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''The Club'' () is a Turkish
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...
television series directed by Seren Yüce and
Zeynep Günay Tan Zeynep Günay Tan (born 1975) is a Turkish director. She noticed her interest in cinema and television during her high school years. She began her theatre training in Italy but returned to Turkey without completing her education. She eventually ma ...
and starring
Gökçe Bahadır Gökçe Bahadır (born 9 November 1981) is a Turkish film and television actress. She is best known for her spectacular performances as Matilda in the web series ''Kulüp'', Gamze in the series ''Ömer'', Leyla Tekin in the series ''Yaprak Dökü ...
,
Barış Arduç Barış Arduç is a Turkish actor and model. Early life Barış Arduç was born in 1987 in Scherzingen, Switzerland, the middle child of a real estate agent couple Gülay and Erollo Arduç. He descends from Ordu on his father's side and from ...
, Salih Bademci,
Fırat Tanış Fırat Tanış (born 5 May 1975) is a Turkish actor and musician. He has appeared in more than thirty films since 1995. He is of Turkish Meskhetian ancestry. He played as Koyu Bilal in franchise comedy film series and TV series "Geniş Aile". T ...
,
Metin Akdülger Metin Akdülger (born 10 April 1988) is a Turkish people, Turkish actor, writer, musician. He is co-writer of comic book series "Görmüş Geçirmiş Kaptan 88". His music band is "Journers". Akdülger, who took part in amateur plays and made sho ...
and Asude Kalebek. The show was released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
on 5 November 2021, with season one consisting of 10 episodes, divided into two parts of 6 and 4 episodes respectively. Part 2 premiered on 6 January 2022. The second season premiered on 15 September 2023.


Premise

Matilda, an
ex-convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convicts ...
, works in one of the most prominent nightclubs of
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
in 1955. Trying to establish a good relationship with her daughter, Matilda struggles to keep her daughter RaÅŸel away from
Pera Pera may refer to: Places * Pera (Beyoğlu), a district in Istanbul formerly called Pera, now called Beyoğlu ** Galata, a neighbourhood of Beyoğlu, often referred to as Pera in the past * Pêra (Caparica), a Portuguese locality in the district o ...
's troublemaker, Fıstık İsmet. Matilda also tries to stand against her boss Orhan, nightclub manager Çelebi and artist Selim.


