SPOILER ALERT
With an emotionally wrenching premiere, Aras comes back into the dizi scene with a bang in Ay Yapim produced Deha, meaning Genius.
The Devil
Iskender (brilliant portrayal by the foxy Uğur Polat) is a consummate scam artist who is unscrupulous enough to hawk his children and sell his mother for his gains. He most exploited the 6 year old Devran, a math genius, and then left him, his three siblings (Ferman, Yaman, Ceylan) and his pregnant mother when he found greener pastures. He didn’t even look back at his own mother left with his abandoned family as Iskender took all of Gülce’s (Zuhal Guncer) wedding gold for his new girlfriend, Aysel (Seda Akman).
Cunning Aysel and her son Cesur (Taner Ölmez) are jackals who are well suited to adapt with Iskender’s dubious morals. The three jump from scam to scam, always landing on their feet without care about the havoc they create along the way. The tenuous loyalty among them is held together by their own survival instincts, each willing to shortchange the other as needed.
The Devil's Spawn
The episode starts with Devran proving an important math theorem that will enable new ways of encryption. If he gets it right in front of a panel of judges, he will receive a $1 million prize along with an opportunity to teach at Harvard. After his successful proof, when asked on a TV interview who was his inspiration, he mentions his father. It is the first intellectual dig at a father he has no respect for because he wanted for his scammer father to know the manifolds money he made through merit rather than defrauding others. He escapes from the pompous celebrations and happily goes through the comforts of his neighborhood, before settling himself in his mentor’s home.
Ali Haydar (Onur Saylak) is the wise scholar and father figure to Devran, brimming with knowledge. He immediately coaches Devran to give up on trying to prove anything to his father. They chance upon a discussion around the legend of Mete Han and his father, Touman Han. Ali Haydar tells of how Touman Han leaves his wife and son and runs off with a slave girl who wants her son to take over Mete’s birthright. Touman betrays Mete, gives him to the enemy and keeps attacking the enemy without regard for Mete’s safety. Mete escapes without knowing his father’s duplicity and is deceived by Touman’s ecstatic embrace. During the ensuing celebrations, one is struck in the heart with an arrow. Without reading the end of the story, Devran is certain it is Touman who dies as penance for all his evil.
With this legend in the background, we see the parallelism with Iskender and Boran, the youngest of the siblings who never met his father. He doesn’t fully understand the resentment his siblings have towards Iskendar and he is drawn to his father’s financial successes often mentioned in the media. Boran is embarrassed with their poverty and goes against Devran’s many warnings to connect with Iskendar. His arrival is timely and Iskender picks him as a scapegoat instead of his stepson Cesur in a dangerous skirmish with the mafia. Iskendar thinks he has all bases covered to keep Boran safe as he sends him into an armed compound with a bag full of fake money but, unbeknownst to him, Cesur double crosses him. Boran is fatally wounded.
Devran is all set to leave for America, along with his girlfriend Esme (Ahsen Eroğlu) who is going against her parents’ wishes. On his way to the airport, he makes a detour to look for Boran and finds his wounded body on Iskendar’s property. He is devastated with the loss and gives up on his career aspirations. He becomes a recluse and only comes out on the 40th day of mourning, which in many Islamic societies is treated as a day for friends and family to gather to pray for the departed. He resurrects the legend of Mete Han and asks Ali Haydar now that Boran is dead, who is Mete Han in this parallel story in their lives? Without waiting for Ail Haydar’s blessings, Devran takes on the mantle of going against Iskendar and come out victorious without bloodshed. He tells Esme that there is no denying the truth that if Iskendar is the devil, he is the devil’s spawn.
What's Coming?
The cat and mouse game that will ensue promises to be exhilarating. Devran’s keen mind calculates all sorts of possibilities, including his father’s immortality. He has no illusions about his father and he will plan to hurt his father with what he values most – wealth. Devran may be the Devil’s spawn but he does not share his moral values. As the story unfolds, will we watch these lines blur as the two try to get ahead of each other? Will there be other collateral damage? Is there any room for love in this game?
Review
Aras is beyond reproach as Devran, already blending in many of his signature moves as Yamaç from Çukur as he shows the playful side of his character. We also see his broken intensity as he tries to overcome the loss of his brother and he changes overnight from someone who had light in his life to someone who no longer does. Intellectually gifted people tend to be emotionally over-sensitive and we see this in how Devran relates to his family. They are his rock, his stability and his weakest points. Iskendar will exploit this to the fullest. It will be an art form to see Aras convey the emotional conflicts Devran will have to conquer.
Uğur Polat is a formidable counterpart and does an excellent job of playing the apathetic con artist, excuse of a father. He has his own childhood trauma that has made him as callous as he is, and those around him exploit his insecurities too.
In a studied depiction of human flaws and motivations, writer Damla Serim (Çukur, Darmaduman) is excellent in building her characters. Director Umut Aral, in his dizi debut, wonderfully and stylishly captures the milieu of the varied settings, from mahalle to the showmanship of a flashy, amoral casino. His choice of eclectic music to match his scenes are well-known from all his Netflix projects (Protector, Aşk 101, Yakamoz-245). Deha is no exception. Even the intro is reminiscent of an intro to a Bond movie, with a blend of graphics and memorable tunes from Toygar Işıklı.
Cinematography supported by Burak Kanbir is just as visually enriching. Each frame is well constructed and the pace of the story moves seamlessly through all the inter connected threads. The frameworks of all the characters are well understood and, by the end of the episode, we feel seated to take on the wild ride we are about to embark on.
I love the unique flair of this drama, which is a world apart from the typical dizis full of family intrigue and themes of an epic romance. I would love to discuss Deha further as more tropes emerge around the struggle between father and son, generational, ethical and moral conflicts.
If you enjoyed this piece, please go to the footer to subscribe to my blog!
@ Article Copyright by mh./ [@entrespire, twitter]. Follow me on Instagram: @soul_phoems
* All pictures and video clips belong to their original owners. No Copyright infringement intended.
Please ask permission for any reprints.
Comments