La pasion turca (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

1
I was convinced my life was perfect,
until I got to Istanbul.
That's where I discovered
a passion like no other.
Desire, pleasure,
paradise in the darkness.
That's where everything changed forever.
Olivia.
- It's me, Pablo.
- Where am I?
You're in the hospital.
- Don't worry.
- Where's Yamam?
Yamam isn't here. And he's not coming.
- What are you doing here?
- Listen to me, Olivia.
I want you to understand.
I haven't been honest with you.
I've been investigating you for weeks now.
I lied. I'm not in Istanbul on business.
I work at Interpol.
Olivia, you've been detained
by the Turkish police.
If you want them to let you go,
it's very important
you tell them the truth.
All right?
All right, just rest now.
THE TURKISH PASSION
I'd like to speak to you face to face.
I also wish we had
all the time in the world,
but unfortunately for you, we don't.
Two of my partners
are waiting outside for my orders
to take you to jail.
Do you really think I care?
Yes, I do.
That's why I'm here. I can help.
BASED ON THE BOOK LA PASIÓN TURCA
BY ANTONIO GALA
The guys upstairs need a scapegoat.
They couldn't care less about the truth.
Luckily for you,
getting to the truth is my only goal.
One year ago, you arrived
in Istanbul and rented a flat
in the Cihangir quarter.
Is that correct?
I was a university professor in Madrid.
A tenured position became available,
and I came to Istanbul
to prepare for my interview.
- Oli! Falafel girl!
- No!
No! I can't believe it
What better place
to study the art of the Byzantine Empire?
What are you doing here?
We came to see you!
As if we haven't seen
more than enough of you!
Two whole days in Istanbul
for you to show us everything.
You guys are crazy! What a surprise!
You had no idea!
Oh, my gosh
I'll bet you've been holed up
in this cave all month.
Oh, stop.
Oli, I've known you since kindergarten.
You can't fool me.
- Welcome to my cave.
- This place is amazing!
- So pretty.
- Look at this view!
Where's the bathroom?
I wanted to go at the airport,
but your sister was in such a huge hurry.
On the left. You can't miss it,
this place is small.
- Have you lost weight?
- No, I'm exactly the same.
Thank goodness you're coming home
to Madrid in a few days.
You'll be up to your neck in books
and forgetting to eat.
Get out of those sweats
and put some real clothes on.
- We're going out already?
- "Already," she says.
We're not going to sit in here
all weekend long,
or my name's not Esperanza.
Oh, my gosh. And what do you want to do?
The usual. Turkish baths,
Turkish coffee. All things Turkish.
And a cruise down the Bosporus.
- Oh, God, not that.
- Yes, exactly that.
You're not getting me on a boat, no way.
Enjoy the views.
You better believe
we're enjoying the view.
Look at you, so discreet.
Hey, I was paying attention.
Oh, yeah? And what did he say?
I'll tell you exactly what he said.
He was talking about that palace, saying
Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry.
He said that in that palace,
some of Turkey's most
passionate love stories have taken place.
He said that's where Atatürk died.
The scholar speaks.
Girl, will you let a little fantasy in?
How many Turks
have you picked up at the port?
See? Not one.
She's too focused on her career.
But you're so smart,
you're clever and independent
- Okay, stop!
- and pretty
- An expert in the Ottoman Empire.
- Byzantine.
Use these boobies
to get your Turkish passion on!
It's not that easy, Espe.
I can't just No.
Girls, sometimes
you gotta let yourself go.
- She's right.
- You and your fantasies.
You think this is like TV
or a movie, but it's not.
Come back down to earth.
Girls, I know a thing or two about Turkey.
- Oh, yeah? What are you doing?
- Sorry, I just need to
"Singing gaily on the poop,
the pirate captain in a group,
sees Europe here, there Asia lies,
and Istanbul in the front arise."
You crazy girl!
You're nuts!
A toast!
To us. And to lifelong friendship.
To us.
Oh, that's strong.
No, no, leave that. I'm going to need it.
What are you doing?
So I can read the coffee grounds.
That's what the Turks do, right?
See what the future holds
Let's see.
Look at that.
It says you're going to find
great happiness here.