Plot


Season 1

In 1950s
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Matilda Aseo is released from prison as part of a general amnesty after serving time for murder. A
Sephardic Jew Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
, she applies at the local
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
center to
migrate Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
to
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
when the rabbi informs her about her daughter, Raşel, who was taken away from her as an infant and has been jailed for breaking into the Club Istanbul, a nightclub managed by Çelebi, prompting her to forego her departure. At the prison, Matilda runs into Çelebi, who demands that she work for him in the club, located in the
Pera Pera may refer to: Places * Pera (Beyoğlu), a district in Istanbul formerly called Pera, now called Beyoğlu ** Galata, a neighbourhood of Beyoğlu, often referred to as Pera in the past * Pêra (Caparica), a Portuguese locality in the district o ...
district, in exchange for Raşel‘s freedom and a place to stay. Raşel is initially hostile to Matilda, but opens up when her mother explains her past. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Matilda belonged to a prominent business-minded family that was targeted by a discriminatory tax by ultranationalist Turks. Matilda had fallen in love with an ethnic Turkish employee named Mümtaz who later betrayed the location of their savings, leading to the arrest of Matilda's father, who later died in a
labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see British and American spelling differences, spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are unfree labour, forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have ...
, and her brother, who escaped to the United States. In revenge, Matilda fatally shot Mümtaz and was imprisoned, but not before realizing that she was pregnant. Angry at her daughter's father, she gave up Raşel to the care of the local Jewish orphanage. Matilda realizes that she had met Çelebi before her imprisonment, and after confronting him, he reveals that he was Aziz, a servant who tried to warn the Aseos about Mümtaz's betrayal, only to be framed for theft and fired. Eventually, tensions between Matilda and Çelebi escalate until she chooses to stand up on behalf of her colleagues and demand better treatment from the club's owner, Orhan, who agrees to split the club’s management between Çelebi, who retains control of the stage, and Matilda, who takes care of the backstage and the star singer, Selim Songür. Raşel strikes up a relationship with an ethnic Turkish taxi driver named "Fıstık" İsmet, the estranged son of local gangster Ali Şeker, and is impregnated by him. Their relationship strains that between Raşel and Matilda, who opposes it, and after an argument Raşel moves out of Matilda's place to get married with İsmet. Matilda realizes that Kürşat, Orhan's new business associate, was the ultranationalist for whom Mümtaz was working for, prompting her to warn Çelebi and Orhan. After another argument with Çelebi over his treatment of her, he opens up saying that his decision to employ her in the club was a part of his unrequited love for her before she was imprisoned, and that he also recognizes Kürşat from before. It is later revealed that Kürşat is scheming to seize control and Turkify the club after finding out that Orhan is actually an
ethnic Greek Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Albania, Anatolia, parts of Italy and Egypt, and to a lesser extent, other countries surrounding the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. They also fo ...
, just like what he did with the Aseos' business. Kürşat, with the help of Ali and his thugs instigate the
Istanbul riots The Istanbul pogrom, also known as the Istanbul riots, were a series of state-sponsored anti-Greek mob attacks directed primarily at Istanbul's Greek minority on 6–7 September 1955. The pogrom was orchestrated by the governing Democrat ...
, destroying non-Turkish-owned stores along the Grand Avenue of Pera and attacking minorities they find. During the riots, Kürşat discovers Orhan's mother Mevhibe, who is hidden by Orhan after she experiences flashbacks from the
Burning of Smyrna The burning of Smyrna (, "Smyrna Catastrophe"; , "1922 İzmir Fire"; , ''Zmyuṙnio Mets Hrdeh'') destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey) in September 1922. Eyewitness reports state that the fire began on 13 September 1 ...
and starts speaking
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
in fits of dementia. After a struggle, Kürşat overpowers Orhan and prepares to kill him after telling him of his plans, but is bludgeoned by Mevhibe. As flames from the riots engulf their hideout, Orhan strangles Mevhibe in an act of mercy. Outside, Raşel is caught up in the violence as İsmet, who tries to save her, is mauled by the rioters. She is rescued by Matilda just as her water breaks but is barred from entering the club, along with other refugees by a fearful doorkeeper. Çelebi overpowers the doorkeeper and rescues Matilda and her group, helping Raşel give birth and earning Matilda’s trust.


