Starring Pınar Deniz and Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Yargı is one of the turkish series best classified at IMDb and was nominated for the International Emmy Awards 2023 in the ‘Best Telenovela’ category
Since its release on HBO Max’s streaming platform, Yargı (Family Secrets) has been receiving many positive reviews around social media. The audience of the Turkish drama in the platform is remarkable, since the series has been among the ten most watched productions of the streaming during the months of July and August. However, Yargı’s success arises since its premiere in Türkiye during the turkish winter season of 2021/22.
Following its pilot episode, the production has captivated the public with a plot filled with drama and criminal investigation. In the story, Pınar Deniz plays Ceylin, an impetuous and intelligent lawyer, while Kaan Urgancıoğlu plays a renowned and systematic prosecutor. The two meet during a criminal investigation and face twists and turns from that moment on.
The success of the series can be attributed to the exceptional quality of Sema Ergenekon’s script, the flawless construction of the characters and also to the talent of the entire cast. In addition, the series has excelled in exploring much of the Turkish legal system in its storyline.
However, that’s not the only reason why Yargı (Family Secrets) stands out as a rising point for Turkey’s productions. This is why Entretetizei has prepared a list with eight reasons that explain why the series became such a success in Türkiye and has won over viewers in other countries.
1. Original and mesmerizing plot
Under the skillful direction of Ali Bilgin, Yargı tells the story of Ceylin (Pınar Deniz), a talented, brave and reckless lawyer, and of Ilgaz Kaya (Kaan Urgancıoğlu), a prosecutor know for his wisdom and for doing everything according to the law.
Ceylin Erguvan and Ilgaz Kaya come from different, dysfunctional families. The Erguvan family is going through great difficulties, and while Ceylin was still at college, her father was accused and arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. For this reason, Ceylin believes that there is the law and the justice, and she knows exactly which side she’s on.
Meanwhile, the Kaya family is also facing problems. Metin Kaya (Hüseyin Avni Danyal), the former head of the homicide department and father to the brothers Ilgaz and Çınar Kaya (Arda Anarat) is ashamed of his imprisoned father’s dark and criminal past. He has always set high moral standards for his children, colleagues and for himself. For this reason, Ilgaz grew up under the rigorous rules of his father and has an incorruptible sense of right and wrong.
In the first episode, the police begin investigating the case of a young woman who was brutally murdered and found in a dumpster inside a suitcase. The evidence found makes Çınar Kaya the main suspect. For this reason, the prosecutor asks Ceylin to defend his brother in court. The discoveries and events that follow this moment have surprising outcomes that drive the development of the story and result in the first meeting of the protagonists.
2. Sema Ergenekon’s smart and sophisticated script
The genius, intelligence and talent of Sema Ergenekon, the screenwriter behind Yargı, is one of the points that stands out and contributes to the series recognition as one of the most popular and highly rated Turkish dramas on IMDb. The initial premise is original and impactful, and its development manages to be even more impressive.
Sema executes the idea masterfully. Uniting drama and mystery in the right amount, the screenwriter builds a story filled with emotion that grips the viewer from the beginning of the episode to the end. The facts that occur in the plot are complex, but this is not a problem. When the mystery behind the case that brings Ceylin and Ilgaz together is solved, it’s surprising how all the events make sense and all the dots are cleverly connected.
With each new event, new questions arise and are skillfully presented by the author. As a result, she knows exactly how to handle the viewers expectations, surprising them at each new outcome of the story. In addition, the story incorporates subplots that connect to the main narrative and are important to the development of the plot as a whole. With talent and skill, Sema ties all the elements and subplots together, delivering a cohesive, thrilling and increasingly fascinating script.
The following season’s script manages to be even more brilliant and powerful. In a subtle and pertinent way, Sema brings elements to the story that spark an important and timely reflection about Turkish culture. At the same time as the series allows the foreign viewers to learn more about the Turkish cultural traditions and customs, it also raises relevant issues.
