Warning: Long post with spoilers…

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Warning: Long post with spoilers⚠️

Episode 102!!🔥

Some thoughts…

🌙With new locales, new background scores & multiples new characters and their stories woven together tautly, this season – as compared to the ones before it – is a whole different vibe. A palpable – at times disorienting – shift in tempo and mood as we, on one hand, move toward the moment, the declaration of a state, we’ve all been impatiently waiting for, and, on the other, ponder upon, examine in detail, the concept of a state itself.

🌙The previous seasons, in my opinion, were more focused, as a central narrative, on the making of the founder of the state, the man. His dream, his faith, his divine love, his growth. The sacrifices he and his people made. The challenges they faced. The roadblocks they surmounted. And the castles – not just physical – that he & his people conquered.

The loved ones that were taken from him, and the love & loyalty, from often unexpected quarters that he was blessed with. His evolution into who would always be remembered as the founder, the first sultan of the Ottoman Empire & the evolution of his people – the loyal followers of his cause – into those who lovingly took his name & came to be known for posterity as…Osmanlis.

🌙 On the other hand, in this episode, I sensed, that from this season onward, the focus will be more on the rule, the cause, the legacy of Osman Gazi, the making of the state, the entity itself. All that it entails. Its institutions. Its vision. Its principles. State & statesmanship. All sugarcoated with entertainment of course – with complex ideas broken down for mass consumption into relatively simple easy to digest plot point units 😊

And I’m excited because this is one of the the reason why I find Osman Gazi, early Ottoman history, so fascinating.

🌙Born, according to some chronicles, in the same year as the Sack of Baghdad, he, in his early youth, dreamed a dream. Dream of a State, of a divine order…and….devoted the rest of his time on earth, with steely determination & unshakable faith, to not only struggle against both oppressors and his nafs but also to bring that State of his dream into existence.

From sketching a new unifying flag – the standard of the State to be – in his tent one night to carving out, establishing, with the help of sheiks, scholars, family, comrades, the actual State – all that it entailed – to replace the nothing, the chaos, uncertainty & fear he found himself & his people in.

🌙 Devlet/ State: By definition (simplest possible), a community of persons (not necessarily of the same race, ethnicity or religion) occupying a definite territory, possessing an organized government and enjoying independence from external control.

Devlet is derived from the Arabic word dawla, whose root د و ل means ‘to turn in a cyclical fashion’. In the Quran, it is used to refer to the nature of human history, human state, human existence that alternates between victory and defeat, fortune & misfortune in interminable, divinely ordained cycles. (3:140): “If you have suffered a wound, the (other) people (your enemies) have suffered a similar wound. These are days (of good fortune and of misfortune) that We bring in turns to mankind, so that Allah may know those who (truly) believe, and may choose witnesses (and martyrs) from among you. Allah loves not the wrongdoers”

🌙 “Benim topraklarım, benim meselem”: “My land, my business”

A State has many facets, many institutions, many functions and I love how the various arcs & subplots in this season focus on one or more of them – showing rather than telling the necessity, the development of these various institutions – the ‘rule of law/ justice/ adjudication’, ‘administrative control’, ‘security, domestic & international & including preemptive intelligence, ‘rights & responsibility of citizens, ‘management/ distribution of resources’ among many others.

🌙 The deep well of Slander:

I’m loving Oktem Bey & family & their subplot. Not only is the acting phenomenal & the plot gripping but I’m really liking the way it’s showcasing the difficulties in keeping the various tribes that are now under the same banner united. I also loved Turgut Bey’s role & performance in this subplot – how he tried his hardest to control Oktem Bey but when Oktem Bey refused to listen & challenged his authority as an Ottoman commander by trying to take law in his hands, he was compelled to arrest & detail him (even though his eyes made it clear that he believed in his innocence)

🌙 Trust In A State’s Commitment To Justice: A nascent State striving to earn trust as one of the ways to maintain order within.

I liked how Malhun Hatun communicated their commitment to justice to Bengi Hatun & reminded her of their authority.

Especially interesting because Malhun Hatun & Omer Bey were pretty much in the same shoes as Oktem Bey & Bengi Hatun at one point in time – and it was only after they began to unquestionably trust Osman bey’s astuteness & commitment to justice that they submitted to his authority.

