It isn’t Summer until the Summer dizi romcoms begin! Our queen herself, Ayşe Üner Kutlu (Erkenci Kuş, Sen Çal Kapımı) is back with her newest series—Senden Daha Güzel (SDG). The show follows the story of Efsun Armağan, a headstrong dermatologist from a small town, and Emir Demirhan, a playboy and rising star plastic surgeon.
As first episodes in Turkish TV goes—I thought this was a pretty solid start for what is gearing up to be a solid series (I could totally be bias here). At the very start we are brought into the world of Efsun (Cemre Baysel), who is the dermatologist for the small town in Gaziantep. She is a no-nonsense, does what she needs to do, take action kind of gal that will more than likely cut your fingers off than see wrong doing happen on her watch. Aided by her best friend and assistant Binnur (Merve Şen), Efsun is content with her station in life. That is until sex on a stick Emir (Burak Çelik) waltzes into her life claiming her estranged mother needs her in Istanbul.
Like most of you can imagine, that is a nice ice bucket to the hotness parade (well it should be but my morals went out the window a few hundred years ago it seems). Emir puts on the disguise of a driver, innocently coming to bring his dying boss’ daughter back to Istanbul for them to share goodbyes. But in truth, Emir is a leading plastic surgeon who works in the clinic that his father and Efsun’s mother owns.
As anyone would, we get the back and forth push and pull where Efsun refuses, explaining just how estranged her mother is (current verdict: the woman can choke), but her concious overrules her, and she leaves the farm and her father behind to speak to her “dying” mother. Jokes are on her though because not only is her mother very much alive, but she is also in need of help from Efsun—3 months worth of help that is.
Plagued with a condition that effects the hands, Efsun’s mother will be needing surgery to fix the affects so that she can continue to be a plastic surgeon. However, the recovery takes three months. Pissed off from the lies and deceit, Efsun refuses and basically tells her she can shove her request where the sun doesn’t shine (We stan a queen). Her mother is literally unphased and blackmails her—if she doesn’t help, she will take away the farm. The only home Efsun has ever known and the only thing that has meaning to her father since her mother left when she was 12. I really wasn’t lying when I told you this woman could choke.
Forced to take on her mother’s clients and work as partners of the clinic with Emir: the lying six-pack owning scoundrel. Emir however, believes there is something Efsun is hiding and refuses to let her steal the clinic from under his nose. Thus, Efsun is met with obstacle after obstacle as she tries to earn the respect of her colleagues and dodge all of Emir’s attempts of getting rid of her.
I absolutely adore the cosmetic hospital/clinic backdrop as I think its a unique setting that we haven’t seen before and also a perfect set up for an enemies to lovers romance which is what I think SDG is aiming to be. In Ayşe fashion we get her signature first kiss at the very end of the of the episode that is almost reminiscent of the first kiss in Erkenci Kuş.
The chemistry between Emir and Efsun is one that I’m super curious about, because there is sparks for sure, but there is a note of something else that I can’t quite put my finger on yet. Maybe because the chemistry feels like the slow burn kind, that a person normally wouldn’t put together; but once merged its enchanting? Will update as we get more interaction between them.
I am so stinking stoked that we have so many EK (Erkenci Kuş) actors returning to the screens together! Serpil (Sevinç Erbulak) Emir’s mother, Şirin (Tuğçe Kumral) a Vulcan like nutritionist, Yaşar (Cihan Ercan) a life coach that is in desperate need of therapy, and Mete (Anıl Çelik) who I’m not sure what he does at the clinic (literally as per EK usual). Alongside the shining new faces of the show, I am already head over heals in love with are supporting cast.
I’m excited to see what the next episode holds, and fingers crossed it includes a bit more backstory for our local playboy Emir!
What did you think of the premiere? Yay or nay?
omg are you turkish??
Hahaha I very much wish I was, but nope! I’m Jamaican American 😀 I just love Turkish TV and language/culture <3