“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou
Do you know that there often comes a point, when watching a show, where you want to be able to reach through the screen and either give the main character a hug or slap them on the head? I wanted to do so both to Serkan and Eda in episode 10. They have each fully realized that they are in love, but both think that the other doesn’t love them back. Sigh. It’s understandable and a little frustrating, they need to use their words and not hope that gestures and meaningful glances can do the job. The one good thing is that now Engin is in the know, and he and Ceren can conspire to help the Robot and the Fairy figure things out.
Serkan thinks that Eda really does not like him, and -- to be fair -- she keeps saying how glad she will be when the contract is over, and how she wants to stay away from him. We know that this is because she doesn’t want to break her own heart by watching Serkan win back Selin. However, he honestly thinks that she can’t wait to get rid of him. We see how much her words matter to him. Thus, when she says that she can’t wait for the contract to be finished, he very much believes that she can’t wait to be free of him. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth.
It’s painfully obvious to anyone paying attention that they are in love. Even Ferit keeps commenting on it. We see a man, who drops everything to go to the mountain house because Eda asks him to come. We see Eda sharing with him a little piece of her life by telling him how she developed claustrophobia. They want to spend time together and share their personal pain with each other. They love to fight and bicker back and forth. They are well-matched. In sum, there are very many signs that their relationship is special.
What I loved
Serkan looks like he is going to cry after Selin and Ferit leave ArtLife, because he realizes that he only has one more week left to spend with Eda. The panic and fear on his face are plain to see. He does not want to go back to his lonely existence before she came barreling into his life. Eda looks gutted too and one assumes that this is because Serkan looks upset, allegedly because of Selin. She swallows her hurt and asks him what he wants. He then tells her that they have to prevent Selin and Ferit from going to Italy, and she agrees to the plan. Later on, however, he questions why she agreed so easily.
Aydan and Eda actually have a sweet conversation. Eda asks her whether it wasn’t for Serkan, Aydan would love her. Aydan tells her that she is a good person and then asks ‘you said you would hold my hand whenever I asked for it, do you still mean it?’ Eda answers yes, so Aydan replies that she will now hold her hand and help her. Aydan explains that women judge each other based on their appearance. Thus, if she wants to confuse and annoy Selin, Eda should change her style so that she may compete with Selin. Eda agrees because there is only one week left on their contract. In a very cute sequence, Aydan, Seyfi, and Eda then get busy working on Eda's new look.
Eda meets Serkan at the holding company and Serkan seems to appreciate her new style. This is just one of many times when he compliments her during this episode. Eda and Serkan visit at the holding company with Selin. Selin is snotty to Eda as usual. So Eda gets the absolute best look on her face (see above) -- a look, which Serkan should learn to be very afraid of. She then informs Selin that she and Serkan are also getting married and that Aydan is helping her with the wedding dress. Serkan, who just learned the news himself, looks just shocked.
For some reason, Selin and Ferit walk them out of the building. At this point, they decide that Ferit and Selin will not go to Italy. Instead, they agree to do a joint interview. Melo learns that Serkan and Eda are getting married and hugs them with excitement. When they are alone waiting for the car to be brought around, Serkan questions her about their alleged wedding. Eda replies it was the only thing she could think of. He then says that he feels that, one day, he is going to wake up and find that they are married with two kids. Eda's reply is "God Forbid." Serkan advises that Eda should inform his mother since the latter is supposed to help them both with their wedding dresses. So they call her, and she is shocked for a minute at the thought of Eda and Serkan getting married. Eventually, however, she agrees to help.
At Aydan's house, the last dress that Eda tries on is a bubble gum pink monstrosity, which Serkan seems to really love. He tells her that she will make a gorgeous bride someday. They share another nose-to-nose adoring gaze, but Eda quickly breaks it off to change out of the dress. If only these two would actually talk instead of just staring intently into each other’s eyes, we could move the story along.
At the mountain house, Serkan tells Eda that he knows that she helped his mother leave her house. He then asks about her own phobia. So, she tells him about the time when she was six and she was hiding in a closet waiting for her parents to come home. All of a sudden, she heard her aunt answer the phone and start screaming and crying. Her parents had just been killed when a wall fell on them. Eda could not leave the cupboard and, by the time they found her, she was unconscious. Ever since she has suffered from claustrophobia. Serkan is obviously moved by her story. So he takes her hand while she cries, hugs her, and strokes her hair. He tells her that he thinks that she is a very strong woman.
Serkan at the bedside talking to a sleeping Eda, He tells her that she will soon disappear from his life like a shooting star. When he leaves, we see that she was not actually asleep.
Engin is upset that Serkan failed to tell him about their fake engagement. In a funny scene, he asks Serkan whether or not he is his best friend. Serkan's reply is: ‘how old are we?’ I am so happy that Engin is finally in the know. It will be good for Serkan to have someone to talk to about the situation. Moreover, Engin is firmly on team Eda. He keeps telling Serkan that Eda looks at him with love. Serkan, however, continues to say that she looks like that at everyone. Oh, Serkan! However, Engin is adamant that Serkan is in love with Eda, and Serkan does not disagree.