- Oh, nice.
- Yeah, right here there's
a smiley face and an enormous eggplant
Amazing.
Will you look at that?
Can I be of help?
You will receive a proposal of love.
Is that right? Me?
Yes.
Soon a man will go to extremes for you.
Raw passion.
Until the end of his days.
Like I said, it's time to look
for a man, don't you think?
Exactly as I predicted, girls.
- Love is in the air.
- Love is all around us.
Shake that ass!
Girls, I'm going to get a refill.
Be right back.
- Okay.
- Bring back some shots!
I love Istanbul!
Hey, girls!
Girls, look who I found at the bar!
Pablo!
What are you doing here?
Oh, you know. How about you?
So I texted your sister,
and told her I was going to be here too.
Be right back.
And she said
she was coming for the weekend.
I didn't think we'd be getting together,
and I didn't imagine I'd be seeing you.
- It's been ten years
- Twelve.
Twelve years
since the last time I saw you.
So what are you doing in Istanbul?
I was looking
for a peaceful place to study.
One week until I put
everything on the line.
Sounds important.
Yeah, I'm finally up
for a tenured position.
Time to convince everyone
that no one knows
the secrets of Byzantine relief
better than me.
And what about you?
I work for a super boring
international company.
Completely unrelated
to what we studied in school.
But at least they let me travel
from time to time.
- Married?
- No.
Children?
No.
I came close to getting married, but
- Life.
- Life.
Yeah.
Can I tell you something?
My heart is beating so hard.
It's like this is the first time
I've ever seen you.
I don't know what to do.
- You don't?
- No.
And what do you want to do?
- Morning.
- Well, good morning!
If it isn't the Queen of Constantinople!
You could've texted
to let us know you were okay.
Did you think she wasn't?
They were all over each other
when they left the club.
I can't believe you made a plan
with my ex without telling me.
I can't believe you two, you know that?
If we'd told you, you would've run off
and missed out on a night of pure passion.
- What?
- I mean, it was nice
It was fun.
But Pablo's just a part of my past.
There's nothing more to talk about.
- Well, I'm going to get some sleep.
- No.
- No, no, no.
- No, no, no.
- You're coming with us.
- No, please.
- No way!
- I'm exhausted.
We've got some shopping to do.
- I'm just going in here, okay?
- All right.
So pretty.
Beautiful.
One of the loveliest pieces
in the shop, and
it's authentic.
It was carved to commemorate
an emperor's victory.
It was carved to imitate
the Barberini diptych.
Visit the Louvre,
and you can see the original.
Oh, an art lover.
It's more than love.
I hate to say it,
but every piece you have in here
is a fake.
I'm not saying they're not beautiful.
They are.
All right.
If you can guess
which originals they're inspired by,
I'll treat you
to the best coffee in all of Turkey.
Is that right?
All right, easy enough.
The Reliquary of the Despots of Epirus.
The Assyrian winged man-headed lion.
And look, here's a copy
of a copy of Alexander the Great.
Ozan!
Two cups of coffee, please.
Our coffee will be ready
in a couple of minutes.
Thank you for your visit, Miss
Olivia.
- Olivia.
- And you?
Yamam. It's a pleasure.
- I have to check my bag.
- Okay.
I don't know if we're an hour ahead
or an hour behind.
I'm all mixed up.
Girls, I need the bathroom.
We'll miss our flight.
Come on, of course we won't.
Hey, what's up with you?
Nothing.
You've been spacing out all morning, Oli.
You're thinking about Pablo, aren't you?
Why don't you call him? He's a great guy.
He's got everything it takes
to make you happy.
I'm already happy.
You know what I mean.
Plus, it was pure fate
that you ran into each other in Istanbul.
Are you kidding? Listen to you.
You guys staged the whole thing.
"Fate," she says.
All right, let's go, or we'll be late.
I'll see you in Madrid, okay?
You're going to crush
that interview, I know it.
Have a good trip!
- Bye.
- Love you.
- Come on, let's go.
- This way, I remember now.
- You do?
- Yes, I'm sure of it.
Pablo?
Hey, it's Olivia.
- Olivia?
- Pablo
Something came up.
