A couple of shows as a possible distraction

[aragorn]

I have to agree that the Ertugrul series is awesome! I wasn't aware that there were so many seasons (I thought there was only one) so I mistakenly started with Season 5 and I'm now totally 'hooked'. So, I first need to finish that before I go and watch the whole thing form the beginning. Are all the seasons available on YouTube or where do you guys watch those? I'm watching Season 5 since my wife bought Netflix for a couple of months, and that was the only season I could find there.

Like others have said, watching Ertugrul doesn't give you that sense of having wasted time (like with 99,9% of what I've tried to watch), and the 'moral lessons' included are worth getting reminded of. Ertugrul's behavior and maneuvering things is also a great example of the art of 'stalking' – of how you deal with (petty) tyrants. The acting is also very good and I also like the music. Admitted that there is violence and some occasional blood, but there's no 'feasting' with the details like in so many American series, the most gruesome details are left out.

Just epic!

 

[dredger]

Im also coming back on Etrugrul series.
I agree the critic that it's a bit muslim propaganda, I mean, one of my employees is muslim, i sent him the link and he started to watch it, even him told me that he's "zapping" the religous scenes ^^
But if I post, it's because there's a good example of a good teaching in a passage of the 12th episode, and this passage is good for anyone here to listen to (or read), as it gives good advices for all of us at this moment, who must find the strenght the resist in this worlwide madness .

I found a link to an english version (sbu-titles), on RU visibly.
If you are curious, just follow the link and you can go at 31:05 seconds

Одноклассники

ok.ru

For french mates, same minutes/second, here's the link :

Home

film d’animation : LE DERNIER PROPHÈTE MUHAMMAD sws Drama Sourate At Tin | Français | Projet: Comprendre et mémoriser le Cor

www.deenmovie.com

FYI, the guy who speak to the heroe is Ibn Al Arabi, and it's nice that they make him appear in the series, and from what I saw until now, I like many of the dialogs of the series and sentences from this man. Just replace Allah by the term that you prefer.
I like this sentence taken from the passage : "you reach the 'water of life' by serving the people", and just before he said something which clearly made me understand that the one who search for this "holy water" for his own purposes will not find it, but only the one with love (knowledge) and faith, by serving all God's creatures.

Nice to see such SDA influence in a series.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

I have to agree that the Ertugrul series is awesome! I wasn't aware that there were so many seasons (I thought there was only one) so I mistakenly started with Season 5 and I'm now totally 'hooked'. So, I first need to finish that before I go and watch the whole thing form the beginning. Are all the seasons available on YouTube or where do you guys watch those? I'm watching Season 5 since my wife bought Netflix for a couple of months, and that was the only season I could find there.

All episodes with English subtitles are available here.
Enjoy.

 

[T.C.]

One of the things I think Ertugrul really hammers home is that there is always evil everywhere. That, as it is with life, if you want to watch the show, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you’re going to have to put up with tyrants who are so petty, they make you sick to your stomach unless you’re willing to do a bit of work on yourself.

I think it was mentioned on the recent Mind Matters about how the characters lack a bit of subtlety. But I think that’s why it’s so compelling: because they’re archetypal, and we’re wired to be interested in archetypes.

 

[Laurs]

By chance I stumbled upon the Netflix series 'Bonfire of Destiny', French spoken and in French called 'Le Bazar de la Charite' and being an avid reader of the Romance novels I thought i'd share this one here as i really enjoy it. The story is inspired by true events, set in late 19th century Paris (so it's got all the nice dresses, jewels, carriages, men on horseback in the streets, huge houses etc), and starts off with the fire in a large building in Paris in 1897 where a lot of (high born) women (no men) were burnt. It follows the lives of three women and includes themes like personal sacrifices, betrayals, love, cowardice, courage, political manipulations etc. Highly recommended, especially when you are engaged in the romance novels.

Watch The Bonfire of Destiny | Netflix Official Site

After a devastating fire in 1897 Paris, three women find their lives upended by betrayals, deceptions and romantic turmoil. Inspired by real events.

www.netflix.com

 

[Alana]

By chance I stumbled upon the Netflix series 'Bonfire of Destiny', French spoken and in French called 'Le Bazar de la Charite' and being an avid reader of the Romance novels I thought i'd share this one here as i really enjoy it. The story is inspired by true events, set in late 19th century Paris (so it's got all the nice dresses, jewels, carriages, men on horseback in the streets, huge houses etc), and starts off with the fire in a large building in Paris in 1897 where a lot of (high born) women (no men) were burnt. It follows the lives of three women and includes themes like personal sacrifices, betrayals, love, cowardice, courage, political manipulations etc. Highly recommended, especially when you are engaged in the romance novels.

