second comment

I just saw something saying a new episode of Peaky Blinders airs in a couple of days. I prefer to watch it on Netflix, but I don't like having to wait to see it. Check and see, is it showing over there also soon?

Yes - I wondered how they had obtained the video tape - I assumed that Cengiz being an employee of the casino might have had the opportunity to get the keys to the room where the recording equipment was and remove it from the machine. And yes - Cengiz is a slimy devil and would act frightened to make out he was being coerced in the event that anything was ever uncovered - it would have been far safer to destroy it entirely - but I suppose he kept it so as he could use it as leverage of Ali and Sergar. I can't think of anything the authorities had that justified even charging Omer - they had no proof of anything - no forensics - no confession - no money - just testimony that wasn't even witness. One thing I can't understand is why Serdar and Ali hate Ezel - on the face of it he is just a guy who has come to the area with the intentions of building a hotel that will make them all rich - why all the hate? I can understand Ali because he is jealous of Ezel being Bahar's "hero". But not the others. I am waiting for you to comment on later episodes because I don't want to tell you something you haven't seen yet. I am on Episode 26 I think.

OK, you will remember this as soon as I tell you. That night that Omer, Cengiz, Ali, and Esyan were hanging out, Ali drinking and he pulled out that gun, remember that? Omer asked where he got a gun, or what he was doing with a gun or something like that. Everyone acted scared of Ali and Omer finally talked him down and grabbed the gun away from him. Ali was wearing gloves that night, so the gun only had Omer's finger prints on it. Now you remember.

So they had that fingerprint evidence. I don't recall now but I think there was an item of clothing also. Was it Omer's coat? I don't recall how it was involved. Anyway, when combined with Esyan's testimony blowing up his alibi, it was enough circumstantial evidence. Could his fingerprints on the weapon be explained some other way? Maybe, if Omer had been able to put together the clues, if he had recalled the odd behavior of his best friend Ali he may have been able to direct his attorney to look at them. But in the show he was still in shock and could not imagine that he could be convicted, since he was innocent. In Turkey, I don't know if the defense team is given prior notice of the prosecution's evidence or witness list. Omer was certainly shocked beyond measure when Esyan lied in court. If he had known she was a prosecution witness, that should have told his attorney to expect her to destroy his alibi. But apparently they didn't know.

Sergar doesn't like anyone he cannot control I think, or anyone he cannot figure out. He is a conman and likes to be able to size people up and figure out how to manipulate them. He can probably tell Ezel is a strong willed individual and is largely a mystery.

Ezel is somewhat cocky, or quietly confident, and well mannered. Ali is jealous of him, and not just because of Bahar. Cengiz is intrigued by and attracted to him because he has money and class. Ali is jealous of anyone getting too close to Cengiz, and when Bahar likes Ezel, that just makes it worse. In fact, all the women seem to like Ezell. He is tall, doesn't say much, wealthy, well mannered, good looking, and the women are drawn to him. That is more than enough for Ali to hate him. Plus he is a mystery, which Ali doesn't like. And he shows up to save the day too often.

Cengiz wouldn't want that videotape evidence except in case they were caught, if something went wrong and they were caught and arrested. In that case only the videotape would benefit him. I think he wanted it as a contingency plan in case of the worst. Of course he needed to have a bulletproof method of keeping the tape hidden and secret, and he didn't. His safe wasn't well hidden and his password was too easy. But crooks make mistakes all the time, and Cengiz made a couple of them. Actually he no longer needed the tape to avoid the murder charge after Omer was reported killed in prison. I guess he only kept it as possible leverage over Ali. Cengiz is nobody's friend.

second comment: When Ali held Cengiz at gunpoint he tells him 'you cannot shoot me because I am the last thing that connects you to Omer'. And Ali says 'yes, I cannot shoot you, but he can'. And in walks Sergar.

I didn't understand what Cengiz meant by his comment about being the last thing that connects Ali to Omer. That struck me as a made up reason and it didn't make sense. So what if Cengiz is "the last thing that connects" Ali to Omer? So that means Cengiz cannot die? But Sergar is able to shoot him? That is nuts.

I didn't like it that Kamil the fat policeman got shot. It looks like Ali intended to clear the board of all of Ezel's people. Someone went after Ezel, someone went after the blond haired girl, and someone got to Kamil. Now I wonder if he will make it. I am beginning to watch episode 26 now.

