I am at a loss for words after spending almost 7 hours watching this series. I had to make an account after reading the majority of these reviews that lack any sense of honesty. To preface my review, I went into this with an open mind, looking forward to watching another Turkish Netflix series. I really enjoyed the thought provoking originality of Midnight at the Pera Palace and so I had high expectations.
This series is not one that you can put on in the background and relax after a long day at work, it is one that requires constant attention and is mentally draining from all the mental leaps that you will have to do with this poorly executed plotline. I would not recommend this series to anyone, unless they were a masochist.
While the 7 episodes were less than an hour a piece, they dragged on and on. It didn't help that as a viewer you were not able to skip the more boring parts, as you would miss some obscure information that relates to the intricate relationships between the charcters.
The writers were trying to do so much with this series, inserting all these confusing side stories that added absolutely nothing to the main plotline. Sometimes simplicity is better, especially when the main plot was already enough to hold the viewer's attention. Instead, it was just a mess of plot holes and information overload jammed into 7 short episodes that lacked any sense of cohesiveness.
The over dramatization of characters made me uneasy and were often borderline offensive. The representation of Mustafa, "the Mad Master," specifically was beyond distasteful. I have never felt so uncomfortable watching something before.
There was absolutely no character development or dimensionality in this series. The only slight development is within the final 7 minutes of the series. The characters started and ended the exact same way (except Peyami r.i.p.) and to the viewer it was incredibly superficial and bland despite the intricate and dramatic plot line that was supposed to be occuring.
The main male protagonist, Peyami, was like a statue the entire series, giving absolutely nothing to the viewer. While they attempted to portray the vulnerability of his character through flashbacks of his childhood trauma and his "panic attacks," it did not resonate with the viewer. He was incredibly passive, saying absolutely nothing when his "blood brother/best friend" Dimitri behaved like a complete psychopath.
As for the main female protagonist, Esvet, I can't help but wonder what was the point of her character except for her mere existance for the plot line. She had zero personality and was overall a pitiful character. The only redeeming quality was how she was the only character to treat Mustafa with kindness and sincerity.
The "romance" between Esvet and Peyami was so bland and random. Normally a relationship builds over an entire series, but not with this series. I could count the number of times Esvet and Peyami interacted on my fingers before they kiss out of nowhere within the last few episodes. There was zero chemistry or connection between their charcters and it was painful to watch.
The main antagonist (or I guess one of the antagonists since every character was morally grey) Dimitri acted like an immature spoiled little brat. I have yet to understand what made him snap, and why he treated Esvet the way he did. When he found that dog in the park after he was kicked out of his parents house I fully expected him to harm it due to the manifestation of his anger.
As I finish this series I am left with so many questions that are crucial to the impact of the plot. I am left confused, tired, and drained.
1. Why did Peyami remain friends with Dimtri despite Dimitri's behavior constantly creating issues for Peyami? The first episode starts with Dimtri screwing one of Peyami's models and ripping her dress, almost ruining Peyami's fashion show and he says nothing about it. In one of the flashbacks when Dimitri's father gifted the foal to Peyami, Dimitri basically kills the foal out of jealousy by separating it from its mother and setting it free instead of allowing Peyami to have the horse. Why would someone keep such a toxic and selfish person in their life?
2. Was Mustafa born with the condition he had or was there an accident that resulted in his mental impairment? Also why was his family so cruel to him for no reason? He couldn't help having his condition and yet it seemed they resented and were embarrassed by him, especially his mother.
3. What happened to Esvet after she was adopted? There was a brief flashback of her adoptive parents telling her that she was to take care of their disabled son after she was adopted. What happened to their son? Is this not important to the plot line of her taking care of Mustafa?
4. Why was Dimitri so obsessed with Esvet? In one of the final episodes he tells Peyami that Esvet had been to "the ranch" before and loved it. Did they spend time together growing up as Esvet's adoptive mother was Dimitri's mother's sister? Did he always act the way he did in the series? When was their marriage arranged? What happened before the first episode between them?
5. When did Dimitri's parents know Esvet was their child they left at the orphanage? Did Esvet's adoptive parents know?
6. Did Esvet actually marry Mustafa? Did anyone else ever find out this information except Peyami's grandmother? I feel like this information was just brushed over after they got married. Is this not a loophole from escaping from her engagement with Dimitri as she is already married?