I'm not going to make it.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, all right
Well, don't worry about it.
Have a good trip back.
All right.
I guess I'll see you next time, okay?
- See you.
- See you. Ciao.
Beautiful.
An authentic handmade bronze coffee set.
Worthy of the Ottoman royal family itself.
Now it's my turn to challenge you.
The world's oldest love poem.
"I would be taken by you
to the bedchamber."
"You have captivated me."
"Let me stand tremblingly before you."
They say Istanbul's young lovers come here
to swear their eternal love to each other.
Maybe, but when I worked here,
it was just gathering dust
in a corner somewhere.
- You worked at this museum?
- What?
A shop owner can't be educated?
Or have a degree?
- I didn't say that.
- But you were surprised.
I saw it in your eyes.
And those eyes
do not lie.
May I remind you that it was you
who treated me like an ignorant tourist,
and tried to pass off a fake
as an authentic work of art.
So now we're even.
All right then.
We're even.
Yamam lied to you.
He is a specialist in Mesopotamian art,
but he never worked at that museum.
So?
How many men do you know
who promise the moon
to win a woman's heart?
He lied because he wanted to seduce me.
Because he wanted me.
Me.
Care for a walk?
You think I'm going to fall at your feet?
Think again.
Not at my feet.
By my side.
I can't, sorry.
I have work to do.
Olivia, you only have
two more days in my city,
and I want to spend them with you.
Tonight I'm meeting
some friends for drinks.
If you want to join us
Thank you, but I don't think I can.
I'm sorry.
Come here.
Over here.
Olivia!
Olivia!
Olivia, hey.
- Olivia!
- What?
Do you have a boyfriend in Madrid?
Is that it?
No. What do you want?
If I'm honest?
I want to kiss you all night long.
And tomorrow
I don't know what tomorrow will bring.
And neither do you.
All we have is tonight.
That's the honest truth.
Good night.
ARE YOU STILL THINKING ABOUT KISSING ME?
What's this?
Open it.
"You have captivated me."
"Let me stand tremblingly before you."
The poem.
Now it's yours.
Will you think of me
when you're back in Madrid?
No.
How's Madrid?
You don't miss me, do you?
No, I don't miss you.
I just called to say
the box you gave me looks great here.
I'm happy to hear that.
But what I really called
to tell you is that
I had my panel interview today,
and the job is mine.
Congratulations!
Thank you.
Let me treat you to dinner.
Excuse me?
Nine o'clock. Your house.
YAMAM
INCOMING CALL
You look beautiful.
And you look very handsome.
Thank you.
I hope you don't mind,
but I ordered for both of us.
There it is now.
Here you go. It's all paid for.
Great, thank you. Good night.
I hope you like it.
Teşekkürler.
- I called you all day.
- Don't barge in like that!
CONNECTION LOS
Coming!
- Hi, Aunt Olivia!
- Hi!
- Don't touch anything, okay?
- Come on in.
- Did you go out last night?
- No.
No, I was trying on some old clothes,
and ended up falling asleep.
Hey, could you watch her
for an hour or so?
The babysitter stood me up,
and I've got a thing.
Mom's not picking up,
and I need your help.
- Sure, no problem.
- Thank you.
Sorry, I need to get this.
Just one second.
Where were you?
I've been calling all night.
I was having trouble with my phone.
But I couldn't stop thinking about you.
Yeah? Me too.
Having you near me all night long.
- All night?
- Yes.
I can't get you out of my mind.
I can't.
I close my eyes,
and you're back in my arms.
I miss your smell.
Your skin.
I wish you were back here.
I have to go.
What are you doing in there?
She's about to wet her pants.
I'm going back to Istanbul.
What? What are you talking about?
What about your new job?
I have a whole week before I start.
I've got some unfinished business
I need to take care of there.
Unfinished business?
- Yes.
- What kind of business?
Work stuff.
Yamam
Emir.
I wanted to congratulate you,
but you weren't picking up.
Yeah, I couldn't answer.
It's fine. I can see you're celebrating,
just as you deserve to.
Olivia, from Spain.
Emir, from Turkey. A close friend of mine.
We work together.
- I'm happy to meet you.
- Me too.
Sorry to interrupt.