Ezel has a dilemma about Ali now. He remembers Ali when he was a friend who looked out for him, and because of that he has reservations about ending Ali's life. But that Ali is dead. He threw away his friendship with Ezel for nothing more than greed. Not only that, but he threatened the lives of Omer's mother, father, and little brother.
And now that same Ali has sent a hit team to kill Ezel and his associates. Why have they made Ezel so weak at this point? Are they trying to make him seem more humane? Are they trying to make sure the audience sees him as a sympathetic figure? Ezel needs to get over it and have Ramiz send his own team to take out Ali and the thugs serving him. They need to be dead, and they need assistance getting that way. OK, Ramiz just gave the order to kill Ali. Hopefully nothing gets in the way of that. It's funny how coldhearted I can be when it comes to killing off TV characters. I wouldn't be that way in real life. Tefo just went to see Ali, but he failed to shoot him. Instead he seems to have decided to be his friend, at least for now.

Kamil has been telling Ezel that he needs to temper his plan for revenge because he is hurting innocent people in the process. It is like they are pushing the old proverb "he who seeks revenge must dig two graves, one for his enemy and one for himself".

Actually, Ali and Eysan are the least wicked of the four, though what they did was horrible. But Alie at least was ready to turn himself in to free Omer. So he had a change of heart. And Eysan was faced with a dilemma, which is a mitigating circumstance. Sergar is lying piece of crap who lies constantly. And Cengiz is a schemer, driven to condemn his friend to a life in prison in order to have a shot at stealing his girlfriend and get rich. So I wonder if the plot will evolve so that Cengiz and Sergar wind up paying the biggest price, and Eysan and Ali pay less of a price, or get some kind of redemption. I absolutely cannot stand to hear Sergar speak. Every time he starts talking I want to hit him in the mouth.

I m starting to watch episode 27 now.

third comment

OK, question: Do you think Ezel is trying to get Eysan to fall in love with him as part of his revenge plot? That is quite likely I think. Because when she betrayed him, she basically seduced him to spend the night with her, making him feel wonderful and in love. Then she left him and crushed him as she betrayed him and lied about him. So it makes sense to me that he would want to make her fall in love with him while he works to destroy her world, destroy Cengiz's business and bankrupt him, destroy what is left of her marriage, and then leave her cold. Could that be his plan for revenge?

update: OK, I just saw the bit where Ezel is looking at photos of himself kissing Eysan in the crowded street, photos he said he will eventually use in his revenge plot, so I guess I was right. Still, they may eventually reconcile toward the end of the show. I still think that might happen just because they both still love each other.

comment four:

In episode 32 around 6 minutes into the episode Omer's mother went to see Ramiz. I have to say that she often loses it and won't shut the hell up. She goes on and on with a histrionic display and a constantly running mouth. And the young son Mert is just as bad when he starts crying and raging, he won't ever shut up either, and if he runs out of stuff to say he repeats himself several times, and all in that whiny, awful, way of part shouting part crying sounding voice of his. And when the two of them get going at the same time, well I about want to shoot the television set.

Can you imagine being on the set while they were filming her scenes? OMG it would drive me nuts. What if she missed a line and had to do the scene over again? I bet some of the crew probably killed themselves so they wouldn't have to listen to her anymore.

