building, he sees someone who appears to be his father…     

Questions Left Unanswered:

How will Halide react when she finds out Melek kept the secret from her and Haşmet for months about the true killers of her family?  Will Halide also want to seek revenge on Murat and Burak?

Will Haşmet kill Murat now that he has him captured?  Will he go after Burak next?  How will Ali Riza react to this revelation?

Who will tell Ali Riza the truth about his mother first?  Ms. Rukiya or the Ihtiyar?

How does the Ihtiyar plan to kill Mithat and Balaban?  Is that why Safir is following Ali Riza?

Will Mithat, Burak, and Balaban leave town within the timeframe Haşmet gave them, or are they planning on another attack? 

What is Balaban and Burak’s plan?  Are they going to exclude Mithat?

Is Ali Riza’s father alive?  If yes, then why has he been hiding all these years and why did he decide to make an appearance now? 

What I Loved:

I loved Mert in this episode because he put Ms. Rukiya in her place for the horrible things she said to Ali Riza at the hospital.  He didn’t go easy on her, but she deserved it especially after he explained that he insisted on accompanying him to the cemetery where he got shot.  I also loved that he thanked Halide for saving his life.  Although they haven’t had too many scenes together, I feel like they truly bonded together in more of a real brother-sister relationship than an in-law relationship.  I wish we could have seen them interact more so they could have a friend to confide in while they worried about Ali Riza.    

I loved that the boys got together to spend some downtime together.  I really enjoyed seeing them interacting with each other in a normal situation especially the singing part.  However, I really didn’t like the songs they sang because they were too sad and emotional!  They should have picked songs that would make them forget their worries or their pain and sang happy songs that reminded them of their childhood.   

What I Disliked:

I couldn’t believe Derya actually locked her mom and Halide while her despicable father and fiancé used them to bargain.  She has gone over the deep end and I really don’t see her returning.  She thinks she’s indispensable when it comes to Burak, but he will turn around and stab her in the back if the situation comes up.  Derya is really attached to Mithat, but I wonder how she would react if she knew that Burak would betray him if it benefits him, even if it means killing him.  Derya obviously doesn’t know the meaning of the word loyalty but I assume that’s why she kept a copy of the recording of Murat’s confession to use against Burak if needed.

Mithat and Burak using Halide and Melek to come to an agreement with Haşmet were wrong on so many levels.   They think of themselves as tough mafia bosses when in reality, they’re nothing but cowards.  They knew Haşmet and Ali Riza would never do anything that would jeopardize a woman, especially Halide, so using them to try to get what they want was definitely low, even for them.  

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying how heartbroken I am that this series is concluding at episode 30.  Yes, there have been some lags with the storyline, but it had so much potential if a few changes were made.  Anyway, I hope the new writers, Alphan Dikmen and Başak Angigün, give our beloved couple a happy ending, and all the stories are wrapped up nicely.   

With that said, I’m happy that Ms. Rukiya apologized to Ali Riza after she said those horrible things to him.  She deserved to be worried that Ali Riza wouldn’t speak to her again or forgive her after he avoided her, but Ali Riza is an extremely understanding and forgiving person.  I just hope that she doesn’t blame him again if another disaster happens to their family, otherwise I will not forgive her.  

I really enjoyed the scene at the restaurant and listening to Hasan and Ferit sing (Ali Seckiner Alici and Cankat Aydos).  I think they have really great voices, but this was another missed opportunity for our beloved Tolga and Ayca to dazzle us with their beautiful voices.  I would have been happy if they just took a turn to sing a portion of the song - something is better than nothing. 

Since the series is ending soon, I will be surprised if they reveal that Ali Riza’s father is alive.  I was under the impression that Balaban has been tricking Ali Riza into thinking his father was alive, otherwise, how could he fake his death all these years and not try to get in contact with his family sooner.  This is another story that I hope isn’t rushed if they reveal he’s truly alive, but with only three more episodes left, I guess they'll have to.  Maalesef.