The door wasn't locked.
Don't worry.
It's a pleasure.
Good night.
Good night.
What's his deal?
I don't get it.
He just stood there staring at us.
Olivia
Olivia, calm down.
Emir is my colleague, he's my friend.
We left the door open.
Don't worry
I don't know anything about you.
Why's your Spanish so good?
Business,
tourists,
a weakness for Spanish women
How many have there been?
A gentleman never reveals his conquests.
Who was the woman
who interrupted our dinner?
What woman?
I don't know. I heard a woman's voice.
She said something,
and your face changed.
And then you hung up.
We got cut off.
You know that.
Anyway, I owe you dinner, don't I?
This house is amazing.
Emir is the best host in all of Istanbul.
You'll love him.
Trust me.
Yamam!
There you are.
Thank you for coming.
Bulut!
Look what excellent company Yamam is in.
Olivia, Bulut.
Can I steal him from you
for a few minutes?
Of course.
I'll be right back.
All the posers can move aside,
and let me enjoy these views.
I haven't had the pleasure
of meeting anybody here yet.
That guy over there
works at the US Embassy,
and he could drink
the entire Bosporus in one go.
I mean, as long as it's an open bar.
That short guy is making
his fortune selling cigars
and other goodies to spoiled brats.
He's got a yacht
the size of an aircraft carrier.
But the only one who matters
is that guy there.
Emir Aslan.
He owns all this.
I can't say I really know him.
Actually, we kinda
got off on the wrong foot.
We had a little misunderstanding.
You call that a misunderstanding?
Showing him your breasts?
He's my husband.
And you're lucky it was an accident,
because otherwise, I'd have to kill you.
I'm kidding.
I'm just kidding. Can you imagine?
No, I can't.
Lupe Aslan.
Olivia Durán, nice to meet you.
- It's a pleasure. Welcome.
- Thank you.
This girl is adorable.
Don't let her get away.
I won't.
Right, yes, all the sunsets,
and the Golden Horn and all.
But the only thing to do
in this city is trip over
tourists and cats.
Olivia, what do you think of Istanbul?
You're so quiet.
Olivia loves Istanbul
more than most Turks I know.
With all due respect,
if you don't love this city,
it's only because
you aren't familiar with it.
Are you calling me ignorant?
No, not at all.
I don't mean to imply you're ignorant.
But you'd be so lucky if you were.
Because for me,
seeing this city for the first time
is a real gift.
If I had one wish, it would be that.
To see Istanbul again
for the very first time.
I've been studying
Byzantine art for half my life,
I'm a university professor,
and this city still surprises me.
But nothing can top that first time.
That feeling.
You should take her
on one of your trips around Turkey.
She'd be the perfect travel companion.
Oh, no, no, no.
Those trips aren't the kind women take.
Excuse me?
Olivia isn't like other women.
She's made that exceedingly clear tonight.
Yes, I agree.
Your friend must be swimming in gold.
With a house like that?
He's a good businessman.
Well, you live in one
of the nicest neighborhoods in the city.
How'd you manage that?
I'm a very lucky man.
- Right
- Look who's on my arm.
Emir is a great art collector.
I advised him on a purchase,
and it turned out well.
And now he sends me quality clients.
The wealthy want to fill
their homes with unique pieces
so they can show off.
And you find those pieces
on your trips, right?
I travel so I can sleep under the stars.
Oh, so romantic.
Sounds nice.
So when's your next trip?
You'll be back in Madrid.
We can leave tomorrow.
- We'll just get up and go.
- Yeah, right.
Why not?
Or we can leave right now.
You heard your friend.
I'm not like other women.
No, you're not.
I'm not.
We can't spend every day like this.
Why not?
It's your sister.
She heard you screaming
all the way from Spain, and she's worried.
Finally!
Why haven't you answered my calls?
It's been almost a week and I don't
even know where you're staying.
Did you meet up with Pablo?
No, Pablo's not here anymore.
And Yamam?
I saw his name on your phone.
He called, and you took off for Istanbul.
Yes, I'm with Yamam.
All right, so Yamam. And who is Yamam?
He's a friend.
We're just getting to know each other.
