shirley12vineyard

Reading some of the others' comments confirms for me that unfortunately world-wide audiences of a particular country's screen industry forget to drop their own cultural spectacles for another pair for the vastly different sensibility that is conveyed - here Turkey. Also to realise that these dizi are a unique format. An English speaking 'westerner' just doesn't 'get it' always. Many 'southern-Europe-to-middle-eastern' ways of thinking are vastly different. The under-pinning of secular Islam is very enlightening, as fans who view a lot of this genre can attest; so much of that culture relates so well to the best life values. (Yet often there is no overt 'religiousness', bar the plain rituals of funeral and wedding.) It's so good to get a feel for all of these things. Marshall-ah! The family table; the emphasis on healthy eating, the daily courtesies, the patterns expected in the 'coupling' department, the tactile affection commonplace between siblings and family members,

Story-telling is so embedded, poetry is generally known and treasured and metaphor and allegory are everywhere in this part of the world, and in Karadayi. In my country anyone who drew attention to themselves gently to launch into an often poetic story, and to have the company s/he's with (usually his family) attentively loving it would be an oddity. The Persian, Sufi, Aramaic, Turkish, Arab and all the 'stahns' have a huge store of narrative. Long-windedness can be a put-down summation. We have to start by knowing that these TV dizi are not 'soaps' - they are tele-novellas with 2 or 3 seasons separated by and summer breaks. For impatient Anglo-celtics they can be too drawn out, but for me as someone who just isn't held by today's trends Sci-fi, or CGi, GOT, Block-busters or fantasy, there is gold to be found in Turkish drama. The ease of incorporating passion, sensory delight, sweet verbal exchanges perfectly expressed in ease of owning emotion and poetic sweetness. The de-sensitised "West' calls these attributes cheesy, cliche - sadly.

The technical expertise in Karadayi is to die for, settings, location always real (not parked out like the US/UK ones can be) - costumes perfect etc. Karadayi just won me over right at the start; amazing to see a 1970s setting in perfect detail; dial telephones, woolen overcoats, flared pants, snall family shops, tweed women's professional suits, non-skyhigh heels, American imported cars. I couldn't fault any of these aspects. And I'm surprised that no other comment has rejoiced in this. (No cellphones interrupting every 5 minutes as they do in the large number of contemporary urban popular dizi!).

There seems to an endless supply of gorgeous looking people in the cast but also the ordinary and unprepossessing. Kenan Irmilioglu is of charismatic looks, is tall and imposing with his co-star Bergutor Kolar a tall actor also, a perfect foil for her co-lead. Mahir is too noble by far perhaps, given as he is, to fiery anger often causing trouble. Cetin Tekendor is a veteran 'older person' with a 'centering' role in the story. But all the cast performs expertly. Netflix often start a sub-titled series off, but due to contract issues will often show only the 1st Season. The frustrated viewer must search for various server Groups ('Turkish Dramas with English subtitles' is a starting Google) which provide sub-titled versions which usually require a donation.

I give this series high praise - although I may find viewing all episodes for the full show's length a challenge as always there seems to be a too dense middle stage with more sub-plots and additional characters, adding twists and turns. But Karadayi has so much going for it it should be worth going the full distance.

Once one is accustomed to the Turkish series/dizi industry and understands that it is huge business with dozens of series running concurrently with massive competition for ratings, it is great to recognise when something has that extra brilliance. Given that audiences like some melodrama, plenty of emotions and rivalries, guns being popped out of suit pockets, anger and tenderness in contrast and invariably the presence of obscenely rich tycoons (often dallying in criminal fraud) and glamorous women who presumably do lift a finger to do a little work at times, it is possible that some very special stories can be found. That this series was based on books (which I have not read) doesn't necessarily guarantee good script-writing but the casting and script here is fine. There are some dashes of humour too.

Two distinct qualities in Merhamet are the heavy use of retro-recall; amber tones delving into past chldhood/youth life of the country town and its very deep-seated struggles, then the present story resolutions in 2013 Istanbul. Sometimes this seems to drag out, but later on it does offer important 'fill-ins' about what each of the lead couple andh several others had emerged from, before Istanbul days. The note states 1996. This is incorrect. It is 'the present' in 2013-plus.

The second dominant quality of Merhamet is that the lead actors earn the greatest commendation for their playing of double roles, teen-age and 30s adulthood - have not received rave reviews for the writing, acting and especially directing skills Magic. That Ibrahim Celikkol in real-life is a superbly-built handsome 30s+ aged man, could act and be assisted by excellent direction, and make-up/hair work convey accurate demeanour and persona as the naive, not-a-care-in-the world son of a very wealthy tycoon in their country ranch, and switch multiple times to wonderful effect as a presently successful Istanbul professional who for years had hollowness in his life because the love-life of his youth with Narin had totally vanished without trace. That is until Narin showed up by chance in top-end professional circles in Istanbul.

So much water had gone under the bridge and so much stress, grief and confusion had to be addressed if this erstwhile once so-loving late-teenage couple would ever re-capture what the audience could see is an essential outcome of the series. The actor playing Narin is illuminating. She from childhood is a top academic achiever, feisty, courageous, emotionally charged and desperate to do her best from way back for family, friends - often exhausting herself in the process. She goves a powerful characterisation. Expect plenty of raised passion in the voice - so be it! Sweetness is there too.

A wonderfully moving series, as long as cultural diverse nuances are embraced, as the audiences in this series (and all others in Turkey) are made for its own audiences who value much more dramatic, emotional story-telling - but experience over many dizi, has taught me to sometimes be alert for sometimes ambivalent Finales.

The look of Turkey, in every series I've seen, is like a Tourist advert for gorgeous Istanbul with Bospherus Suspension bridges, or the Maiden Tower from beautiful vantage points in every establishing shot, many foreshore scenes and various outpost destinations - contrasting with the country town poverty and simplicity. Many an overseas viewer might find themselves planning to visit this fascinating country. Let yourself be captured by this series.