THE CLIMAX OF KARA PARA ASK (*spoilers*)

I am here to tell you about a stormy, solitary night on which I wept in my living room profusely. Was it caused by loneliness and delirium? - no! They were tears of joy shed at the sight of the heroic rescue of our long lost (and dearly loved) Nilufer.

I had spent a long and pleasant day biking outside and reading one of my favorite books, prepared a nice meal, and planned to settle in for the night by watching *one episode* of Kara Para Ask. I've never been much of a binger; I like to savor things and enjoy them over a long period of time. I've enjoyed following along with Omer and Elif's adventures but did not anticipate what lay ahead.

The episode began with a cell-phone video received by Elif in which Nilufer warned her that if she continued to go to the cops for help, she would be hurt very badly. Despite Elif's hysteric reaction, Omer remained calm and examined the video closely. He noticed that there was a bag of sushi in the background, zoomed in, and uncovered the restaurant where the captor and his victim had been for dinner. Elif and Omer proceed to run around to every sushi location in town until they find the man who worked delivery the night the video was delivered. In a hushed tone, veiled by the dark of night, he tells the two where Metin (the captor) came from, providing the final step needed to pursue Nilufer and set her free!

Elif, ecstatic with anticipation, demands that she be brought along on the mission, despite her past inability to follow Omer's instructions in dire situations. Knowing this unpredictability could lead to her own harm, Omer and his police-partner, Pelin, lock Elif in a local public restroom so they could proceed to the island where Nilufur was held hostage, alone. Banging on the door, wailing and screaming with anger, Elif is left to her own devices. I felt deep pangs of empathy and frustration with Elif, who simply desired nothing more than to set her sister free, but wouldn't allow anyone else to do it for her.

Elif tells her sister in code over the phone that help is on the way. She instructs that she must sleep with her pants on that night - freedom calls.

Blinded by isolation and confusion, Nilufer INFORMED HER CAPTOR of her sister's plan to set her free, causing the men standing watch to prepare with ammunition for the battle ahead. The tension began to rise right as the episode ended, and I knew I couldn't sleep without knowing where the story would go.

 The small army of police officers arrives on the scene, creeping up to the entrance of where Nilufer was kept. Gunfire follows and Omer's own brother is shot and wounded as he tries to protect him! Metin escapes and jumps into the sea, leaving Nilufer helpless and alone in the hut at the center of the conflict. After a long and bloody battle, Omer enters the site and finds Nilufer shaking beneath a table. He reaches out to her with gentleness and love, taking her into his arms and bringing her to safety.

When he returns to shore, he unlocks the bathroom where a distraught Elif still sits. Before she can begin to unleash her wrath toward him, she sees her beloved sister standing behind him, bursts into tears and embraces her. Through joyful, relieved sobs, she glances over her shoulder at Omer, who stands satisfied, watching the two reconnect. Suddenly, a man who was once stubborn and arrogant in her eyes becomes a hero, one worth revering and even loving. Her mask falls away, and she will never see him the same way again.

This is the moment I had been waiting for for so long - the moment in which Elif realizes how much Omer sacrificed to set her sister free, and the underlying affection behind his actions. I am thrilled to see where the journey will continue to take them, and now I have my roommate here to cry and eat popcorn with me.

I have gained a whole new appreciation for streaming vs live television. It must have been torturous to watch such a series at the excruciating pace of one episode per week! I couldn't stand to wait and see what happens, but viewers in the past had no choice! Self-control once was forced, but now it is a choice ... one I have surely abused during this quarantine. ;)