Laura, I'll call you back later, okay?
Fine.
Why didn't you tell her the truth
from the beginning?
Why not?
Your sister wanted you to find love.
And you still didn't know
the real Yamam Deniz.
The real Yamam?
Who on earth knows the real Yamam?
Nobody's ever gotten
closer to him than I have.
But it's impossible to get him to open up.
Nobody can do that. Nobody.
I can't focus.
Just pretend I'm not here.
But you are.
All right, fine, I'll stop.
Hey, you should appreciate
having a painter right here.
Because you never know.
I might be super famous in a few years.
My paintings might be worth millions.
Who knows?
Let's see what you got here.
Geez.
I hate knowing people
are throwing all this away.
Look at this.
Look.
A little rough around the edges,
but this might be authentic.
It's just junk.
Maybe, maybe not. But this is ivory.
Right? Look
Let me see
This is part of a diptych.
Why do you have an opinion
about everything?
Because I do.
Just what I need. Someone telling me
when I'm allowed to talk.
What's your deal? I don't get it.
You seem so nervous
Is something going on?
No, not at all.
I'm sorry.
Maybe I should give you some space.
I'm going to take a walk.
Olivia?
- I'm sorry.
- Hello.
How are you? What are you doing here?
I come here all the time.
What a coincidence.
I love coming here.
You should take a page out of my book.
You might be an expert
in the history of Istanbul,
but when it comes to Turkish men
I'm the one with a Master's degree.
If you're referring to Yamam,
the two of us
are just fooling around.
I don't think so.
You can't fool me, Olivia.
It looks more like love.
- Love?
- Yep, you've got it bad.
Yes, Olivia.
You can fool yourself all you want,
but you're going to lose him
if you're not careful.
Well, one thing's for sure.
Our relationship is complicated.
I live in Madrid, and he's here.
You might even say it's hopeless.
No.
Only a coward would look at it like that.
But you
I can tell you're someone
who looks fear in the eye.
I'm not afraid.
It's more
It's like nothing I've ever felt before.
It's passion.
An incredible passion.
You can just relax then,
and let fate decide.
Destiny is always right.
The coffee grounds
won't reveal your desires.
So, just tell me what you see.
A volcano, out of control.
Keep your enemies close.
I don't have any enemies.
A battle between two worlds.
Light, darkness.
Life, death.
You must decide.
Passion doesn't stop, it grows.
It is always growing.
What if I didn't go back to Spain?
I've been a college professor for years,
but now
I'm not sure I even want
that tenured position.
I don't know.
That was your dream.
I know, but
Look at me.
You always tell me my eyes don't lie.
I want to stay here.
There's only one thing
that could make me change my mind,
and that's if you
if you said you didn't
want us to be together.
If you stayed
you'd make me
the happiest man in the world.
You were right.
That Spanish girl is staying.
See? Ye of little faith.
When was the last time I missed the mark?
I hope she proves useful.
She is clever.
Maybe too clever.
We should do this under the stars
in some beautiful spot in Turkey.
I thought that was
the beginning of my new life.
My real life. Meeting Yamam
was a turning point for me.
Do you want to know the truth?
I'll tell you the truth.
Yesterday, I finally got Olivia
to open up a bit.
Talking with her sister
might make her clam up.
I know Olivia.
And I know how much she loves her sister.
He loves art, he loves Istanbul,
and he has an antiques shop.
Sounds like a Tinder profile.
- What else do you know about him?
- Can you just relax, Laura?
Are you here on vacation?
It's a little more complicated than that.
Is it a man? There's nothing
more complicated than a Turkish guy.
Were you there the whole time?
What's not alright is
for you to control me.
I'm thinking of looking for work here.
- Maybe at the university.
- Come work with me.
This could be authentic.
Hey, what are you doing?
This should be in a museum.
- We don't work together.
- It's only a matter of time.
That's what I've been telling Yamam.
They need a woman like you, Olivia.
Think of all the advantages
of working for Yamam.
If you can't be happy
that I'm going to take an incredible trip
and see all the places
I've been dying to see,
then that's your problem.
I am an independent woman.
You need to find a balance
between your freedom and his needs.
Or else he's going to kick you
to the curb.