Season 2

Five years after the riots, Matilda and Çelebi run Club Istanbul and save up money to buy the club and make all its staff co-owners once Orhan is formally declared disappeared. The two become lovers and are engaged. Meanwhile, Raşel, struggles to raise her daughter Rana in İsmet's absence, while continuing to be haunted by her own father's murder by Matilda, straining their relations again. After Rana tells Çelebi that Raşel has been stealing again, he contacts Ali Şeker, now a
slumlord A slumlord (or slum landlord) is a slang term for a landlord, generally an absentee landlord with more than one property, who attempts to maximize profit by minimizing spending on property maintenance, and usually rents to tenants that they can ...
, to convince Ismet to return to Istanbul, offering him a job as a bartender at the club. İsmet settles in as Rana's father, while Raşel converts to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, prompting a devastated Matilda to move in with Çelebi. At the Club, Selim is framed and arrested for drugs charges by Keriman, an ambitious dancer who is also the lover of Fikret Kayalı, an unscrupulous developer who has been buying up properties vacated by non-Turks following the riots. Raşel sees Keriman planting cocaine in Selim's room, but stays silent. Desperate, Çelebi convinces Fikret to use his connections to arrange Selim's release at the cost of setting up a clandestine business partnership with Fikret. During a performance, Selim is killed by a falling cage rigged by Keriman, who is then chosen by an unsuspecting Matilda to become his replacement. While playing backstage, Rana finds a diamond near the cage's levers, which Raşel recognizes was detached from Keriman's outfit which she wore on the night Selim was killed. Raşel confronts Keriman, who reminds her of her failure to stop Selim's arrest. She also tells Raşel of Fikret's secret partnership. Raşel then tells the staff about Fikret, prompting them to walk out in disgust. After Keriman tells her that Fikret is actually a puppet for his father, Matilda goes to Fikret's residence to speak with his father, but is shocked to encounter a disfigured Kürşat, who is plotting to buy the Club and demolish it. Regaining her composure, Matilda warns him to back off. At Mümtaz's grave, Matilda apologizes to Raşel for killing her father. A moved Raşel reconciles with her and convinces the club's employees to return. Çelebi and Matilda then open the club to the general public and amateur performers. After watching
Barış Manço Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish people, Turkish rock music, rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television ...
perform at a matinee, Keriman realizes that her star is fading and prepares to escape. As Çelebi and Matilda celebrate, Kürşat arrives and orders their eviction, having discreetly secured the club's ownership. As the staff move out of the premises, Keriman arrives to pick up her things, but is confronted in her room by Raşel, who learns from Rana that she had flirted with İsmet. They are joined by Matilda, who then learns from Keriman of her killing of Selim, and from Raşel of her failure to report Keriman. Matilda corners Keriman, who then shoots her. Keriman is arrested and taken to prison, while Matilda exchanges wedding rings with Çelebi before absolving Raşel over Selim's death and dying in her arms. After Matilda's funeral, a distraught Raşel lashes out at Rana and prepares to commit suicide, but is stopped by the spirit of Matilda, who reminds her of how she forgave her for her neglect, and assuring her that Rana will forgive her. Çelebi and the staff enter the club and hold a dinner for Matilda. As they celebrate, Kürşat arrives and orders them out, but is instead removed by Fikret, who stages a coup against him. When Fikret asserts his ownership of the club, Çelebi and the staff walk out, but are stopped by Raşel, who urges them to stay on at the club, while insisting to Fikret that he will never be welcome despite his ownership of the club. Anxious to keep the club open, Fikret agrees to maintain a professional relationship with them and leaves. Afterwards, Raşel takes Matilda's place at the communal table and is joined by Rana and İsmet. Shortly afterwards, they learn that the
1960 Turkish coup d'état The 1960 Turkish coup d'état (), also known as the 27 May Revolution ( or ''27 Mayıs Devrimi''), was the first coup d'état in the Republic of Turkey. It took place on 27 May 1960. The coup was staged by a group of 38 young Turkish military ...
has taken place, as Rana gazes at soldiers and tanks on the street.


Episodes


Cast and characters


Season 1

*
Gökçe Bahadır Gökçe Bahadır (born 9 November 1981) is a Turkish film and television actress. She is best known for her spectacular performances as Matilda in the web series ''Kulüp'', Gamze in the series ''Ömer'', Leyla Tekin in the series ''Yaprak Dökü ...
as Matilda Aseo, a
Sephardi Jew Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
and ex-convict working in a prominent nightclub of Istanbul. *
Barış Arduç Barış Arduç is a Turkish actor and model. Early life Barış Arduç was born in 1987 in Scherzingen, Switzerland, the middle child of a real estate agent couple Gülay and Erollo Arduç. He descends from Ordu on his father's side and from ...
as "Fıstık" İsmet Denizer, a taxi driver and Raşel's love interest. * Asude Kalebek as Raşel Aseo, Matilda's daughter and İsmet's love interest. * Salih Bademci as Selim Songür, the singer of the nightclub. *
Metin Akdülger Metin Akdülger (born 10 April 1988) is a Turkish people, Turkish actor, writer, musician. He is co-writer of comic book series "Görmüş Geçirmiş Kaptan 88". His music band is "Journers". Akdülger, who took part in amateur plays and made sho ...
as Orhan Åžahin, the owner of the club. *
Suzan Kardeş Suzan may refer to: * Suzan, Iran (disambiguation), several villages in Iran * Sužan, Croatia * Suzan, France * The Suzan, a Japanese pop rock band See also *Susan (given name) *Suzanne (disambiguation) Suzanne may refer to: People * Suzann ...
, as Orhan's mother. *
Fırat Tanış Fırat Tanış (born 5 May 1975) is a Turkish actor and musician. He has appeared in more than thirty films since 1995. He is of Turkish Meskhetian ancestry. He played as Koyu Bilal in franchise comedy film series and TV series "Geniş Aile". T ...
as Çelebi, the manager of the club. *
Merve Åžeyma Zengin Merve is a feminine Turkish given name of Arabic origin. It originates from the Arabic female name Marwa. It has two meanings: # Pebble # One of the two sacred hills in Mecca, Saudi Arabia between which Muslims travel back and forth seven times as ...
as Tasula, the Turkish Greek friend of RaÅŸel. *
Hülya Duyar Hülya Duyar (born 26 June 1970) is a Turkish actress. Life Duyar immigrated to Germany in 1978, when she was very young. In 1989, she completed her training as a hairdresser and became a make-up artist, initially at theatres. Here, her talent ...
, as İsmet's mother. * İştar Gökseven as Ali Şeker, İsmet's father. * Murat Garibağaoğlu as David. * İlker Kılıç, as Mordo,
fiancé An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...
of Raşel. * Valeria Lakhina, as Diana, an Englishwoman working in the British embassy. * Doğanay Ünal, as Bahtiyar.


