There are 28 episodes in this Turkish series about a tight knit gypsy neighborhood in Istanbul, a serial killer and a strait-laced police officer who wants to bring down the mob. In episode 18, the series jumps three years in time giving episodes 18-28 a very different feel from episodes 1-17.
Great acting and an interesting addition of a serial killer make this a must see Turkish series, especially for fans of shows like Icerde.
The overall story is about Kartal (Eagle), a bit of a two bit criminal who lives in a large family home in his tight knit gypsy community in Istanbul. Kartal has lots of responsibilities...he has set himself up as the head of the community, which comes with financial obligations. In Kartal's household is his father Oktay-who used to make a living playing his clarinet...but due to a tragedy in the past lost his arm and is now an alcoholic pensioner, his aunt Neriman-who has been nurturing and stepped in to be parent since Kartal's mother passed away and her brother checked out after loosing his arm, His sister Layla-who works as a part time bartender and also nurtures the family, his younger brother Sahin-who was sent to college but really just wants to be like his brother Kartal, and his sweet and innocent cousin Halide. Kartal is haunted and driven by his past...and motivated by his family and neighborhood.
Kartal's nemesis is a young police officer named Efe, who is determined to put Kartal in jail and shut down all of his illegal businesses. Efe is running from his own personal demons in the shape of his father, who he views as a dirty lawyer. In the process of putting some heat on Kartal...Efe meets Layla and boy do the sparks fly! These two smolder on the screen and I kept coming back for more. Easy on the eyes and chemistry for days, I'd recommend this series for the romance between these two alone! Efe looses his mentor and his mentor's wife causing him to make some tough decisions that have serious ramifications for his job in the special crimes unit.
Now let's talk about the serial killer...I have seen a lot of Turkish series and this is the first time I have seen a serial killer and it was handled wonderfully! The serial killer had great motivation, left an unmistakable signature at their crime scenes and served the wonderful purpose of uniting two foes to catch them! This really elevated the series for me.
I fell in love with Aslihan Malbora, the actress who plays Layla, when I saw her in Her Yerde Sen (another series I loved) and I thought this series allowed her even more range for her acting.
This series had a satisfying ending and I would put this on my recommendation list especially if you like crime dramas...but really this series has it all love, family, mental illness, abuse, gambling, smuggling, police, mobsters, musicians, interpersonal struggles, and a serial killer! I think you will enjoy this if you are a fan of Turkish dramas or if you are new to them.