🌙 Oktem Bey & Osman Bey:

Loved their conversation in the divan room – how Oktem Bey said that he was not a rebel – when he was pretty much doing the same thing that Osman Bey himself had once done to Vezir Alemşah & by extension the Seljuk state (what remained of it)

Loved how Osman Bey countered him by delineating the fine line between the two actions. The presence/ absence of a trustworthy
justice system.

Can’t wait to see Dursun Fakih in action in the coming episodes 🔥

🌙 Political Chess Moves: Intelligence is power!
Keep your friends close & your enemy even closer 😄

Love how Osman Bey, from S3 onwards, has quietly built an intelligence network in key Byzantine cities. I know Kosses is operating in Bursa but I wish he were in Constantinople – I miss him!

I’m also enjoying how both the emperor & Osman Bey have (temporarily) halted their enmity & are maintaining a false facade of cordiality – although that doesn’t prevent them from taking occasional digs at each other 😃

“Rome is still here, where is Atilla?
“In front of you” 🔥

They don’t trust each other but are maintaining this facade to extract a temporary benefit that suits their current situation and interest.

Osman Bey, after conquering Byzantine strongholds Yenişehır & Inegol wants to stall retaliative Byzantine action (as he builds his strength) by keeping an ineffectual & understandingly unpopular emperor Andronikos in power & offers him a peace/ trade treaty that Andronikos, besieged by internal conspiracies to eliminate him, goes along with, not only wanting to stall Osman Bey & his openly declared ambitions but also to accept his offer to help find the person/persons behind the conspiracy to dethrone him. Very well thought out subplot…love it 👏

🌙 Konur & Ophelia: Loving this subplot as well & looking forward to seeing their story unfold. Poor Ophelia – with her own father after her life (reflecting the ugliness of Medieval throne wars) Sarkis is the only person she trusts and when she finds out the truth about him, she’ll be heartbroken 💔

🌙 Orhan & Alaeddin:

Their scenes are always so heartwarming ❤️ Love them both & the way their arcs are slowly developing.

🌙 Frigg!!!🤷‍♀️ 😁

She has to be the most hardworking villain I’ve ever seen. Here. There. Everywhere. Girl, I admire your dedication but please hire some minions, you can’t do everything alone! 😂

She’s one of the most entertaining villains ever & a brilliant actor ❤️

🌙 Head of Bacıyan-ı Rum, Sheikh Edebali’s daughter, Bala Hatun:

I love her action scenes, her lightning moves, her dexterity with a sword. Always a pleasure to watch. I also love how far her character has come from S1 of the show. In terms of maturity. In terms of character growth. Her sacrifices, her unwavering dedication & loyalty to Osman Bey’s cause.

I loved how in the first episode of the season, she wanted to ask Osman why he didn’t give a duty to Alaeddin but then, seeing how preoccupied with pressing state matters he was, she wisely lets it go…leaving the matter to Allah..

Their cause has always been more important to her than her own needs & at times (esp in S3) she was even content to take a backseat & avoid opening the door to possible fitna…

Beautiful & inspirational characterization…and no wonder, Osman Bey, who, as a young boy, fell in love with her beautiful soul can’t help still being hopelessly in love with her.

Yes, he is just & fair & loving to both his wives as he rightly should be as a person who professes to follow our beloved prophet’s footsteps but well, the heart wants what it wants…

Osman bey’s ‘ilk love’ described in lyrical detail in Aşıkpaşazade’s chronicles has been beautifully brought to life here…

There are numerous hotly debated theories about Osman bey’s wives but the most important thing to remember is that nothing is certain in that universally acknowledged dark hole of history.

Having said that, I’m really loving Malhun Hatun as well, her character growth from S2 onwards, her strength, her dedication to their cause as well & also the way she & Osman are bringing up the future Sultan Orhan.

🌙 Kantacuzenos & Olof:

“To ask for forgiveness is a sign of strength & there is power in forgiving…but I don’t offer my hand to one stained with innocent blood”

~Osman Bey~

Both brilliant actors. Loving their scenes – all their interactions & dialogues with Osman Bey are pure fire 🔥

I loved how suavely Osman Bey trapped Kantacuzenos into admitting that Olof was more loyal to him that to the emperor.

And that little wolf eyed triumphant side smile before dismissing him ❤️

All in all, a phenomenal episode. Can’t wait for the next.

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