OK - you are ahead of me now (just the way I prefer it!!) so I can comment on things that I know you will have seen. Regarding Ali making the comment to Cengiz about Can. Cengiz then goes to Can's bedroom and CUTS a lump of hair from his head - now I know you know that DNA cannot be obtained that way - there has to be a root. Cengiz then gets a very rapid DNA report which he offers to show Ali but Ali (for some obscure reason) refuses to look at it. When we see it the report says that Cengiz is not the biological father of Can. He is nasty to Can when he wants to be alone with Eysan - he even pushes him away. Now a long time later when Nil (Cengiz's girlfriend) phones Eysan with some lies about a necklace - Eysan believes her and tells Cengiz that Can is not his son. Yeah well - he already knew that - but he acts completely shocked and stunned and walks out. Do the scriptwriters forget where they are up to? Anyway - after a conversation with Bahar - Sergar gets into the car with Cengiz and says something along the lines of "She is in love with a man who looks like Ezel but acts like Omer". Now - how would he know that? To my recollection Omer had no knowledge of Eysan's family - he never met them. With regard to Ali - It looks to me that he has completely lost the plot - he is hearing voices and is suicidal . Another thing - when Tefo - the guy who Ramiz selected to go undercover with Ali is standing waiting for Uncle and Ezel to put out a hit on Ali he suddenly says "They are talking about me" We are now supposed to think that he believes they are planning to kill him - for no reason at all. They are worried that Tefo has grown too close to Ali and may defect and Uncle has decided to act as a back-up plan. As it turns out they were right and Tefo has gone off with Ali. With regard to the gun - I recall that scene now - and I remember the way Omer took the gun off Cengiz - he took it by the barrel so his fingerprints would not be on the butt of the gun and therefore not the trigger and what happened to the gun - why didn't he just chuck it in the river? I think Omer's lawyers might as well have not been there - they did not offer any defence at all - (Judge Judy would have done a better job!! Did you see her bleach your clothes in that empty flat? Well you have no proof - case dismissed) To answer your question - yes - I think Ezel wants Eysan to fall in love with him - there would be much more pain that way - the only problem is he is still in love with her so her pain would be his. Ezel is unravelling - it's the conflict between head and heart - his head tells him get your revenge - make her suffer - she deserves it - but his heart whines - but I love her.!! And now it seems he loves Bahar as well - although he has tried to dump her she is having none of it. That restaurant scene was a pantomime. If Bahar is stressed she falls down !! Instead of calling an ambulance she is aware enough to demand they call Ezel even though she knows he has packed her in. You could use her to stick yourself to a skyscraper - who needs Solvite!! I haven't scene Ezel's mother do her thing yet - good job I watch it on mute then!! As a mother myself - if I had a child I thought dead restored to me I would not have found specious reasons to send that child away - I would have clung to every second with him. She is in a quandary of course - she has to see Mert suffer the loss of Omer when she could alleviate that hurt - and it must break her heart to see his continuing grief. I am not sure if she understood that Ezel wrote that confession to save Mert's life - she doesn't seem to get it. She knows he is innocent so why else does she think he wrote it? I am going to watch some more over the weekend so keep your comments coming !!!

Update - I just watched Ep 29 where Ezel has recognised Serdar as the man in the courtroom but still doesn't know who he is. Ali and Tefo ran away - after leaving all their money in the car (like you do) they are back again now though and Tefo is still loyal to Ramiz. Sergar - all on his own - has figured out Ezel's beginnings - the $10m win at cards - the man who lost it - Mrs Selma - even the plastic surgeon. I am not sure of the events at Mrs Selma's. Ali and Sergar go to see her - they intimidate her - outside in the car Ramiz is on the phone to her but they wont let her answer. Ramiz finally gets out of the car and he and his henchmen enter the building - you see him going up in the lift - then suddenly Ali and Sergar leave the building and there is Ramiz back in the car still on the phone. I must have missed something (not unusual for me!!) Mert - what can you say about Mert - he is an idiot - he visits the son of the guard that was killed - the obviously psychotic Erin - and his logic is my brother killed your father so we are going to be best buddies ?? He then gives this crazy teen his home address !! I love how there are always photographs to join the dots together. Kemal is leaving and going back to his family. Ezel buys a one way ticket to God knows where for the plastic surgeon but doesn't seem bothered about his family. The surgeon assures him that all his files have been destroyed - yeah - we've heard that one before - right? Erin is big buddies with the guy who really killed his father - Ali - and he has just stolen a gun from him. I hope beyond hope that Sergar does a Shergar and disappears never to be seen again - preferably fatally. Jeez I hate that character !!

When Cengiz offered to show the DNA report to Ali, Ali said something like "wow, you got a DNA report? What's wrong with you? I was just kidding you to get you wound up. I was trying to piss you off. You need to relax man." So I don't think Ali ever seriously thought Can wasn't Cengiz's kid. Also, since Cengiz was so keen on showing him the report, Ali would have figured it proved his parentage so why bother looking at it? That was how I interpreted that scene. But Cengiz apparently had not bothered to check the report and was shocked when he saw it later on.

When Eysan told Cengiz, yes he already knew. But what shocked him was that after all this time she told him. He knew this meant that she was really disgusted with him now, that she wanted to hurt him badly. That was what shocked him, realizing just how much she hated him to want to hurt him that badly. I think he tells her that later.

Sergar's comment about Ezel was based on his behavior. Sergar had just heard about how Ezel had helped someone I think. He noticed that his behavior, like that of Omer, made him the perfect patsy. Good people are easier to lie to and betray because, being good, they cannot ordinarily conceive of or defend against the wicked schemes of con-men like Sergar. He had heard from Eysan about how wonderful Omer was, which led to his calculation that he would make the perfect patsy to blame the crimes upon. Now he noticed that Ezel has that good side to him as well, so he is calculating that they can set Ezel up to take the fall for whatever scheme he cooks up this time. I really hate Sergar. Not only is he about the worst kind of person to be a parent, I just hate liars and con-men. I hate thieves. [I know it's not considered just or legal, but I could just about kill a thief. They wipe out the life savings of the elderly and feel good about it, even though those elderly people are destroyed by the theft, and some of them die early because of it.] Every time Sergar appeals to his daughters by crying "but I'm your father! Do you want to see me suffer? etc." I want them to toss him out. Of course he is perfectly willing to threaten the safety of Can to manipulate Eysan. I would like to see momma bear make the decision that this threat to her son must go.

The comment Tefo made 'they are talking about me' seems like one of those feints this show throws at us frequently. The comment or scene seems to indicate something, but it develops in a slightly different way. Yes Tefo is sometimes under suspicion. Ali is a very suspicious guy, and like you said he has started to go a bit nuts, hallucinating Omer. The only way I could make sense of that is: Ali has always felt very guilty about what he did to his best friend. And then Ezel slipped up one evening and called him Pliers Ali as he was leaving. (He later reveals that he didn't realize that he had called him that.) When he said it Ali looked shocked. I wondered if he would put it all together, but that was not how he interpreted the remark. He apparently went a bit off the deep end, thinking fate, karma, something like that was catching up to him. His guilt and his superstition played tricks on his mind. That is how I made sense of the hallucinations.

Yes, Omer grabbed the gun by the barrel. I don't recall if he shifted it in his hand after that. But if his prints were only on the barrel, the prosecution could say perhaps he tried to wipe his prints from the gun but only remembered to wipe the prints from where he held the gun while shooting it. After all, criminals make mistakes and he might have forgotten to wipe the barrel. And there were no other prints on the gun. How did his prints wind up on the murder weapon? Yes, his lawyer should have done a better job, but the story could not unfold if he had.

Ezel is going to find out something which will make him doubt that Eysan really ever loved Omer, or that she feels anything toward him.

Ezel's mother: this is another plot device to create tension or a problem for our flawed hero to overcome. At first his mother understood the need for him to keep his identity secret for the present. Omer is still a guilty man according to the law. If it became known that Ezel is really Omer with plastic surgeries and a false identity, nothing could keep him from landing back in jail again. She understood that and was just happy as can be to know he was alive and working to clear his name and get justice. But later she begins to act like a childish, old lady, stubbornly refusing to listen to him. I mean, she stops short of stomping her feet and crying "I want my son to move home and be Omer again" over and over, but just short of that. Did she have a stroke? Is she extremely senile all of a sudden? She acts as though she either cannot remember, or else refuses to acknowledge that having Ezel admit he is Omer and move back home would only result in him going back to prison. --- She stubbornly refuses to listen to Ezel about the confession letter given to Mert, that it was done to save his life. She childishly talks over him, interrupting him, and repeats her insistence that Ezel admits who he is and explains the truth to Mert. Of course that would result in the death of Mert (who is less mature than his mother; I've met plenty of 12 year old children with more maturity than Mert) and the loss again of Omer/Ezel.

This is all just a way to create tension and pressure on Ezel so he can display his emotion filled watery eyes and struggle with his need to work his plan for justice while keeping his emotions in check.

second comment:

I had trouble getting this site to load this morning. It kept timing out. Maybe they were just doing some kind of work on it, or the server had an issue. Have you had problems with it? Hopefully it is fixed now.

third comment:

Wow, I got through the end of episode 33. That was the end of the first series according to IMDB. Ezel has completed almost everything he set out to do. There are surprises so I won't tell you details and spoil them for you. And it also leaves plenty of things to unfold going forward. Ezel is ready to go back to being Omer again; that is the plan anyway. You never know how they will play it. I want to talk about it but can't do it yet. Let me know when you get to the end of ep. 33.

I think I know how Ali will finally face justice but I can't tell you that either. You will probably come to the same conclusion as I have once you get to the start of ep 34. I don't think we have seen the last of Sergar but they left it inconclusive on that point, at least I think they did. I better shut up now so I don't tip you off to anything.

I need to go out front and clean up the yard, as much as I can do without my chainsaw. There are lots of small branches to rake up. I like to use them as kindling in the winter. I guess I should think about sweeping the chimney sometime soon also. I don't want to get too far ahead of you in the show.

No - the site has been behaving itself but YouTube keeps knocking off Netflix on the TV. I have just watched episode 31 and there are so many stupidities in it - it is hard to know where to start. Sergar finds out the plastic surgeons address - the surgeon see Ezel just down the road - he tells him he must leave - but says he has to be out by dawn. Dawn? So Ezel is going to sit outside on a window sill for about nine hours is he? When the surgeon gets up he goes to his safe and takes out all the files he had destroyed allegedly and then leaves them in plain view knowing somebody is coming for him - the stupidest bit is where Ali falls over the railing and has to let go of the files which scatter into the courtyard below - where - of course - they would be completely inaccessible!! How many more times is Ali going to almost catch Tefo doing his secret messages? - And the videotape - according to Ramis even if the police got hold of it - it would only result in them getting a "few years in prison" probably out in ten with good behaviour - for what - murder committed during an armed robbery that Omer was imprisoned for life without parole for? Maybe these writers aren't used to people analysing what they write !! Now Mert has discovered that his brother really was innocent from his writings - but doesn't question why he wrote the confession. Oh - and what about Aunties Will that Sergar stole? Meliha said she wanted to talk to Eysan about her aunt asking her to visit - but nothing further has been heard of it. They do tend to leave things dangling a bit.

Yeah, the bit with the surgeon was classic stupid decision trope. Ezel, apparently wanting to allow the surgeon to make his excuses for leaving without some strange man showing up, told the surgeon to get his things and he would wait outside. But then he got a call telling him his family was in danger and he left in a hurry.

The surgeon makes a stupid decision of course. There should have been a thought cloud above his head which read: "Ezel said they wouldn't be here until tomorrow, so there is no rush, I'll just take my time collecting my things and disposing of the files, in fact I will take the whole night and wait til late in the morning, as I am sure Ezel was being a nervous Nellie by saying I had to be gone by dawn at the latest". And then as he dawdles around his office, in no particular hurry, he hears someone enter the house and ascend the stairs. Then he adopts that "Oh No! They're here already?!" expression and fumbles around in "what do I do now?" mode. That whole thing was so transparently telegraphed that it was no real surprise. As soon as Ezel was called away and was no longer around to go up and see what was taking so long, I knew the surgeon would not leave in time. And Ali risked his neck by diving over the railing and grabbing the file folder in mid air. Right. Plus, that file folder didn't open, and none of the loose pages inside fell out: implausible tending toward impossible.

And you're right; ultra suspicious Ali is oblivious to Tefo continually stepping aside, or around a corner, or just turning his back, to send a text to someone after each time they make a tactical decision or gain some valuable piece of information. "Huh? oh, he's sending a text again? These young people and their phones! Always messing with their phones, wasting time on social media, sending tweets, and so on". Is that what we're supposed to think Ali is thinking? Well...I am sort of spoofing the show a bit here. Tefo does try to hide it better than that most of the time, but he delays a few seconds while sending the texts. At some point Ali should get suspicious. And as you pointed out, he never does.

I noticed that discrepancy in the sentencing between what Omer got and what Ramiz claimed at least some of them would get if the tape were given to the police. We already figured that Ali would get the heaviest sentence, and Cengiz might be able to wiggle out of the worst of that. He would still be charged, but he could likely claim he didn't know, and he would likely try to cut a deal to testify against his co conspirators. His acting on the video tape would support his claim. But nevertheless, when you're part of a crew which commits a murder, you are also responsible whether you pulled the trigger or not. Your sentence may be less, but not always. All of them would bear part of that charge to varying degrees. It would be something to watch them all try to lie about what happened to shift blame away from themselves and onto the others. And also, I think most courts add charges for the fact that it was a conspiracy. I don't know, but I also thought it was odd that Ramiz would claim they would get such light sentences after Omer was given life with no chance of parole. And I was also waiting for some sort of development of the aunt asking for Eysan to visit her. Sergar overdosed her and killed her of course, so that visit never happened. But I don't recall Mehilia ever speaking to Eysan about it, or even Eysan commenting that she wondered what her aunt wanted to tell her.

