Magnificent Century (Muhteşem Yüzyıl) Episode 1: Review
Magnificent Century is the Muslim world’s version of The Tudors, The White Queen, The White Princess and The Spanish Princess, but while those series focus on the Tudor and Plantagenet dynasties, Magnificent Century focuses on the Ottoman Empire, this series talking place during the reign of Sulieman I also known as Sulieman the Magnificent. In the Tudors the Spanish ambassador mentions several times that the Emperor Charles V is engaged in a fierce rivalry with the Turks. He is referring to Sulieman and his quest to expand the Ottoman Empire into Europe. The series was originally broadcast from 2011 to 2014 followed by a two season sequel called Magnificent Century: Kosem. The series has grown a cult following across the globe with many people watching it on YouTube with its original Turkish audio and English subtitles provided. The translations may not be 100 percent correct but you can still follow along with the story. Also like the other shows, it stirred up a great deal of controversy with the dramatic license.
The first episode opens with Sulieman being notified of the death of his father, Sultan Selim I and that he is now the ruler of the Ottoman Empire. It is a heavy burden this young man will carry and there are many other rulers who believe he’s not up to the task. I am only on the seventh episode and at least one will learn quickly the new sultan is not to be underestimated.
The scene then switches to a slave ship where a young woman named Alexandra has been resisting her captivity from the moment she was taken. She is being taken to Sulieman to be a member of his harem. The young woman was forced to watch while her family was slaughtered, the man she loved missing and presumed dead. This strong willed woman will become the famous or infamous, depending on one’s opinion, Hurrem Sultan, Sulieman’s legal wife and mother of the future Sultan Selim II. From the beginning we see she is a force to be reckoned with.
We then meet the new sultan’s mother, Hafisa who now bears the title Valide Sultan. The Valide Sultan is one of the most important women in the Empire and we will see that she has a great deal of influence with her son. She also rules the harem and we already see that Alexandra will prove to be a challenge for her and her servants.
Any one of the women can be chosen to spend the night in the sultan’s bed and all of them compete against each other for this honor. If a woman becomes a favorite, her status in the palace increases and if she has a child, especially a son, her future is assured. The second highest ranking woman in the harem is Mahidevran Hatun, the mother of Sulieman’s only child, Prince Mustafa. She has enjoyed her place as the chief consort for so long that she believes that no one can take it. She will learn quickly that one can.
The women are expected to stand still, heads bowed when the Sultan passes but Alexandra will have none of that. She breaks protocol, calls out his name and when he approaches her, she faints in his arms. It’s a bold move but it gets his attention and angers her overseers. Later she and several other women are asked to dance for the sultan but Alexandra steals the show and once again attracts his attention while Mahidervan is visibly upset that he is not with her on her first night in the palace,. The valide warns her that she has to deal with it or she risks losing her position as the chief consort but once the valide learns of Alexandra’s desire to turn Sulieman into her slave she knows there’s going to be trouble especially since he’s asked to see her that night. She is all prepared for her night with the sultan and about to go to his room but Mahidevran is sent in her place! The sultan is obviously disappointed and it is obvious this bait and switch is the valide’s doing.
Even though there is a fair bit of dramatic license this first episode is still very entertaining and while most episodes of a series last an hour, this one is longer and takes time to develop the plot and characters and you find yourself rooting for Alexandra. She’s been enslaved and abused but she’s determined to do what it takes to survive and you want to see what she’s planning next.
Originally published at https://www.tumblr.com on June 26, 2021.
