Kurulus Osman Finale: Season 5
The Ambitious Resurrection of a State Ends….or does It?
And now for something completely different. I have many new readers, which means that if you have not gone through the past posts, this one will seem if not odd, out of place. It will also likely cause a bit of “WTF am I doing?” comments.
As I noted way back when I started posting about Ertugrul, that Bozdag (the creator and director) and Erdogan (Turkey’s president) were and are geniuses. How? Let me explain.
They are trying something ambitious. That is to restore greatness to Turkey, and return their people to the foundations of their greatness.
I do not agree with the aims here, for I am not a muslim, nor turkish, but I am damn impressed by this effort. And, I have modeled this series because America has nothing in comparison, and it needs it. We have no tale, no dramatic representation of our greatness, and what it took to achieve greatness. We need it in this country because we are in decline, and one side is successful in tearing down our American valor—Democrats of course.
Turn might be the only series that comes close to what Erugrul/Osman tries to do. There are other brief moments, like the Adams series. Maybe we could count some Civil War movies too—Gettysburg comes to mind. Turn comes the closest maybe.
But there is NO overarching dramatic representation of our goodness, and how we actually won the Revolutionary War, and how we persisted after that. There is no poetry in America.
This has left the progressives/left to remake America. We have no storied foundations we have been telling. We have historical documents, and actions, but no story.
As I type this up, I hear there will be a season 6. I look forward to it. It is instructive even IF you are not particularly religious in any sense. Turkey has a story and a valor it is trying to resurrect. No matter what you think about that, it is admirable and instructive.
Note how season 5 ends. It demands and expects something of a people. It suggests that in the future the people may not be worthy of their inheritance. That was certainly the case after World War 1 when Osman’s empire was wrecked and subjugated, by their own doing of course.
But Osman leaves a dire warning, and inspires here. It’s impressive:
May you deserve the tortures your ancestors endured. Translation seems a bit off: May you live up to the Tortures and sacrifices your ancestors were martyred for seems better. These are strong words, for a strong people.
What is our strength?
Season 5 takes Osman on a long arduous conquering of many castles, from the Byzantines—who are MY people. The Mongols have more less been defeated in total. The Seljuk empire is done, and dead. Osman has defeated many traitors of Turkish origin who think they are the real leaders and hate Osman; they are jealous of him and his mind and his strength. But they all are seduced by money and fame. Only Osman is the man of the true faith. He is though, cunning, and strong, and has a master mind for war and battle.
He defeats them all, while taking over castle, after castle. And this is the historical narrative that is more/less true.
The series is famous for killing off its most beloved characters. That is real life. Heroes die. Martyrs are made. Life goes on, but only is it worthwhile for a cause of genuine faith (in their mind goodness and submission to Allah).
It begs the question, what is worth dying for. Mere country is not enough; politics is not enough. The message is we must be willing to die for something greater than ourselves.
The real Osman certainly pursued that, and so did his Alps.