I started watching Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu while living in Turkey in an attempt to learn more Turkish and to fit in - Everyone I knew raved about this series and would drop everything to watch the premiere of each new episode. There is no denying that the series can draw in viewers and thrill them, but in my opinion the show lacks that certain 'Wow Factor' that would elevate it from the status of a good show to a great show.
Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu centers around a group of men, led by Polat Alemdar, who are basically glorified mobsters and their interactions with rival mob factions, PKK members, members of the Turkish government, and a number of other unsavory characters engaged in an immense covert war to seize greater control and wealth. While this may sound like a fantastic plot, and to a certain degree it is, it could have been so much more - The implications of this covert war are never really discussed. While the action kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time, a part of me was hungry for something deeper; there needed to be more focus on what it would mean if the series' main villain 'İskender Büyük' managed to win or what it would mean if Polat and his band of brothers won out in the end. In short, the story is good but it lacks the proper depth to be thought of as a masterpiece; it is entertaining all the same though.
The occasional side stories are amusing, and I found myself sighing in relief whenever attention was diverted from Polat's brooding and İskender Büyük's gravelly-voiced diatribes to focus on other characters who did not take themselves all that seriously - Namely Muro. While we are on the subject of plot, it bears to be said that the series suffered for a while. The writers decided to throw in a moronic piece regarding Polat's quest for a bride at the behest of his melodramatic mother. He ends up going on a few dates with a female character who starts out as a sweet and sensitive foil to the rough crowd that Polat usually hangs out with - Only to end up turning into a controlling witch within several episodes. Sometimes the change the characters undergo episode to episode is mind boggling and irritating, I blame this on the writers and I don't hold it against the series too much. In the writers' defense, they do manage to create colorful characters who make the series come alive in ways that few other Turkish television series do.
My biggest complaint against Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu is the speed at which the series progresses. In some episodes hardly anything happens and each episode begins with a recap of what happened in the previous episode. For die-hard fans, this becomes quite annoying because so much time is wasted on rehashing old material just to get on with the story. However, in other episodes there is hardly any sort of recap given and the episode moves at lightning speed. This sort of disjointed flow, coupled with the unpredictable quality of the writing, is what ultimately made me an irregular viewer.
On the positive side, I love the fact that the creators of the show have worked so hard to set it apart from all the other dramas on Turkish television. While a modest amount of time is spent discussing the politics behind the show and the actions of the characters that appear on the show, Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu still manages to surpass many other series in terms of realistic drama on a grand scale. Humor is used sparingly, but at all the right times. I appreciate the relative sensitivity with which Kurdish characters on the show are portrayed - While it's hardly anything to celebrate it's an improvement over many other series that ignore the existence of Kurds or rely on outdated stereotypes.
Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu is probably the best dramatic series on Turkish television in a long time, but it isn't for everyone and still suffers from problems. The story and characters are what carry the show, but even these two factors are not enough to overcome the occasional lapses in judgment made by the writers and the people behind the series. In short, if you're ever in Turkey, understand a little Turkish, and need to watch a show with substance this is the show to watch.
Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu centers around a group of men, led by Polat Alemdar, who are basically glorified mobsters and their interactions with rival mob factions, PKK members, members of the Turkish government, and a number of other unsavory characters engaged in an immense covert war to seize greater control and wealth. While this may sound like a fantastic plot, and to a certain degree it is, it could have been so much more - The implications of this covert war are never really discussed. While the action kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time, a part of me was hungry for something deeper; there needed to be more focus on what it would mean if the series' main villain 'İskender Büyük' managed to win or what it would mean if Polat and his band of brothers won out in the end. In short, the story is good but it lacks the proper depth to be thought of as a masterpiece; it is entertaining all the same though.
The occasional side stories are amusing, and I found myself sighing in relief whenever attention was diverted from Polat's brooding and İskender Büyük's gravelly-voiced diatribes to focus on other characters who did not take themselves all that seriously - Namely Muro. While we are on the subject of plot, it bears to be said that the series suffered for a while. The writers decided to throw in a moronic piece regarding Polat's quest for a bride at the behest of his melodramatic mother. He ends up going on a few dates with a female character who starts out as a sweet and sensitive foil to the rough crowd that Polat usually hangs out with - Only to end up turning into a controlling witch within several episodes. Sometimes the change the characters undergo episode to episode is mind boggling and irritating, I blame this on the writers and I don't hold it against the series too much. In the writers' defense, they do manage to create colorful characters who make the series come alive in ways that few other Turkish television series do.
My biggest complaint against Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu is the speed at which the series progresses. In some episodes hardly anything happens and each episode begins with a recap of what happened in the previous episode. For die-hard fans, this becomes quite annoying because so much time is wasted on rehashing old material just to get on with the story. However, in other episodes there is hardly any sort of recap given and the episode moves at lightning speed. This sort of disjointed flow, coupled with the unpredictable quality of the writing, is what ultimately made me an irregular viewer.
On the positive side, I love the fact that the creators of the show have worked so hard to set it apart from all the other dramas on Turkish television. While a modest amount of time is spent discussing the politics behind the show and the actions of the characters that appear on the show, Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu still manages to surpass many other series in terms of realistic drama on a grand scale. Humor is used sparingly, but at all the right times. I appreciate the relative sensitivity with which Kurdish characters on the show are portrayed - While it's hardly anything to celebrate it's an improvement over many other series that ignore the existence of Kurds or rely on outdated stereotypes.
Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu is probably the best dramatic series on Turkish television in a long time, but it isn't for everyone and still suffers from problems. The story and characters are what carry the show, but even these two factors are not enough to overcome the occasional lapses in judgment made by the writers and the people behind the series. In short, if you're ever in Turkey, understand a little Turkish, and need to watch a show with substance this is the show to watch.
