01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED GÜLENGÜL…

TO LOVE, TO LOSE

[jaunty music playing]

SCREENWRITING IN PILL FORM
BY AFIFE JALE: THE ENCOUNTER

SCRIPT - CHARACTER - PLOT

Afife Jale here. Welcome everyone to
Screenplay and Story Writing in Pill Form,

for those looking to
master the essentials.

But first, like and sub…

subscribe… uh, subscribe. Afife!

But first, don't forget to subscribe,
and if you enjoy this video,

please make sure to share
and click the like button below.

Today's topic is the encounter.
The name says it all.

The most important part of the screenplay.
And why is it the most important?

Because it's the point
where we give the most, uh, and, uh… Pfft!

It's where we give the first indication
of structure and flow of the story.

On one side,
there's a character, our hero,

and opposite them is someone else.

That's our other protagonist.

At the beginning of the story,
they don't know about each other.

[car horns honking]

THE ENCOUNTER

- [mysterious music playing]
- [bicycle bell ringing]

[bell ringing]

[Afife] As the story begins,
everything is calm and quiet.

[woman 1] Afife!

[Afife] Life is just a series
of boring routines.

- But don't let that fool you.
- [man 1] Careful!

[Afife] The storm clouds are forming.
You just don't realize it yet.

And everything can change instantly
with one big bang.

[man 2] Hey, watch out!

[bicycle bell rings]

Call back! What do you mean?

MACİT THE BUTCHER

Afife, we were worried!
We hadn't heard from you.

I tried calling, but no one answered.
Did anyone come to pick up the meat?

Not that. What happened with the show?
Weren't you meeting the network today?

- Oh yeah, that. Well, we pitched the show.
- What did they say?

"Maybe writing's not for you" and I should
"stick to the diner business."

No way!
Did they really know you have a diner?

No, uh, Macit, they don't.
Okay, here's how it went down.

Afife, so this is your project?

Ours, Ms. Şirin.

Three of us.

Defne and Afife co-wrote it, and ideally,
once we get the script finalized,

uh, I would step up
and run the production.

Uh, I'm excited about starting
this new chapter.

Uh, especially after being
an actor for so long.

It's right up your alley, Afife.
It's very well done.

It's clear you put
a lot of effort into this. But…

- Uh-oh. "But" can't be good.
- It isn't. Can you pack these up, please?

- I'll grab these on the way back.
- Wait. What happened next?

That's the most exciting part.
The whole neighborhood wants to know!

Yes, I heard. She said, "but…"
What happened next?

I mean, this story needs…
a little more action.

- There's no fights, no chaos or conflict.
- Conflict?

Then put some conflict in there, girl,
if that's what they want! Add more!

Fights, conflict, lust, love, revenge.

And m*rder!
Put in whatever they want, Afife.

This is basic stuff. You should know this.

What was that other show you wrote?
Agha… something?

Help, Agha. Oh! Now, that show was great!

- Who'd watch that now?
- No, Afife, it was a good show!

It was a huge hit.
You gotta give yourself some credit there.

We were kids, Koray. It's been so long.

You should take what worked in that show
and add something new to it.

There. That's all you need to do.
It's not rocket science.

You know, maybe you should
just join our writing team.

Come on! You start on Monday. God!

Hey, don't get mad.
What happened in the end?

- What if I give you ten more days?
- Too long.

A week, then.

I need the whole season mapped out.
From top to bottom.

How about we put
your story on hold for now,

and you guys come back to me
in a week with something new?

What do you mean, "something new?"

- We'll be back in a week.
- Back in a week.

Well, isn't that great?

In what world is that great?
Great for who exactly, Macit?

They don't like my idea.
I don't like theirs. What's the point?

All I know is

the banks wants your loan payment
at the beginning of the month.

Macit, my friend,
while we're on the subject of debt,

I had an idea.

How about I pay Eyüp for groceries today
and pay you for everything next time?

- How about I say no?
- You can't say no. I'm sorry.

Then why do you even ask?

[bell jangles]

Melek!

Melek?

Why don't you guys answer the phone?

I was gonna tell you to go shopping
while I was at the meeting.

- I had to do it again!
- How'd the meeting go?

Well, show business
has hardly noticed my absence.

Sevgi! This faucet's still dripping.
The plumber was supposed to come!

Hello? Sevgi?

Sevgi! Where's she gone?

Sevgi left.

- Oh yeah? Where'd she go?
- She quit.

Huh?