Engin mentions boarding school and his relationship with Serkan finally made sense. In an earlier episode, Pyril says that he and Serkan know each other from school. Also, Engin confesses that had he only switched dormitory rooms, his life would have been much calmer. I took this to mean that they were at university together in England, where they met. Instead, it turns out that Serkan and Engin have known each other since they were kids, -- possibly when they were at boarding school together. Did the Bolats ship Serkan off to boarding school after his brother died? That could explain a lot about Serkan’s cold personality, and his strained relationship with his parents -- particularly his father.
“The happiness of life is made up of the little charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What I liked
When they are trying on wedding dresses, Selin actually shows some vulnerability and says that everything looks good on Eda. Eda asks Selin whether she thinks that Serkan got together with her only to make Selin jealous. This was an interesting exchange because, as far as Eda is concerned, this is the truth. Obviously, Eda would like it not to be the case. She tells Selin that Serkan describes her as the perfect woman. Of course, this makes Selin think that maybe there is still a chance for her and Serkan. And indeed, at the end of the episode, she tells Serkan that if there is the slightest chance that he wants to be with her, she will break up with Ferit -- but more on that later.
Eda has decided that Serkan and Selin need to be alone, so she invites Serkan to the mountain house. He drops everything to go to her but -- low and behold -- she has also invited Selin and Ferit! It is obvious that Serkan hoped that Eda had invited him to be alone with him. They are working at odds for most of this episode because Eda is trying to push Serkan and Selin together, while Serkan just wants Eda to be with him. He even asks her, why are you trying to convince me that I’m in love with Selin? And to be fair, he has never told Eda that he loves Selin and wants her back. It is Eda who always assumed that this was the case. Now, however, Serkan tells Eda that the purpose of their contract was to get rid of Ferit. Unfortunately, this does not seem to register with Eda.
Poor Engin is in the dog house with both Pyril and Ceren especially after he invites them both to dinner at the same time. He really has no game at all. I’m interested in where the writers might take this, especially now that Ceren has admitted that she’s also interested in him. However, since Engin still says that he likes both of them, will a messy love triangle await us?
Serkan calls Selin out for saying that what makes her happy are the ‘little things.’ He scoffs because he knows that such things consist of ‘trips to Italy, designer clothes, diamonds’. No one is buying that she would be happy with the little things. Ferit is very sweet in pointing out that she has high standards.
What I didn’t like
Serkan’s plan to break up Selin and Ferit has lost its teeth now that Kaan is out of the picture. It no longer makes sense since their wedding will not result now in Kaan getting access to their company, I think that Baba Bolat's comment about Serkan just hating to lose is on point. However, if the contract with Eda ends, he won’t get to see her anymore. Thus, rather than telling her how he really feels, he continues to insist that they have to work together to break up Selin and Ferit. However, all this only ends up reinforcing Eda's conviction that Serkan wants Selin back.
The abrupt demise of Kaan was a bit anti-climatic. Initially set up as this epic foe, he bowed out without much fuss. The resolution was so uninteresting, that I can’t imagine that this is what the screenwriters originally planned. Oh well, farewell to Kaan! I only wish I knew what your background story was all about.
Selin is really the worst girlfriend ever. It only takes a few words from Eda, and eavesdropping on a conversation between Serkan and Engin for her to misinterpret that Serkan is still in love with her, and renounce to Ferit. She really is incredibly selfish. Was this the plan all along, to use Ferit to make Serkan jealous? She got together with Ferit because he loves her so much, and wants to be happy. However, now that Serkan appears to have a renewed interest in her, she wants to go back to him? Having watched this play throughout various episodes, it is hard to tell what her intentions were but regardless it's obvious she is still in love with Serkan. She should probably not be marrying someone else until she figures things out, because Ferit deserves better. (Can’t believe I’m saying that!)
Aydan is still trash-talking Eda. It was not clear whether or not this was just an act for Selin’s sake. She really needs to start being nicer to Eda. I’m hoping she keeps calling Eda ‘Sevda’ as a term of endearment, since "sevda" means ‘love’ in Turkish.
I didn’t love the Aydan/Seyfi plan to make Alptekin jealous, why can’t these people just talk to each other? However, their argument at the end of the episode was useful, as it exposed the fact that they are still in love with one another.
What needs to happen next
Serkan needs to tell Eda in very plain language that he is not in love with Selin.
Serkan needs to tell Selin in very plain language that he is not in love with her.
Aydan needs to realize that having Eda for a daughter-in-law would be a very good thing for both her and Serkan. I will be really upset if Aydan starts accepting Eda only after she finds out that Eda’s family is wealthy.
Ferit should dump Selin after finding out that Selin really doesn’t love him. I would be interested to see if this makes him turn into the next ‘villain’ of the show.
We need to find out the details about Serkan’s brother’s death. I think there a story there that will explain Aydan’s agoraphobia and Serkan’s germophobia.
The stylist/costume designer for the show needs to stop using feathers already! Maybe it can be Selin’s thing, but definitely not Eda's. It makes my nose itchy...
“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery
