'The Protector' Season 4 Review: Netflix Turkish original comes full circle to give viewers a rewarding ending
Spoiler Alert for Season 4 of 'The Protector'
It's rare to get a satisfactory ending out of a Netflix original series - mainly because Netflix tends to cancel its shows usually by the third season, and sometimes without notice. As such, fan-favorite Netflix originals have ended in cliffhangers, like 'Santa Clarita Diet' for instance. However, with its first Turkish original series, Netflix took a chance and let 'The Protector' run its course - and we are grateful to the streaming service for doing so. At a time like this, when we are increasingly turning to fiction for relief from real life when shows end in a satisfactory manner while giving homage to earlier seasons, we feel a little special.
We first meet Hakan Demir (Çağatay Ulusoy), a 20-something shopkeeper and part-time con artist, in the first season. His life changes after his adoptive father, Neset, is killed. Hakan then meets the Loyal Ones, Kemal (Yurdaer Okur), and Zeynep (Hazar Ergüçlü). The Loyals Ones are part of an ancient secret order whose duty is to protect the city of Istanbul from the Immortals. Hakan himself is the Protector, who is the only one who can kill the Immortals and prevent the destruction of the city with his talismanic shirt that gives him mystic powers. The main Immortal who was endangering Hakan and his friends' lives was Faysal Erdem (Okan Yalabık) who was hellbent on bringing his dead Immortal lover, Ruya (Burçin Terzioğlu) back from the dead using Hakan's blood.
If we look back now, after watching the final season, we can say that the clues were laid right from the beginning. It's rare that fantasy shows come to a sensible ending in that the events of the previous seasons fit in with the events of the final season so perfectly. We have come to love Hakam and Zeynep, as well as their friendship and growing feelings for each other.
This is why it was confusing at first when Zeynep, after having taken the Immortal "cure" proves her loyalty to the Immortals, killing Burak (Taner Ölmez), the man she had an affair with in the previous seasonand and feeling no remorse for it. In fact, Zeynep's killing spree continues for a shocking amount of time. We had written earlier this year that Zeynep was the real hero, and while her character was developed more than before through her turn to the dark side, that storyline came to an abrupt end due to the events of the last two episodes.
Nevertheless, in spite of all the people lost, Hakan and Zeynep manage to have a happy ending. Zeynep is a professor and Hakan is at the shop he used to despise working in. But now, he seems genuinely happy.
The development of the plot this season was spot on, especially with the multiple back and forth between the Ottoman Empire age in 1459 and the present day. The story was written smoothly such that we did not feel disoriented - the way Hakan felt when he went back to the past for the first time. What's great about 'The Protector' is that also tries to give its villains a saving grace - they weren't just mindless villains, they were lost souls.
If you are already a fan of the show, you will enjoy the fourth and final season. If not, perhaps 'The Protector' should be your next binge-watch. The gorgeous sights of Istanbul help too.
All seasons of 'The Protector' are now streaming on Netflix.