She's been talking to this other place
for a while now. They tripled her salary.

They said, "If you don't show up today,
we'll find another cook," so she left.

How could she do that?

Nurhan left too.

- You mean they needed a waitress too?
- I guess.

But Sevgi and I prepped everything.

She made the soup.

I took care of the pastries.
The cold dishes were ready yesterday.

All we have to do is take care of the meat
and all the grilling. And the rice.

Well, that's just super!

Why didn't you ask
if they needed a dishwasher?

You could've gone too.
I mean, how gracious of you to stay!

Uh, well…

- You're leaving too, aren't you?
- I wasn't lying.

[Afife sighs]

They're offering three times more money.
And insurance also.

And even a monthly bus pass.

I'm sorry, but you've been paying us
half a salary for two months now.

Everything's been piling up for me.
You know that!

The bank's on my case,
the fridge broke down,

the city's been on my a*s
about the chimney.

It's a lot of money all at once.

[jaunty music playing]

Is it really three times as much?

- I get it.
- Can you give me your blessing, please?

Melek, don't ask me that now.
It's still just a little fresh.

I'm trying to hold back,

and at the same time,
I'm telling myself, "Don't hold back."

See what I mean?
I'm having mixed feelings.

- And I'm in a hurry.
- Oh, sis.

[poignant music playing]

Well, congrats.

[Melek] Thank you.

- [door opens, closes]
- [bell jangles]

Mom!

Ma?

- Ma!
- [mom] Back here, sweetie!

- [Afife sighs]
- Back already?

- No, I'm not.
- Well, how did your meeting go?

Great. The industry was dying
without me. Where's Ali?

[mom] Where do you think?
Probably busking somewhere. Why?

Want some tea?

No, Ma, I don't want tea.
I'm declaring a state of emergency,

I need all hands on deck.
Get ready, I'll get dressed.

[in Turkish] ♪ Am I the only one
Falling apart? ♪

♪ In the darkness of the night ♪

♪ My eyes have grown mossy ♪

- ♪ At the dock of the lonely ♪
- [crowd joins in]

♪ I cried all night long ♪

♪ In the waves' embrace ♪

♪ My eyes have grown mossy ♪

♪ At the pier of the lonely ♪

♪ At the pier of the lonely ♪

[applause]

- [woman 1, in English] Incredible!
- [in English] Thanks.

- [woman 2] Great voice!
- [Ali] Thank you. Thank you very much.

- Thank you. Thank you.
- [girl] Keep rocking!

- Erkin Koray?
- [Ali] Yeah!

- You like him?
- Of course.

- It was great.
- Thank you.

I'm sorry, I don't have any cash on me.

- Is it worth anything?
- I doubt it.

Well, then.

[laughs]

- Do I rock it?
- [giggles] For sure.

[both chuckle]

- [phone chimes]
- Uh, sorry.

Uh… "This is an emergency.
Come right now."

"I mean, like, right now.
Seriously, right away."

Ah… [scoffs]

I'm sorry, I gotta jet.

Well, see ya around.

Ali, by the way.

- My name's Fidan.
- [Ali] Nice to meet you.

Gotta go.

You really have to?

Yeah, family nutcase
threw up the bat signal.

Your hair clip.

Ah. [chuckles]

- You hungry?
- I'm always hungry.

[Ali] All right,
then hop on and hold tight.

- And go where?
- Just hop on, trust me.

[Fidan chuckles]

Okay.

- Got it? Okay?
- I'm on. Yes.

- Holding on? Tighter.
- Holding tight.

- Okay, we're going. Ready?
- Think so.

- All right. Mm-hmm.
- [Fidan chuckles]

Are you serious?

- You want me to do the cooking?
- Just for the day.

My cook quit, my waiter quit,
the dishwasher quit. I really need you.

Then you know what
you should write on the sign outside?

“Perihan Kazan,
a celebrated staple of Turkish Theater,

the founder of Kazan Cabaret
for over 20 years, is in the kitchen."

"So please, everyone,
come see this sad sight."

"Yes, come one, come all!”

- I can't. It's too long.
- Oh God.

If your father was alive and saw me
like this, he would die of shame.

If Dad was alive, I wouldn't have to ask.
He would already be cooking!

Listen, this is just for today.

And I'm not chopping onions or garlic.
They make my hands smell!

Okay, I promise. I have a plan, Ma.

Baturay and Defne can be waiters.
Ali can do the shopping.

We need a dishwasher. Dishwasher's a must!