This series is not one that you can put on in the background and relax after a long day at work, it is one that requires constant attention and is mentally draining from all the mental leaps that you will have to do with this poorly executed plotline. I would not recommend this series to anyone, unless they were a masochist.
While the 7 episodes were less than an hour a piece, they dragged on and on. It didn't help that as a viewer you were not able to skip the more boring parts, as you would miss some obscure information that relates to the intricate relationships between the charcters.
The writers were trying to do so much with this series, inserting all these confusing side stories that added absolutely nothing to the main plotline. Sometimes simplicity is better, especially when the main plot was already enough to hold the viewer's attention. Instead, it was just a mess of plot holes and information overload jammed into 7 short episodes that lacked any sense of cohesiveness.
The over dramatization of characters made me uneasy and were often borderline offensive. The representation of Mustafa, "the Mad Master," specifically was beyond distasteful. I have never felt so uncomfortable watching something before.
There was absolutely no character development or dimensionality in this series. The only slight development is within the final 7 minutes of the series. The characters started and ended the exact same way (except Peyami r.i.p.) and to the viewer it was incredibly superficial and bland despite the intricate and dramatic plot line that was supposed to be occuring.
The main male protagonist, Peyami, was like a statue the entire series, giving absolutely nothing to the viewer. While they attempted to portray the vulnerability of his character through flashbacks of his childhood trauma and his "panic attacks," it did not resonate with the viewer. He was incredibly passive, saying absolutely nothing when his "blood brother/best friend" Dimitri behaved like a complete psychopath.
As for the main female protagonist, Esvet, I can't help but wonder what was the point of her character except for her mere existance for the plot line. She had zero personality and was overall a pitiful character. The only redeeming quality was how she was the only character to treat Mustafa with kindness and sincerity.
The "romance" between Esvet and Peyami was so bland and random. Normally a relationship builds over an entire series, but not with this series. I could count the number of times Esvet and Peyami interacted on my fingers before they kiss out of nowhere within the last few episodes. There was zero chemistry or connection between their charcters and it was painful to watch.
The main antagonist (or I guess one of the antagonists since every character was morally grey) Dimitri acted like an immature spoiled little brat. I have yet to understand what made him snap, and why he treated Esvet the way he did. When he found that dog in the park after he was kicked out of his parents house I fully expected him to harm it due to the manifestation of his anger.
As I finish this series I am left with so many questions that are crucial to the impact of the plot. I am left confused, tired, and drained.
1. Why did Peyami remain friends with Dimtri despite Dimitri's behavior constantly creating issues for Peyami? The first episode starts with Dimtri screwing one of Peyami's models and ripping her dress, almost ruining Peyami's fashion show and he says nothing about it. In one of the flashbacks when Dimitri's father gifted the foal to Peyami, Dimitri basically kills the foal out of jealousy by separating it from its mother and setting it free instead of allowing Peyami to have the horse. Why would someone keep such a toxic and selfish person in their life?
2. Was Mustafa born with the condition he had or was there an accident that resulted in his mental impairment? Also why was his family so cruel to him for no reason? He couldn't help having his condition and yet it seemed they resented and were embarrassed by him, especially his mother.
3. What happened to Esvet after she was adopted? There was a brief flashback of her adoptive parents telling her that she was to take care of their disabled son after she was adopted. What happened to their son? Is this not important to the plot line of her taking care of Mustafa?
4. Why was Dimitri so obsessed with Esvet? In one of the final episodes he tells Peyami that Esvet had been to "the ranch" before and loved it. Did they spend time together growing up as Esvet's adoptive mother was Dimitri's mother's sister? Did he always act the way he did in the series? When was their marriage arranged? What happened before the first episode between them?
5. When did Dimitri's parents know Esvet was their child they left at the orphanage? Did Esvet's adoptive parents know?
6. Did Esvet actually marry Mustafa? Did anyone else ever find out this information except Peyami's grandmother? I feel like this information was just brushed over after they got married. Is this not a loophole from escaping from her engagement with Dimitri as she is already married?