Bitter Lands

During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we both became hooked on this great television soap opera. We watched it on MTV Lebanon where it was dubbed in Arabic. In a time where American T. V. is at an all-time low when it comes to entertaining programming, BZC harkened back to the 1970s and 1980s when you had great dramatic shows such as Dallas and Dynasty.

The story about two families (the Yaman and the Fekeli clans) and their twists and turns was dynamite the first two seasons and a half. This was a show I didn't want to miss as it aired daily. Sadly, once they began killing off the major characters it started to lose its mojo. The 4th and last season was about these crime bosses involved with Julia and crazy Batul and her mother trying to destroy what was left of the Yaman family and it wasn't as good.

Regardless, this was a wonderful show while it lasted and provided us entertainment during the lockdown and beyond. Great characters that you cared about, the beautiful setting of Southern Turkey and some comedy made this a pleasure to watch.

I wish my Grandmother could have seen this show. The character of Hammine reminded me her.

Don't usually watch these Novellas at all but caught one episode around number 40 and enjoyed it so decided to give it a run. A few of the more likeable or main actors started to die, get murdered or whatever and soon others followed in the strangest and most unbelievable circumstances. Different events were introduced but were in the main just too impossible to believe and caused the characters to do things and make decisions that were simply too illogical to believe and totally contrary to any common-sense. Added to this was the fact that in Spain where I watched it the programme had a START TIME of 17.45pm but in fact started at 18.15 because it was PRECEDED by 30 minutes of ADVERTS and it had a FINISH TIME OF 1900 but ended at 18.50pm to allow 10 minutes of ADVERTS to be allowed to PRECEDE the programme following. THIS also allowed the Spanish TV Channel Antena 3 to extend the series by months so I long ago stopped watching it because Spanish TV may be free on some Channels but the quality of programmes are the worst imaginable. Spanish viewers in the main like and prefer to watch series like La Voz, Salveme and any reality shows that don't require them to think!

This series drags on forever, whenever something is solved they dig up problems from under the ground, just to make it last longer, I guess it is financially rewarding, can't blame them, but I couldn't keep on watching after all. The protagonist just cries, most of her life in the series and her performance relies on crying, poor thing lol I du no how much longer it will last, but for me it is more than I can take.

It is very delicate to say why a Turkish romantic serie is different by other. In this case, a murder, a love story far by homeland and the beautiful performance of Hilal Altinbilek but especialy, Vahide Percin acting are, like the influence of Biblical story, are good motives for see it. Romance, drama and dark secrets as basic ingredients and as good pillars of story.

There is a good premise and great potential for drama, actors are fantastic, settings are nice, but the script is so problematic.

• You'll have to wait from episode 8 to episode 36 for the ML to "learn a truth", something very easy to understand actually but crutial to the plot.

• for some weird reason NO ONE tells the main leads ANYTHING of the important stuff although some are supposedly friends

• absolutely toxic abusive behaviour and relations are never denounced

• main character is so passive, doesn't stand up and just accepts every kind of BS

• every revelation is made through eavesdropping but never the important things the main leads need to know

• love developing towards abusers

• indefinite dragging to eternity

• stupid misunderstandings that can actually be solved in leads could literally say one single line to each other

and so so so much more. It stars beautiful then you'll have to drop it because of these typical issues.

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