Yargı uses a fictional narrative to highlight strong themes that enrich and give depth to the plot, making it memorable and relevant. Sema’s writing opens up space to denounce and discuss socio-cultural problems that are significant for all society, such as misogyny and the violence against women, as well as challenging the Turkish system by exposing how it works. In doing this, the screenwriter allows the script to raise the audience’s critical sense and promote discussions about recurring situations that women face.
Beyond that, Sema is capable of building brilliant characters that can inspire other women with their courage and strength. In the context of Yargı, female strength is exalted through the character of Ceylin. Not only is she inspiring, but she also generates significant identification and empathy on part of the audience.
3. Drama, criminal investigation and the Turkish legal system
Drama and criminal investigation are well put in the plot. The mystery surrounding the case that guides the initial season leads to various events that are strongly intertwined and create an enigmatic aura during the episodes. In addition, the production presents the cases in a realist manner, demonstrating that there was solid legal research prior to writing the script.
Set in Türkiye, the narrative takes into account the country’s cultural and legal complexities in order to create a realistic legal environment. As a result, the series allows viewers to better understand the work of lawyers, prosecutors and commissioners on a daily basis and during the criminal investigations. Yargı also shows how court procedures take place in the country, such as hearings, trials and interrogations.
To bring greater drama to the story, believable conflicts and dramas are created within the legal context, such as twists and turns in cases and also corruption. Moreover, the series also deals with the ethical dilemmas that Ceylin and Ilgaz face over the episodes. Many times, Ceylin makes risky and even illegal decisions in search of evidence that might benefit her client, while Ilgaz feels pressured to make ethical choices that also serve the greater good.
All these elements contribute to the construction of a well-made and fantastic legal drama. No wonder Sema’s script is so unique and the construction of the legal context in the series is so faithful to reality. The screenwriter spent two years writing the story of Yargı.
Sema took care to establish a solid link between what is portrayed in the series and reality. To do this, the author visited courtrooms, law firms and identified real cases during the process of creating the plot. In an interview with Milliyet, Sema shared more details about the project.
“The world of the police and the court was set on a completely realistic level. The project has a two-year history. Two whole years were spent in heavy criminal hearings, police visits, visits to law firms, examining and observing examples from world dramas, identifying surprising real cases and filing them away to use in episodes. In addition, after each script is written, a police officer, a narcotics officer and a crime scene investigator read it, as well as two lawyers and a psychologist who also evaluate it”, revealed the scriptwriter.
4. The love story of Ceylin and Ilgaz
Drama and criminal investigation are an important part of the story, but the romance between Ceylin and Ilgaz acts as a magnet to attract the viewer’s attention. During the first season, the audience followed the gradual evolution of the relationship from professional to romantic.
In the beginning, Ilgaz and Ceylin are presented as opposing characters. However, there’s a very similar point between them: both have strong principles that guide both their professional and personal decisions. Although they disagree in their ways of working, the pair is able to develop a beautiful and sincere relationship over the course of the episodes.
During the most difficult and delicate moments of her life, Ceylin finds in Ilgaz the loyalty and sensibility she needs. At various times, the prosecutor rushes to support the lawyer. In her biggest moment of fragility and vulnerability in the first season, he is there to silently support her and provide emotional and physical support.
In these two seasons, the audience has seen the difficulties that permeate a loving relationship. Despite the love that exists between the characters, the story is realistic in showing that love alone may not be enough. The two characters are exposed to various situations in which loyalty, mutual support, partnership and trust are also essential.
Even in the face of adversities and obstacles, the romance between Ilgaz and Ceylin maintains its beauty in the eyes of those who follow the series. Instead, the realism and careful construction of their relationship emphasize the genuineness and depth of the love between the protagonists.
5. The making of the female characters in the story
As previously mentioned, the development of the main plot in Yargı is also supported by subplots. In the series, the characters represent the female strength and perform in important roles. More than that, they are the ones that bring us to reflect on Turkish culture and how misogyny still affects women around the world.
