If you have been following along on my blog, you know that I have been promising to write a blog post focusing on TRT1’s hit new dizi Masumlar Apartmanı. Masumlar Apartmanı is a promising new show that is totally annihilating the ratings on Monday nights and is an adaption of Dr Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s famous book.
There is something to be said of the way in which Masumlar Apartmanı, kills it every Monday night and has audiences coming back to watch more. It could be in part because of the phenomenal cast in lead actors Birkan Sokullu and Farah Zeynep Abdullah. However, when it comes to the cast, every member, regardless of whether they are the main protagonist or side character, give powerhouse performances. There is also probably something to be said about the way in which Turkish audiences have become more drawn to psychological narratives that dig into the nuances of the everyday person. For example, Kırmızı Oda, another psychological dizi based on the works of the good doctor Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu has also gained much traction. Whatever the reason may be, watching the first two episodes of the show was truly a refreshing treat.
In the first episodes, we are introduced to Han, his three sisters, Safiye, Gulben and Neriman, and their diabetic father. They live together in an apartment that Han’s family owns. It acts as both a home and an agony to the family. This is due to Safiye’s crippling OCD and agoraphobia that impacts every part of their home life. Being the matriarch of the house, she insists on everything being a certain way, cleaning everything precisely four times, and making sure nothing soiled enters the house. Han is the loving son and brother of the family who sacrifices to make sure that no one finds out about the way in which the household is conducted as well as attempting to keep everyone in the house happy. However, it is clear at the start of the episode that the issues in his home are taking a toll on Han, and that he has distanced himself from others to properly protect those in his house.
A screenwriting class I took mentioned two ideas that were important in order to write the perfect pilot episode. I do realise that the screenwriting class I took focused on Hollywood, however, I think these ideas are applicable to Masumlar Apartmanı). The first idea is that there should be a sense of cause and effect that allows tension and a rising action to grow. The events of the episode should react to each other, which allows the momentum and tension to be based on things that have previously occurred and not the whims and fancies of the writer. The second idea is that the character that you see in the final act of the episode should be one that is completely different than the one we are introduced to at the start of the episode. The rest of the show should then explore how this character has changed.
I would argue that the success of Masumlar Apartmanı comes from the execution of these two ideas. For example, while we know that Safiye has crippling OCD and acrophobia the episode allows us to see why these things have manifested in her life by showing us flashbacks to her childhood. Through this we see a very strict mother raised Safiye, and thus Safiye internalised her mother’s habits and idiosyncrasies.
The second idea of Han changing from the 1st Act of the episode to the final act comes in the form of him meeting Inci, the “angel” in his life. Han gets into a car accident with Inci, while driving home from work. Inci and Han go to the hospital, where they stay the night together to ensure that he has no complications due to his concussion. Though they spend a short amount of time together, Han and Inci have an instant connection. We start to see a slow change as Han is taken from the place of caretaker to being taken care of by Inci. This has a great effect on him as he becomes fond of her. The chemistry between Birkan Sokullu and Farah Zeynep Abdullah is electric and addicting to watch.
As previously established, this show is not one without nuance. Inci does not just play the role of the caretaker or love interest. She herself is going through a lot because of the proposal from her boyfriend that she turned down. Inci lives with her grandfather and younger brother. She is grieving the loss of her parents. Yet, she remains a warm and carrying person. Inci’s family need to move out of their apartment and are the stress of finding a new home.
The next morning when Han is released from the hospital, Inci and Han unhappily part ways with a single handshake. There is much that they want to say to each other, yet they cannot. When Han returns home, his house is in havoc with his family believing that he has a new girlfriend and his youngest sister Neriman being locked in her room as a form of ‘punishment’ by Safiye. Inci, on the other hand, returns and has to help her family move.
Tensions rise even more when Inci family tries to move into an apartment in Han’s family building. A distressed and angry Safiye refuses to let them enter the building and becomes more and more agitated when Inci and her family accuse her of being unstable. Han hearing about what Safiye is up too rushes downstairs to help and sees his angel who he thought he would never see again.
At this ending, we again see another major difference from the Han that is introduced in the 1st Act. Not only did he briefly think about himself and Inci when he spent the night at the hospital, a contrast to the man who sacrificed repeatedly for his family. We also see a man who has someone in his life seeing the realities of his family life and sister, a thing that he sought to keep a secret. Another thing to note is that at the start of the episode, Han tries to help Neriman by going against Safiye’s wishes, but ultimately does not follow through, allowing Safiye to have her way (this is a comment about the soiled bedsheets). However, at the end of the episode, Han does intervene to get Neriman free of room arrest. He also goes against Safiye’s wishes by allowing Inci and her family to stay the night at his house (a thing we see at the start of the next episode).
So, is that the answer to Masumlar Apartmanı, success? An understanding of Turkish audiences interest in psychological narratives, wonderful acting, brilliant production value, and excellent writing?
Probably.
However, as I said in my previous blog post called “A Dizi(ng) Week (A Recap) : Or A Week Of “Git Me” (Or Some Variant Of It)”, watching Masumlar Apartmanı reminded me a lot of the hit American TV show, This Is Us. As I said in that post, the comparison could come from the fact that Birkan Sokullu acts in the Turkish remake of This Is Us. However, after thinking about it for a bit, I realise that there is something to be said of the comparison.
Both Masumlar Apartmanı and This Is Us focus on the lives and relationships of a family. It delves into various social issues that are relevant to audiences. However, in my search for answers, I found an article published by The Seattle Times called, “Why is ‘This Is Us’ so popular? The answer is simple”. In the article, they discuss various things and a few of them stood out to me, because of its relevance to the success of Masumlar Apartmanı.
One recurring idea that was stated in the article was the prominence of cynical, dark, superhero narratives in the American television landscape. While I personally don’t think that Turkish television is being oversaturated with cynical and dark narratives, there is an abundance of romantic comedies and action, and thus Masumlar Apartmanı comes as a breath of fresh air in the genre of family dramas.
The creator of This Is Us, Dan Fogelman argues that the structure of This Is Us, which allowed audiences to see the characters in different points in their lives was a major aspect of the success. It also allowed for a structure of storytelling that gave us insight into various characters and for surprises to be written into each episode.
I would argue that from the first few episodes of Masumlar Apartmanı we see different aspects of the characters. Yet, the writers have weaved in mysteries and secrets that the audiences want to see more of. For example, why does Han collect paper or go out at night to rifle through trash?
The last reason that This Is Us was applauded as such a good show, is though the audience knows that the characters are struggling, they are good people at heart. Additionally, there is something to be said about the fact that audiences of This Is Us were able to see themselves reflected in these characters.
I would argue that because Masumlar Apartmanı gets into the psychology of all of the characters, we see them struggling and being in pain. Yet, this insight allows us to empathise with these characters and though psychological dramas may be new to Turkish television, the dizis and the characters still resonant with audiences who might be seeking from the overdramatic land of dizi-land.
ERICA TALKS SH*T 