- Fine arts, huh?
- [Fidan] Yeah, second year. You?

- I dropped out of the conservatory.
- Wow, really?

Can I ask why?

Just wasn't for me. Too many rules.

- I got kicked out of my dorm today.
- Oh sh*t!

Also wasn't for me. Too many rules.

Parents?

They're not here.
We're not on good terms. I can't go back.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It's okay. You don't have to feel bad.
But it's sweet.

[ship horn blaring]

Okay, sure. Whatever you say.
Well, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

I'm looking for a good cook.
Just keep your ears open.

You don't get it. It's really urgent.

Come on, Ma! So the pastries go here.

We serve tomatoes and potatoes
with meatballs. Just a little.

They're ready. Over there.

Afife, you need to calm down.

No, Ma. Please just focus and listen.
Say, "Yes, honey. I'll do my best, honey."

Afife, if I start to get overwhelmed,
I won't be of any help at all.

We don't have time to panic
or get overwhelmed.

[mysterious music playing]

- [woman] Kemal, hello!
- Morning!

Where've you been, Destan?

- [Destan] Hello, my loves!
- Daddy!

- Welcome.
- Oh, I've missed you! [chuckles]

- Thanks for coming.
- How you doing?

What happened, Daddy?
Did you hurt yourself?

- You okay? Everything good?
- [Destan] Come on, give Daddy a kiss.

Get yourselves cleaned up,
then come to the back for breakfast, okay?

[laughter in distance]

Welcome, Kemal.

[woman] Just put it there
so it's not in the way for now.

I've been working on that dough
since last night. It's perfect!

- Good to see you, Kemal.
- Having fun? Hey! Good to see you.

Where did you run off to, Kemal?
You shouldn't have gone.

Ah, come on, don't be upset.
Give me your hand so I can kiss it.

Something came up. We had to run out.

Well, everyone's already started.
I couldn't tell them to wait.

- There's my fiancé.
- [Kemal] Hey, babe.

You're late.

I love calling him my fiancé,
Mama Bediş. It pisses him off.

And I love him even more
when he's pissed off.

It doesn't piss me off at all.

I just get a little embarrassed,
Grandma. Stop.

People your age have children already,
even grandchildren.

But you two can't even get married!
That's what you should find embarrassing.

- That?
- Mm-hmm.

What is it you used to tell me?

"There's a scale and a weight."

"And until the time is right,
just sit tight."

- Don't use my wise words against me!
- [chuckles, kisses]

Come on, Grandma.
Don't be like that. Look.

We built a beautiful home.
We're just taking our time.

[Bediş] I've told you a hundred times.

You two can always move
into your own place if you want.

How can you say that, Gram?

Even if I did leave you,
Neslihan would stay behind.

- Yeah, he's right about that. [chuckles]
- [Bediş] Mm.

- How are you, Nephew?
- I'm good, Uncle.

- Neslihan, I need to borrow you.
- Mm?

Our contractor Yasin needs
more money again.

That is so inappropriate, Kudret. You know
we don't talk business during breakfast.

His father was the same way.

Mother, please excuse us for a sec.

Don't go anywhere.
I'm making a plate for you.

- Who's this Yasin?
- You remember Yasin, Grandma.

- The contractor.
- Let me kiss your hand.

- What's happened to you, Destan?
- I'm fine, Grandma.

- [Kudret] Neslihan will take care of you.
- I know him?

Ah.

This Yasin guy we're talking about,

isn't he the b*stard who said,

"You're letting some adopted girl manage
all your family's money for you?"

"She's not your blood."

"How can you trust
your family's legacy to her?"

Don't worry.
Uncle Kudret put him in his place,

and I told him Neslihan is the apple
of my eye, Grandma's, and my family's.

He knew to back off.

Did you tell him
you and Neslihan were to be married?

No, we didn't get to that.

- [Bediş] Hmm.
- Bediş, so good to see you.

- Eat properly. Get a plate!
- Let me kiss your hand, Grandma.

- What happened to your leg?
- Just a soccer game, Grandma.

[Bediş] Yes, very smart.
Break your head while you're at it.

Ah, yeah, here. Bring him this way.

- Sit down!
- You sit at the head of the table.

Thank you, thank you.

Good for you. You didn't run off.

Mama, we took care of it!

Why are you obsessing with business
on a day like this?

I want you to sit down and enjoy it.

I'm sorry, Mama, but the guy came
all this way to borrow money.

This is what I do for us. It's my job!

Making money from money.