While still in college, Ceylin Erguvan faces injustice and has to deal with responsibilities that do not belong to her. During her studies to become a lawyer, she has to take responsibilities supposed to be her fathers. When her dad gets arrested, she becomes the main provider to her family alongside her law studies.
However, the way Ceylin is close to her family is harmful for the character. At many times, she shows that she loves her family but is aware that living with them is not healthy. Constantly Ceylin is left hurt in this toxic relationship. The lawyer has a complex relation with her own feelings because she feels lonely and rejected by her family, but still puts herself aside to take care of them.
Even with the profound pain she carries, Ceylin is an example of courage and strength. The difficulties with her family and their traditional values never stopped her from studying and fighting for her freedom. With a lot of willpower, she becomes a renowned lawyer, empathic and with a great sense of justice.
Aylin Erguvan (Pınar Çağlar Gençtürk), Ceylin’s sister, lives her own dramatic situation. She is married to Osman (Onur Özaydın) and the narrative shows how the character dives into depression after her son’s death, pushing away her family and herself. However, the events that shape her trajectory make her challenge her own demons and take important decisions.
When she finds out her husband is cheating on her, Aylin makes a decision that prioritizes her own well-being: she decides to divorce him. Even with her mom being against it and wanting her to forgive her husband for the affair, the character goes on and fights to win what she wants. In this case, the public can witness Aylin’s determination.
Neva (Başak Gümülcinelioğlu) is a successful judge that appears to be self empowered. Along the development of the series, Neva’s personality gets explored and allows the watchers to see more sides to her previously unknown. Even though she is successful in other areas, the character is extremely vulnerable in her love life.
In the past, Neva lived a long romance with the prosecutor Ilgaz. After their breakup, she makes the risky decision to return to Istanbul. When questioned by her brother about her choice to sacrifice her career for a relationship, Neva states that she never felt more fulfilled than when she was with Ilgaz.
The development of the character and the conflicts present in her story raises important cultural issues. The feeling of emptiness and incompleteness that Neva experiences in her story is a result of a deep rooted conception that women have to be married to a man to feel complete. Furthermore, Neva faces a difficult process with her over protective and controlling brother.
Even though she is an adult completely capable of making her own decisions, Neva is treated like a child and has her every step controlled. Her freedom and independence are put at risk because he believes it’s necessary to question and watch her every moment. Despite all her vulnerabilities, the trajectory of the judge allows us to see her courage, skills and empathy.
6. The overdeliver, commitment and talent of Pınar Deniz
Ceylin is not an easy character to create and impersonate. During her journey in Yargı, the lawyer goes through several delicate situations that are psychologically difficult to deal with, being exposed to a handful of different traumas. As fearless and brave as she is at her job, Ceylin faces a lot of internal and painful battles outside the court, like the toxic relationship with her family. Feelings like anger, pain and sadness are inevitable to someone in her situation.
The story of Ceylin captures the public instantly, but it is the talent of Pınar in action that elevates the plot with intensity and makes the audience embrace the character. The consistent and impeccable acting of Pınar is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable aspects of this production, because, even if the story is only fiction, Pınar manages to transmit the feeling of authenticity when portraying the emotions of the character in such a convincing way.
To give the character life, Pınar goes through an intense preparation process. In interviews, it is clear that the actress dedicates herself to comprehending the story of the character, looking to understand which motivations drive her. With skilled acting techniques, Pınar uses all of the resources at her disposal during her performance in the show: facial expressions, voice tone and body language.
The surrender and commitment of the actress are absolute, allowing Ceylin to be portrayed with authenticity. The powerful acting of Pınar Deniz makes the viewers believe in the pain and suffering of the character, making it almost impossible to watch without getting emotional with her in the dramatic scenes. Beyond that, the actress embodies nuances and mannerisms to her performance that makes the character more complex and unique, breaking away from superficiality
In an interview to the magazine InStyle, Pınar spoke about the experience of playing Ceylin. She shared that the emotional intensity of the character story impacts her own feelings. Even being told to keep her acting at a more technical level, the actress chose to follow another path and connect with her character.
