Kübra

Yesterday, I finished Kubra and I was impressed as always, by the extreme performance of the actor Cagatay Ulusoy. I can reaffirm that this actor chooses his role out of a desire to convey a clear message to humanity. Each role performed by Cagatay has a clear message that urges inner circumspection. This time, Cagatay took on a role I never thought he would pull off, and in some places, he brought a few tears to my eyes. And God, how well he performed, how much dedication and pathos he put into the penciling of the Gokhan character! The crux of the first season is in the last episode... Will Gokhan continue to believe in God's power after learning the truth? Yes... I think so... Kubra conveys messages of love for one's neighbor, of the inner struggle taken to extremes by the poor, and of the chasm between the social strata from a political and financial point of view.

Kubra is the quintessence of all the spiritual values that God has passed on to us, regardless of religion, country we come from, or spiritual affiliation. It is a bundle of spiritual dogmas, which prompts you to ask yourself the question: What is the purpose of my arrival on this earth?

As someone who can both relate to the culture and the religion displayed in the series, until the end, I was only watching hoping that the ending would be in a similar fashion. Kubra is a series that display simply mankind. All though some part were quite corny and hard to watch, the message that is delivered is the status quo of the country it is based out of. It depicts the balance of power, social and economic realities, political Islam and the tension within the nation that could be ignited with a single match. All though it seems far-fetched from reality, it is closer than it seems. The dystopian and fiction aside, with certain twists to the plot, it has the potential to be real, because it did in the past and the original author was most likely influenced and referrenced it.

Kubra is that series that makes you think about everything that is really important in life. The values, such as compassion, help, family, love of fellow human beings, all of these are played with real mastery by the actors of the series. Cagatay Ulusoy masterfully creates the role of Gökhan, a simple man, loved by the community, but at the same time different, who seeks answers to the questions related to his role on earth. Through this role, he wants to spread among the community the idea that God is in everything, in every situation, and nothing is accidental. Cagatay managed to transform himself once again, to form a character different from the others he played. I am proud of what I create.

Once in a while Netflix comes up with brilliant outliers. Kubra is a great example.

At first, it feels like a story of a religion (or a cult) in the making, with a Muslim Jesus-like (both visually and mindset-wise) figure facing predictable leadership challenges, corrupt politicians, and dealing with his family.

In the last chapter (of season 1), the twist turns the story upside down (not revealing what it is, although some other reviews did...), setting up the scene for a very different season 2.

There is a lot to like. The characters, the acting (and the actors themselves), the exploration of spirituality from the 21st century Turkish perspective. As someone who knows next to nothing about Turkey, I found it to be educational while still accessible enough not to overshadow the story with cultural differences. In the last chapter, the professional terms and concepts are amazingly spot on. Sadly, the Hodja character (a priest with what sounds like a degree in psychology) is underexplored.

I deducted one point for the Netflix's insistence on specific running time. The bullet subplot felt redundant and forced with the motivation of the rioters vague and unclear. It's like it was added just to make the season last for 8 chapters. It made the series feel a bit stretched. But at least Netflix didn't cancel it, like they do with other brilliant outliers (The OA, 1899, etc.).

Faith, belief, cultism, looking for a better future, entrenched powers fighting change, corruption..... Basic human traits and flaws meet in this Turkish series. Is Gokhan chosen by God to be his spokespreson and usher a change? Or is he just delusional? Or are there other factors at play? It's a nice look at.intersection of faith, politics and social movements. Who is playing whom? Who has ulterior motives? Who really believes and who is just going with the flow? And who is trying to harness this for their own gain?

Overall the story is interesting and compelling but at points thing happen at the pace of plot and people act the way they do simply to further plot and not because it's a rational and logical thing to do.

There is a Hollywood series with a similar premise and plot, which was in turn inspired by different series as well. I won't say which ones due to spoilers but you'll likely recognise them if you've seen either.