Additional cast (Season 2)

*Ada Erma as Rana * Halil Babür as Fikret * Serra Arıtürk as Keriman


Production

The name of the series was first announced to be ''Kod Adı: Kulüp'' by Netflix in October 2020, along with the lead cast Gökçe Bahadır, Barış Arduç, and Salih Bademci. In the same month it was reported that Fırat Tanış will also be cast for the show. In March 2021 journalist Birsen Altuntaş tweeted Ruhi Sarı, Suzan Kardeş and Hazım Körmükçü will be starring as supporting characters in the series. The series was produced by Saner Ayar, Ayşe Durmaz and the Turkish media company O3 Medya for Netflix and directed by Seren Yüce and
Zeynep Günay Tan Zeynep Günay Tan (born 1975) is a Turkish director. She noticed her interest in cinema and television during her high school years. She began her theatre training in Italy but returned to Turkey without completing her education. She eventually ma ...
. A team composed of Ayşin Akbulut, Serkan Yörük, Bengü Üçüncü, Rana Denizer and Necati Şahin (lead writer) was the writing team for the series.


Reception

The reception of the Turkish Jewish community to the series was generally positive. The depiction of the Jewish rituals,
Ladino language Judaeo-Spanish or Judeo-Spanish (autonym , Hebrew script: ), also known as Ladino or Judezmo or Spaniolit, is a Romance language derived from Castilian Old Spanish. Originally spoken in Spain, and then after the Edict of Expulsion spreading ...
and political topics such as
Varlık Vergisi The Varlık Vergisi (, "wealth tax" or "capital tax") was a tax mostly levied on non-Muslim citizens under the Republican People's Party (CHP) government in Turkey in 1942, with the stated aim of raising funds for the country's defense in case of ...
was especially praised by the community members. Also the depiction of taboo topics such as crypto-Greeks,
anti-Greek sentiment Anti-Greek sentiment, also known as Hellenophobia (), anti-Hellenism (), mishellenism (), or Greek- bashing, refers to negative feelings, dislike, hatred, derision, racism, prejudice, or discrimination towards Greeks, the Hellenic Republic, or ...
in Turkey, and the
Istanbul pogrom The Istanbul pogrom, also known as the Istanbul riots, were a series of state-sponsored anti-Greek mob attacks directed primarily at Istanbul's Greek minority on 6–7 September 1955. The pogrom was orchestrated by the governing Democrat ...
in 1955 (in part 2) was praised by the Greek Orthodox community members.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Club (Turkish TV series), The 2021 Turkish television series debuts 2022 Turkish television series endings Turkish drama television series Netflix television dramas Turkish-language television shows Judaeo-Spanish-language television shows Television shows set in Istanbul Television series produced in Istanbul Television series set in 1955 Taxation in Turkey Television shows set in nightclubs Burning of Smyrna Multilingual television series