“I wanted to play the role this way. It seemed unfair to Ceylin to put her in a technical position. Acting is great in a way that I can sympathize with the character, pity her or change something of hers in a way” said the actress.
7. Partnership and chemistry between Pınar and Kaan
It is not the first time Pınar and Kaan work together as a couple. In 2020, the both of them acted together in Love 101, from Netflix, like Burcu and Kemal. In that series, they played two teachers that fell in love with each other. The chemistry on scene between Pinar and Kaan left Sema Ergenekon hooked and made her invite the duo to star in Yargı.
The choice of the lead characters could not be any more relevant. Pınar Deniz and Kaan Urgancıoğlu show in every episode that indeed they are perfect for the part and surprise the viewers with their amazing performances. Both of them have a mastery of the technique, which makes them convey their complex emotions and feelings in a convincing and authentic way. Beyond that, the duo has adopted mannerisms that make the characters unique.
When acting together, the leads perform with an insane and incomparable chemistry. Pınar Deniz and Kaan Urgancıoğlu look comfortable with each other in the romantic scenes of Ceylin and Ilgaz and that makes a difference. The closeness between them, as well as their technical ability and emotional expressions, make each scene natural and captivating.
Above that, the duo are great partners outside the cameras too. In an interview to Hürriyet, Pınar disclosed that Kaan is essential to her post-shooting process. The actress gets exposed to many emotionally heavy scenes. “Sometimes I get a dramatic fatigue because of the scenes, and sometimes I just collapse. In these moments, Kaan cheers me up a lot. He hugs me immediately”, said.
In the same interview, Kaan Urgancıoğlu said that having a friendship with the actress makes the process more comfortable for both, since their work is not easy. “Is a great comfort because we don’t do an easy job. As actors, we try to reveal all of our emotions when on stage. When that happens, we start to feel everything that happens in the outside world, in the country, on set, outside. This is a very hard thing because not always things go well”, said Kaan.
8. The power and success of Yargi
According to the Daily Sabah, the Yunus Emre Enstitüsü (YEE) and the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) conduct field research with 5k people of 125 countries to understand how the Turkish TV shows contribute to the process of learning the turkish language and to analyse how foreigners relate to the culture, art, music, architecture, natural beauties, urbanization practices, family traditions, social rituals and social relations between individuals through the Turkish TV shows.
In these studies, Yargı was named as one of the most watched Turkish TV shows, alongside other famous productions such as Kara Para Aşk (Black Money Love) and Diriliş: Ertuğrul. Also, Pınar Deniz e Kaan Urgancıoğlu were mentioned as some of the most memorable Turkish names. Internationally, the series are also very successful.
Recently, the Turkish production became available on HBO Max. According to FlixPatrol, Yargı was the tenth most watched show in the world on the streaming service in August. In Latin America, the turkish series is even more prominent, being the TOP 10 of most watched shows in the last month in Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Argentina and other latin american countries.
Yargı is also known for its awards victories. At the Golden Butterfly 2022, the production won in five categories. The series won Best TV Show, while Pınar Deniz and Kaan Urgancıoğlu won Best TV Actress and Best TV Actor. Ali Bilgin, the director, won the category of Best Director, and Ceylin and Ilgaz were recognised as the Best TV Couple.
Beyond that, the Turkish production won awards at the International Summit Awards last year. The TV show got Best Dramatic Show of The Year, while Sema Ergenekon won Best Screenwriter of The Year. Pınar e Kaan took the Best Actress of The Year and Best Actor of The Year awards.
Recently, Yargı: Family Secrets was nominated to the Emmy Internacional 2023 for Best Telenovela. The production represents Turkey on the list of nominees and runs against two Brazilian telenovelas from TV Globo: Cara e Coragem (2022) and Pantanal (2022).
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Credits for the header picture: reproduction/Kanal D
Credits for the traduction: Alana Casacio/Mads Teraoka/Entretetizei