As far as Mert not wondering why Omer wrote that confession letter, that didn't seem odd to me. The way they have written the Mert character, I don't expect much from him but histrionic displays of stubborn stupidity. It would be one thing if he considered what others told him and said "I don't care, I am going to do this anyway", but it's like Mert doesn't even allow himself to listen to anyone. He doesn't think. He feels. And the depth and intensity of his feelings serve as proof to himself that his position is correct, even if he cannot articulate what that position is. That doesn't matter! He has intense, overwhelming feelings. Can't anyone else see how intense his feelings are?! What's wrong with everyone?

His mom acts the same way sometimes. And Ezel feels so guilty over the pain his mother feels that he fails to say "Mom, if I reveal that I am Omer I will go to jail again".

We are not supposed to notice how childish Mehilia and Mert act. We're only supposed to see that Ezel/Omer is a good son who cares deeply about the anguish his mother and his loyal brother feel. That part is fine, but I think they kind of overplay the stupidity aspect.

But pretty soon that issue will be moot.

{I think I just saw stupid mistake number one of episode 34, and it is a big one. I hope I am wrong, because it is really a big, stupid, mistake.

It was at the aunt's funeral that Meliha approached Eysan and said that her aunt had asked her to visit - it was very brief. After Ezel cleared out his office and left his coat on the floor - why did the police raid it? Nothing came of that either. I have just finished ep 33 and that was another one full of holes. Eren committed suicide? He shot himself from a distance of at least 10 feet and then threw himself in the pool did he? Do they have forensics in Turkey one wonders. And Serdar - I knew that old pig would survive. Once again there is no security in place for Can - how often has he got to disappear before Eysan gets wise? Kemal said that he would contact his friend in the police force that day - but nothing seemed to come of it - if the police have that video why haven't they acted on it - why are they still free? I am about to watch ep 34 now - but there is a longggggg way to go yet before anything is resolved. I don't know how much more of Sergar I can stand - but he is the villain and he has to be in the final shoot out as it were I suppose. I can't recall (here she goes again do I hear you sigh !!!) how Sergar knows anything about Eren and the orphanage he was in. Didn't he have a mother or any other relatives - even if he did he was such an unpleasant little blighter I don't suppose they would have wanted him !!

I agree about that suicide ruling. I guess they just took Ali's word for it, and their forensics guy is somebody's retarded nephew.

Kamil was supposed to send that video to his policeman friend. But when they walked out of the mostly empty apartment the CD with the video on it was lying there on the desk. Why? Shouldn't that be in the hands of the police officer before Ezel starts telling people he is really Omer? What if someone breaks in and steals the CD? Whoops, back to jail for Omer. That was the first stupid mistake of episode 34 that I saw. But maybe the reason it was left there, the reason Kamil didn't immediately carry it to his friend on the force, was to allow for Omer's decision to remain Ezel for a while longer. After he learned of Eren's death, he decided that he could not stop being Ezel until the end of the show.... I mean until he personally destroyed each and every one of the conspirators. He felt responsible and that he could not leave the job to the justice system.

Sergar learned about Eren when he snagged some paperwork somewhere. Sorry, I don't recall when he got it, but I do remember he saw the list of kids at the orphanage where Eren was a resident. I don't think any of them has any inkling that Ezel is Omer, but Sergar may think Ezel is aware of who the kid is, or was. Yes, Sergar will be around for a while yet. I guess all the four conspirators will be around until near the end of the series.

As much as both Esyan and Cengiz swear their love for Can, they are really stupid about security for him. Even if he had not gone missing before, even if Sergar had never threatened his welfare, the mere fact that he is the son of wealthy parents makes him a kidnapping target. I am just starting to watch episode 35 now. I think you may have moved ahead of me so I will have to binge a little to pass you again.