 |
| ATV |
“Black Money Love” (“Kara Para Aşk”) is a lavish romantic thriller that thrusts several disparate characters into a desperate situation. The series starts off by introducing viewers to the heroic police officer, Ömer Demir. After saving a group of trafficked children, Ömer is on a break from the force.
He is engaged to Sibel (Selin Ortaçlı), and as their wedding day looms, long-term personal happiness seems to be in sight. Meanwhile, Elif Denizer (Tuba Büyüküstün) returns home to Istanbul on her birthday. The daughter of a successful family, Elif, has no idea that her world is about to change, as “Black Money Love” puts her on a tragic collision course with Ömer (Engin Akyürek).
The two strangers will become embroiled in a mystery that has their dearest loved ones’ reputation on the line and their own lives at stake. Right off the top, “Black Money Love” captivates with a carefully crafted character-driven narrative that introduces viewers to the central players. The leads are both sympathetic, and as the series steers them towards one another, it ignites.
“Black Money Love” starts with Elif and Ömer at odds and in doing so, opens the gateway to something intriguing. Can Elif and Ömer find common ground and work together before it is too late? At over 160 episodes on Netflix (164 to be exact), the answer will undoubtedly come. Having watched the first three installments, the show already demonstrates steady pacing.
As someone who highly enjoyed and binge-watched “Gonul,” it seems as though “Black Money Love” will offer similar drama. Conversely, there is a spark of disdain between the latter's leads that could eventually turn into love. That is when both have some distance from the premiere. Romances that are first-served cold tend to run the hottest, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of them.
Unraveling the central mystery and figuring out how it will drive over 150 episodes promises to be a ride in and of itself. At the core, “Black Money Love” features compelling characters that have a lot of room to grow with each other. Plus, it is exciting to contemplate where and how Elif and Ömer’s family members will play into things.
What is the tie that connects Elif’s father and Ömer’s fiancé? It is a web just waiting to dig into, and strong performances from Tuba Büyüküstün and Engin Akyürek make solving that mystery all the more alluring to pursue.
Also, setting Elif and Ömer apart is that both are on the same mission yet driven by different forms of love. Elif for her father and Ömer for his fiancé. The seeds of doubt regarding those loved ones' trustworthiness are well-planted in the premiere, which leads to a luxurious dramatic angle to speculate on.
“Black Money Love” is clearly a more substantial time investment than “Gonul,” or “Innocent” (“Masum”), which is also on Netflix. If you are interested in getting absorbed in a show longer-term, this Turkish-language series may be the right choice.
Rating: 7.5/10
The first season of “Black Money Love” (“Kara Para Aşk”) is currently streaming on Netflix.
Comments
Post a Comment