What do you want me to do?
Not give it? Come on.

[mysterious music playing]

Your clothes stink.
You're having a bath after breakfast.

You look beautiful today, sweetie.

- [gasps happily]
- [man] Kudret, thanks for having us.

- [woman] Get a couple more.
- I'm the luckiest woman alive.

What did I do
to deserve a beautiful family

that is so close, loyal,
and protective of each other?

I thank God every second of every day.

[sighs happily]

But there's still
one missing from the table.

Muharrem.

My dearest.

Are we back to that, Grandma?

It just breaks my heart, Kemal.

But there's nothing
we can do about it, is there?

Grandma.

Let's not talk about my father today
and ruin the mood, huh?

He wasn't only your father. He was my son.

- Kemal!
- [music fades]

Who's that guy?

An unexpected guest.
We had a meeting with him earlier today.

[Bediş] What meeting?

Kemal!

It was more of an argument than a meeting.

- [grunting]
- [yelling]

- [man 1 grunting in pain]
- Hey!

[enraged yelling]

Stay the f*ck down! I'll f*ck you up!

- Sit down!
- Calm down. Okay. Calm down.

You and your brothers
are pathetic f*cking th*gs.

I brought you guys your money.
Every last f*cking cent!

And now you say it's short.
Why? Just because?

We told you.

The f*cking interest rate changed?
What happened to your business code?

Not the first time you've given me money.

And go tell your father I said hi.
And I'm not paying.

And tell him
I beat your asses on top of it.

- [man 1 groaning softly]
- [tense music playing]

- Welcome, Kemal. It's an honor.
- Welcome, yourself.

I'm guessing we have a problem
since your raided our place. What's up?

I was talking to your cousins,
but, turns out, they're not the real deal.

Don't worry. They'll learn eventually.

Let's get this straight. I brought back
the money I owed. I have it all.

You said today, I brought it.
I busted my a*s to get it.

And now you guys are saying
you need more cash?

That's what my father said.

And when I refused,
this guy took a swing at me.

- So I hit him back. I wasn't trying to--
- I'm not the bookkeeper, Nuri.

I'm more of the collector, you know that.

You're saying this is fair?
This is normal?

Then you should just sh**t me!

Did we tell you to start construction
on that land without a permit?

Did I tell you to waste
all your money on bribes?

Have I ever lied to you in any way?

I don't think so.
So pay what you owe and get outta here.

Look, if you need more time--

No. You'll be back tomorrow.
If not you, these guys.

- I'll have to k*ll someone.
- Then tell me.

What do you want? What should we do?

[scoffs] I'm not paying back a dime.

- Come on.
- Why don't you make me?

[Nuri gasping]

Don't kick him while he's down, Destan.

[choked gasping]

You should've listened to me.

You have three days.

And you're gonna deliver
the full amount they asked for.

And if you ever so much as breathe
on my family again,

it'll be the last breath
you ever take in this life.

[Nuri gasping]

Come on,
we're gonna be late for breakfast.

[groans]

[man 1 gasping softly]

- Kemal!
- [man] What's going on?

[Bediş] What does he want?

Stubborn idiot.

What's going on, Nuri?

[woman] Who is that?

[man 2] Oh my God!

- [man 3] g*n!
- [woman 2] Jesus!

[Nuri] Stay back. Stay back.

I went back home.

Found out she packed up
and took the kids. So I called her.

She said, "You ruined our life.
It's over for us."

My family's left me!

Do you hear me?

You should've just k*lled me before!

But you didn't!

So I'm going to end this here.

[somber music playing]

[woman 3] Oh! What is he doing?

Hey, Yaniklar Family!

Until all of you finally go to hell,

I'll show you something
you're not likely to forget!

This is not how to end this, Nuri.

Come sit down and talk to me.

Come on. Sit down.

Listen to me, Nuri.

You said you'd show us
something we're not likely to forget.

Well, I'm sorry,
but if you pull that trigger right now,

everyone here will just move on.

They'd just go back to their breakfast
before you even hit the ground.

You wanna punish us. That's obvious.

But you'll just die,

and no one here will even flinch.

We're the Yaniklars, Nuri.

This is just who we are,

and we're used to
the consequences of our business.

[g*n c*ck]

We're gonna get that money back.

And with you gone,
your family assumes the debt.

Wherever they go, we'll find them
and get every penny back, know that.

[Nuri sobbing softly]

Be sure of it. Without you,
that's what's gonna happen.

