Mekhla Kundu

Overall an enjoyable watch in my opinion. This is largely as the premise of the series really appealed to me - I was looking for something different to watch. I found it a breath of fresh air, since its subject matter still remains unique. While I feel that the focus of the show has been lost over the course of the season, it remains adequately philosophical to not blend in as another drama and romance production. I especially enjoyed the discussions between Cüneyd and Levent, and while Cüneyd's dialogues are very difficult for me to understand as an English speaker, they are always interesting from my point of view. Certainly, the storyline is unrealistic and highly dramatic, but I suppose that is to be expected from any television series. Honestly, I was very worried that they would justify child marriage, so I'm glad they did not romanticise it as much. I don't know if the show is completely balanced and shows both "secular" and the tarikat sides in equal light, but I think there are some things to be learned and interesting observations to be made from this series. Many of the characters are charming, and the cast is really talented, as well-noted by the audience. I think the sets are also beautiful and well-designed (to a foreigner's eye, perhaps they actually aren't accurate) - and they are so different from settings of other shows. I do wonder whether the coming second season will simply be a romance-focused one, and I am also in doubt that they will manage to retain the quality of the initial season, yet, I still look forward to watching the new one when I can!