50M2 – Season 1 Episode 7 Recap & Review

Second Chance

Episode 7 of 50M2 begins with Shadow admitting that he’s not Adem to a mysterious figure in the tailors. As the camera swings around, the scene cuts to moments after episode 6 ended.

Shadow gets the better of the assassin and looks set to pull the trigger… until he changes his mind and brings the man back home instead. It’s here he questions his prisoner and learns Servet has taken over all of Mumtaz’s operations. Well, this is certainly an interesting development as Shadow contemplates what to do next given his adversary is growing in power.

Well, Servet’s next move is to get rid of Mesut. He’s been kicked out the operation, partly thanks to the bond situation but also because of the messy implications of the contractor’s murder. As he stews in his office, he rejects Civan’s help and tells him to leave.

With Mesut gone, Servet shows up at his office but finds Civan there instead. Civan flexes his mental know-how and offers an alternate to Mesut, putting himself on the line as Servet’s messenger boy and heading round to the tailors to talk to Shadow.

Once there, Civan and Shadow talk face to face. He knows Shadow took the bonds and tells him he doesn’t belong in this place. Servet is about to take over the operation and with him dipping into construction, Shadow chuckles when he realizes he’s the big boss he’s been dealing with in the shadows all this time. He tells Civan to send a message back about watching the shadows but Civan refuses, shrugging off his suggestion and telling him to do it himself.

Shadow doesn’t do that but instead heads straight to Mesut and warns him that Civan has taken matters into his own hands. He tells Mesut about Civan’s plan and how he’s trying to get everyone to sell up. This, as we soon see later in the episode, pays dividends as Mesut beats down Civan, who in turn blames this on Shadow.

Meanwhile, Yakup discusses Shadow’s arrival in town and how their troubles have only gotten worse since his arrival. He’s convinced there’s more to this story than meets the eye and is determined to find out what. He heads over to Servet’s place and begins searching through his things.

Well, Yakup finds a business card that brings him to one of Adem’s old work colleagues, Adli. Unfortunately it looks like Shadow’s secret is about to be revealed!

Back at the tailors, Shadow continues to hide his prisoner as Dilara comes over to talk. As the two grow closer together, Adli shows up and cuts their conversation short. They sit together alone where she admits she knows he’s not Adem. It’s here the truth about the photographs and how he’s adopted this disguise comes out, bringing everything back to that opening scene of the episode nicely.

Shadow goes on to lie, pretending that Adem is still alive but actually abroad and evading the authorities. He asks her to keep this a secret and she promises to do just that. She even encourages him to read Adem’s Father’s letters, given he’s now adopted this persona. On her way out the door, she keeps her promise and tells Yakup that Shadow is actually Adem.

With the coast clear for now, Shadow sits with his prisoner and tells him he’s free to go. Using Adli’s own words, he gives the man a second chance and promises not to tell anyone that they were together.

On his way out the door though, this prisoner sifts through documents on the table… until Stain arrives and breaks his neck. Bundling him in the truck, Servet’s right-hand man takes off while Shadow’s photos are sprawled on the floor.

The Episode Review

The penultimate episode of 50M2 goes the artistic route with an episode that chops up its scene composition to show an early scene before jumping back in time. It’s a familiar trick in TV shows and it works reasonably well here, although some of the editing is a little confusing and could have been a bit sharper. With no on-screen text or exposition, these sudden scene jumps do feel slightly jarring to begin with.

Still, that’s a minor gripe in what’s otherwise a pretty enjoyable but subdued episode. The entire chapter is all about Shadow’s state of mind and whether he has changed or not from the cold killer we saw at the start of the season. It seems like he has, especially given his decision to let the prisoner go, but the truth about his parents remains a frustrating secret that hasn’t really been explored in that much detail. In fact, this whole Servet situation has felt really under-developed and underwhelming.

Early on it seemed like we were gearing up for a cat and mouse revenge mission but the show really hasn’t gone that route. Instead, it’s meandered around this town with Shadow adopting Adem’s identity and helping the neighbourhood with their problems.

While this may be enjoyable for some, it also feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. Still, an hour-long finale is up next and hopefully everything comes together for a satisfying conclusion.