Your family, your wife,
your children, all your relatives,

every last one of them.

What are they to do without you?
Their brother, husband, father.

How are they supposed to carry on
without you and pay back your loan?

Are you really gonna leave them
to clean up your mess?

- It's your choice.
- [Nuri sobs]

But just remember.

You're not really punishing my family.
You're just punishing yours.

What choice do I have at this point?

Three months.

Not three days, Nuri.
I'll extend it to three months.

Get back to work and bring me that money.
No one will come after you or your family.

Do I have your word?

Of course.

- He said you gave him your word.
- I did.

Word on what?

I told him we'd give him three months
to pay us back if he put his g*n down.

So we're just handing out extensions now?

You're not the one giving
the extension, Destan. I am.

Anyone got a problem?

How could we have a problem, Kemal?

You did it to protect the family.

But we can't show weakness. He's gotta go!

[Kemal chuckles]

You've always known
this is not a job for the weak.

Who do you think you're talking to?

Where's my mother?

Her blood pressure spiked.
She's lying down in her room.

- [cell phone ringing]
- My neck's getting stiff.

One of you guys get my meds, will ya?

Kartal, you go.

Yes, hello?

Yeah, I'm his son.

Okay. I understand.

There's an issue with my father.
I gotta go.

- Want me to come?
- No, it's okay.

Kemal.

I can't think straight these days.
I almost forgot.

I need you to go to this address tomorrow.

The woman won't answer my calls.

She's MIA and her debts are piling up.

What she owes
and all her info is written there.

Just go check it out.

- She signed a blank sheet of paper?
- Hey, that's how it works.

Give it to me, Kartal.

Şahin? Destan?
This isn't a nightclub, it's our home.

No one should be able
to burst in with a p*stol.

Everyone out there is part of our family
and means the world to me.

They all sat there terrified.

Those guys you hired were useless!

They thought he was a relative, Pop.

Well then, good job!
Tell them they're fired.

You don't have to worry, Pop.
We already did.

Then go find some new blood.

This house needs to be protected 24-7.
You got me?

PEACEFUL
PRIVATE CARE & NURSING HOME

- [man 1] When's your grandson coming by?
- [man 2] Today, around 4:00.

[man 1] Just down here, please.
Thank you, dear.

[Kemal] Thank you.

[man] Your father's
one tough cookie, isn't he?

Three of us could barely hold him.
We told him to stop, but he wouldn't.

He kept shouting, "Gönül!"

If you don't mind me asking,
who is this woman?

[woman over PA] Attention, guests.

Today, at 4:00,
physiotherapy will be outdoors…

We had to sedate him.
Sorry, but it's getting difficult.

Your father is disturbing everyone.

The manager doesn't know this,

but he ran away for two nights
and came back covered in dust.

Who knows what he was doing?
Obviously, we kept that off the books,

but if anyone finds out or complains,
we'll be in trouble.

We have to have eyes on him all the time.
I don't know if we have the resources.

Just tell me if he damages
or breaks anything.

Because I'll make sure
it's fixed or replaced. Is that all?

- Yes, sir, that's all I have for now.
- [chiming]

[PA] Attention, all guests.

Today's physiotherapy sessions
will be held outdoors at 4:00 p.m.

Attention, all guests.

Our dietician will be here
all day tomorrow.

I can't accept that, sir.

- Come on, just take it.
- Okay.

- Don't you wanna see him?
- There's no need.

- Maybe next time.
- [pensive music playing]

[sighs]

[cell phone ringing, buzzing]

Yes, Neslihan.

- Hey, babe! Just wanted to check in.
- Everything's fine.

I took care of it.

Sounds quiet there.

Yeah, it's better. Bediş is fine.

I'm just making sure
the whole place is in order.

- Don't fly off the handle, okay?
- Don't worry about it.

- We're gonna be meeting the crew tonight.
- Oh? Will Ferhat be going?

- He arranged it.
- Good. It'll take your mind off things.

What about your dad? Anything I can do?

There's nothing anyone can do, Neslihan.

[sighs wearily]

Hmm! What the hell is going on in here?
This kitchen doesn't have a grater!

[Afife] It should be down there.
Are you gonna have the rice done in time?

Yeah, I think so. It's not here.

Huh? What's this?

Oh! Ma, careful!
That's pepper spray. I got it a while ago.

Pepper spray? Like, actual pepper spray?
To spray people with? Why?

- [Afife] Ah!
- Aye!

Just in case, Mom!

I told you to put the fritters in
and lower the heat on the soup.

Why don't you-- Ah! Ow!

- Oh, baby, you okay?
- Why don't you listen?

- What time is it? Ma! Come on, come on!
- Eh?

- Oh. there's no strainer in this kitchen.
- Outta the way!

- What about this? Could this work?
- I've never seen this before.

What kind of cook are ya?

I'm not a real cook.
I'm subbing as a cook!

Savior's here!

- Strainer's right here, Ma!
- Ah.

[Ali] Hey, Ma! What's going on?

Why don't you answer? I called ten times!

I was playing. People love me.

- I don't have time to chat!
- [Ali] What happened?

- I declared a state of emergency.
- [chuckling] Why?

My employees just decided to go.

The waiter, the cook, the dishwasher,
Good enough reason?

That's my sister, Afife Jale.
We love her, neurosis and all.

This is Fidan. She's a fan of mine.

My mom, Perihan.

- Hello. Welcome, dear!
- Hi, pleased to meet you.

- So are you two a couple?
- Ma! We met an hour ago.

Is that a yes? Hmm? Ah!

- [frustrated sigh] You're so pretty!
- Oh, thank you.

- Who are you?
- I'm Fidan.

Nice to meet you.
Ali! Put these in the fridge.

Did everyone really leave?

Okay, I'll shut up.

Fidan! Follow me this way, please.

Ah. Take these.

We're gonna to be late.

- Ali?
- Yeah?

Will you empty the dishwasher?
Check them. Dry them.

Check for cracks
and stubborn stains and stuff.

Come with me, Fidan.
Come, come, come. This way.

[sighs] Come, through the back here.

How you doing today? [chuckles softly]
Did they feed you while I was gone?

[quacking]

This is Cengaver.

This is Tırsık.

Cahide. She can be a bit grumpy,
but she has a good heart.

CAHIDE'S SPOT
DO NOT SIT!

You'll get to know them in time.
They're the permanent staff of our diner.

[Fidan] Ooh! So many animals!

You should rename this place Noah's Ark.

- Wow, I actually never thought of that.
- [chuckles]

Ali told me
a bit about the place on the way.

- Are you really only open for lunch?
- That's all we can manage right now.

- And even that's really tough.
- Why?

Well, we own the place
and live right above it,

but initially,
a friend of mine was running the diner.

I know nothing about this business.

Are they not around anymore?

They moved away during the pandemic.

I couldn't find anyone to take over,
so I had to do it.

I couldn't close it down,
so I'm running it.

- [chuckles] That's funny.
- Actually, it's not funny at all.

I'm not sure what we're supposed to do.
Mom as a cook, me as a waitress…

No dishwasher.

And I love my brother to death,
but he's not the most reliable.

- What do you do?
- Nothing.

- School?
- It's complicated.

Do you know how to wash dishes?

- Do you have gloves?
- Course!

- Know how to chop onions?
- Minced or diced? [chuckles]

Wouldn't happen to live close, would ya?

That's a long story.
I'm homeless. Sort of.

How so?

Come with me.

[lively music playing]

[Perihan] Ah!

Ali, why're you standing around?
Cut some bread.

Sure.

Fidan is gonna to help us out.
She'll chop the onions for you.

- [relieved sigh]
- We'll pay her a good salary.

And… she's gonna be
staying here for a while.

Dude, why didn't you tell me
she had no place to stay?

- 'Cause they're not a couple!
- Ma, please!

Fine. Ali can sleep in the living room.

- Work starts at 9:00 a.m. sharp.
- Mm-hmm.

Lunch starts at noon.
Service ends around 4:00.

Then we just gotta tidy up a little bit.
Then you're free to do what you want.

Okay. Uh, soup?

Oh sh*t! The soup's boiling over!

[Afife] Defne, why weren't you picking up?

[Perihan] There's a thousand buttons
on this stove!

Forget it! Just come here ASAP.
And bring Baturay too!

- I called. He didn't answer!
- [Perihan] Jesus, it won't turn off! God!

[Afife] He's busy coaching actors?
Tell him to drop it!

Yes, it's that bad. You know
I'm desperate when I ask for him. [laughs]

Yeah, what a day, huh? [chuckles]

Okay, just come right now.

This'll be slightly humiliating,
but we're not going down without a fight.

[woman] Watch out!

- How about a couple meatballs?
- No, I'm full.

You barely touched your rice.
What was wrong with it?

It was good, but I'm on a diet.

- God, you'd never know.
- Thanks.

Baturay, can you clear this stuff, please?

- Never mind. I'll do it. [sighs]
- Who ordered rice?

Enjoy. I'm gonna get back to work.

The meatballs were raw.
The guy sent them back.

And I told you not to add
so much water to the rice. Listen!

I'll take my apron off right now.

Oh good, a threat now?
Stop complaining, we're almost finished.

- Enjoy.
- Thank you.

- Ali? The check?
- [man] Come on, let's go.

When I went to the meeting this morning,
I finally felt like a… producer.

Then I left the meeting, having somehow
said yes to be being an acting coach.

But ending the day as a waiter
wasn't on my bingo card.

We could've been dishwashers, Baturay.
Be thankful. Come on!

[Afife] How's the piyaz coming?

Don't forget to add the olive oil
when you're combining everything, okay?

- [clattering]
- Looks good.

[Afife] Oh, Jesus! Wait, hold on a sec!

It's fine. It's okay.

And you were worried.
Lunch was a great success!

- Thanks to you.
- Wait. Really?

Don't be stupid.
You're the worst waiter in the world!

Thank God, I feel the same!

Since I'm so awful,
can I just not come tomorrow?

- Not a chance.
- You gotta let me take it off.

One of my students has
a screen test tomorrow. I have to go.

You know how indispensable
I am to these people.

Maybe I should become an acting coach too.
Everyone's a coach now!

- Come here.
- What?

Come here.

[ducks quacking]

[cat meows]

Why don't you come over tonight?
I can try to help you relax.

I'm not really in the mood.

But we haven't relaxed in a long time.
It could help.

It's not like we ever relaxed
that much anyway, Baturay.

How about this?
You wanna relax? Clean the tables.

Come on!

[gentle song playing]

[man] You're talking about Nuri, right?

The guy who screwed up
that construction job?

- Yeah.
- He pulled a g*n, huh?

Jesus Christ. Was he bluffing, you think?

Gentlemen?

[music fading]

If you'd please indulge me,

I'd like to raise my glass
to the release of Hasan,

who hasn't been with us for some time.

Kemal.

Would you like to say something?
We'd love to hear from you.

Welcome, Hasan.

Not just to you,

but to all my blood brothers
who graced us with their presence.

It's hard to believe
it's been 20 years for some of them.

- Even longer for others.
- It's a long time.

Anyway, to all my friends,
even those on the inside.

Whether you're here tonight or not,
I'd like to raise a glass to all of you.

I consider you all family.

But tonight especially, to Hasan here.

- [glasses clinking]
- To Hasan! Let's raise a glass, everyone.

- [man 2] To Hasan!
- Glad to have you back, Hasan.

- Thank you, Kemal.
- [man 3] To you, Hasan.

[man 4] Are you going back to your shop?

[man 5] Excuse me?

Can we get the check?

You think he really would've shot himself?

I don't know.

- He could've shot you, too.
- Who knows what he would've done, Ferhat.

- Honestly, I just wanted to help the guy.
- Why?

He told me his wife took the kids,

that he was probably
never gonna see them again,

and that his life
was suddenly meaningless.

Makes sense.

You've had a tough day, Kemal.

[pensive piano music playing]

Kemal, you're my brother.

You know me better than anyone.

You know all the things I've done.
My hands are dirtier than yours.

If you're saying you're sick of this

and you want something else,

maybe we can open
a car dealership for you.

Or a small hotel in the south.

You can live the life you want.

Just walk away and never look back.

You can lie on the beach.

You can stare at the clouds in the sky.

My door is always open for you.

I hate seeing you like this, Kemal.

I meant every word that I told
that poor b*stard this morning, Ferhat.

It's our family.
It's what we were born into.

It's who I am.

And that's all there is to it.

So I'm not going anywhere.

That beach is gonna have to wait
a little longer.

[pensive music fades]

[dreamy music playing]

[dramatic music sting]

[music fades]

[sighs]

- What's up, Afife?
- Oh, hey!

Baturay isn't coming. He's going to
some screen test with his student.

I know, I know. I think
he's just lying to avoid waiting tables.

Well, what did I do to deserve this?

Your sin is being my partner in crime.
And you're not a bad writer either.

[Defne chuckles]

I was up all night
and couldn't come up with a single idea.

I came up with a couple of things.

We should talk about it.
Ten days is short.

They said a week in the end.

Do you really need me here
every day, Afife?

- I really hate waiting tables.
- Are you gonna quit on me now too?

- Ugh.
- You know it's temporary.

We can't have my mom cook
and us wait tables for long.

Don't count on Perihan either.
She's always complaining.

Oh, my hand's bleeding.

- Is that… new girl Ali's girlfriend?
- No. Just a friend.

- Ah.
- Where the hell is Ali?

[indistinct chattering]

[Afife] You remember how I mentioned
the calm before the storm?

Well, in a good story,

or… not necessarily a good one,
but a decent one,

the storm clouds
always turn into an expl*si*n.

The encounter I mentioned at the beginning

is actually lighting the fuse
for that big expl*si*n.

[uneasy music playing]

- 'Scuse me?
- Huh?

Do you know
if this is Perihan Kazan's home?

Yeah, it is. If you need her,
she's inside. Just in the diner here.

What do you need from my mom?

- She's your mom, huh?
- Uh-huh.

Just need to discuss something.

Okay, well, she should be back there.
I'll call her. Follow me.

You said you got everything done,
but you wrote none of it down.

Oh, well what've you done, then?

Fidan, have you seen
our wonderful chef, Perihan Kazan?

- [Fidan] She's in the pantry.
- [Ali] Ma!

Who's this?

- He's checking you out. Do you know him?
- No.

[music fades]

- God damn, he's hot.
- [chuckles softly]

I'm sorry, we're not open for a while.

No, that's okay. I'm not here to eat.
Um, I was looking for Miss Perihan.

- That's my mother.
- Yeah, is she here?

Who are you?

- [Defne] Hello. [chuckles]
- Hello.

- It's about her debt.
- I'm confused.

- The money you owe us?
- I'm sorry, I don't owe anyone money.

No… [chuckles] …your mother, not you.

Sir, I don't know who owes you,
but it's not my mother.

She's not the kind to take a loan.

Maybe you just don't know about it?
Her name is Perihan? Perihan Kazan?

- Ma, come here?
- [Perihan] Yes?

Perihan?

- Hello.
- Mom, do you recognize this guy?

- I don't think so.
- She wouldn't know me.

- But she borrowed money from you?
- Not from me, from us.

Sorry, I'm a little confused.
Who are you? What's going on?

Why would my mom borrow money
from people she doesn't know?

I don't lend the money.
I only handle the collections.

Mom, could you come back here?

And, you two, get back to work!
Don't just stand there.

Hello again. I told you, I don't know him.

- You've said.
- [Kemal] All right, let me explain.

Ms. Kazan borrowed money from us
and hasn't paid it back. Isn't that right?

- Did you borrow money from anyone?
- I think the soup's about to boil.

Mom, don't move! I'm sorry, please go on,

She came to us a month ago.

- It's been a month?
- A month?!

Apparently she decided
not to mention any of this to you.

That's not uncommon.

She borrowed money from us
and didn't pay it back. Also common.

So, naturally, we added interest.

Yeah, you keep saying, "we, we, we."
Who is "we?"

People come to us when they need a loan

and don't have the credit
or means to go to a bank.

- I don't get it.
- If you would just let me finish?

When the time was up,
she didn't answer our calls.

But, of course,
the debt still stands. Look.

I have the figures here.

As you see, this is the capital.

This is the interest.

This is the date.

And this is the current debt.

Is that a zero?

- Is this annual?
- Monthly.

That's what owed?

Are you serious?!

Mom!

I understand this is a bit sudden.
I'm sorry.

Okay, let me try to understand you.

This woman asked whoever you people are
to borrow some money and didn't repay it.

Now there's a shitload of interest,

and you came here to collect the debt,
but you're not a bank.

And my mom thought it best
that I didn't know.

- Yeah.
- Mom? Do you hear that?

Listen, sir. We can't pay back that money.

If I told you what we're going through,
you'd cry your eyes out.

You wouldn't be able to look at yourself.

Get out. We can't pay.
Go to the police if you want.

And you, Mom, have lost my trust.
We can't pay.

Even if we wanted to right now, we can't.
That's how bad it is.

Please don't say that.

- What do you mean?
- Say you'll find a way.

I'll say that if it gets you out of here,
but I don't think you get it.

- [Kemal] It's you who's not getting it.
- Oh yeah? How's that?

You're gonna pay us.

Well, if not, what happens?

You know, in my career,
I've never had a debt I couldn't collect.

One way or another.

So I recommend you figure something out.

You're paying

your mother's debt

with interest.

[intriguing folk music playing]

[music fades out]