Watch The Bonfire of Destiny | Netflix Official Site

After a devastating fire in 1897 Paris, three women find their lives upended by betrayals, deceptions and romantic turmoil. Inspired by real events.

www.netflix.com

We watched it too!

For anyone learning french, this is a good series to practice as I found the language easy when watched with French subtitles.

It was a good story, but I must admit that I found the first episode traumatizing, so a warning: it is all about the actual fire and people burning in it and maybe as bad, it is the instinctual reaction of some people trying to save themselves in such an event

I would say to maybe skip the first episode, but it is actually important to understand the rest of the story. Plus it is based on a real event (the fire, not the rest of the story) and it might be a good, safe practice for us to wonder what we would do in such a situation if god forbid, we had to face it. On the other hand, maybe it's because I was doing that that I found it so traumatizing, so it might be best to watch knowing that what you are seeing is scripted and acted, with lots of visual effects.

 

[dredger]

One of the things I think Ertugrul really hammers home is that there is always evil everywhere. That, as it is with life, if you want to watch the show, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you’re going to have to put up with tyrants who are so petty, they make you sick to your stomach unless you’re willing to do a bit of work on yourself.

I think it was mentioned on the recent Mind Matters about how the characters lack a bit of subtlety. But I think that’s why it’s so compelling: because they’re archetypal, and we’re wired to be interested in archetypes.

Totally agree, I spoke about with my muslim colleague the 2 last time we went to smoke outside the office.
Particularly the 2 ... bastards (kurdogo and the great sister), 100% psychopaths bringing chaos by lying everytime they act. I'll recommend this series to my relatives.

 

[Mari]

I know it’s a thread about series, but I do have few movie suggestions to watch so you can watch them as a series since it is similar theme.

I watched new Mulan movie today and I really liked it.
I watched cartoon as a kid and now the movie and was really good and very colorful.

Mulan (2020) ⭐ 5.8 | Action, Adventure, Drama

1h 55m | 12

www.imdb.com

I generaly love colorful fantasy movies with martial arts, so in the same vein here are a few more I watched years ago (all of them couple of times ) and I found them great and filled with courage, honor and love.

Tiger & Dragon (2000) ⭐ 7.9 | Action, Adventure, Drama

2h | 12

www.imdb.com

Hero (2002) ⭐ 7.9 | Action, Adventure, Drama

2h | 12

www.imdb.com

House of Flying Daggers (2004) ⭐ 7.5 | Action, Adventure, Drama

1h 59m | 12

www.imdb.com

 

[Persephone]

Like others have said, watching Ertugrul doesn't give you that sense of having wasted time (like with 99,9% of what I've tried to watch), and the 'moral lessons' included are worth getting reminded of. Ertugrul's behavior and maneuvering things is also a great example of the art of 'stalking' – of how you deal with (petty) tyrants. The acting is also very good and I also like the music. Admitted that there is violence and some occasional blood, but there's no 'feasting' with the details like in so many American series, the most gruesome details are left out.

Just epic!

One of the things I think Ertugrul really hammers home is that there is always evil everywhere. That, as it is with life, if you want to watch the show, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you’re going to have to put up with tyrants who are so petty, they make you sick to your stomach unless you’re willing to do a bit of work on yourself.

I think it was mentioned on the recent Mind Matters about how the characters lack a bit of subtlety. But I think that’s why it’s so compelling: because they’re archetypal, and we’re wired to be interested in archetypes.

Ennio said:
"Ertugrul embodies all the traits of a real hero: honor, integrity, justice, intelligence, devotion, compassion, mercy, humility, and overall epic badassery. The show itself portrays traditional values, spiritual realities, universal problems, individual and group strengths and weaknesses - and the ever-present cosmic battle of good and evil. At a time when truly good heroic stories are in short supply we look at why this 'non-Western' story fits the job description that we are looking for in works of fiction."

After watching the video of MindMatters with Matthiew Ehret I was motivated to watch this show and I completely agree with what you said. It is so dense and rich. You can find the whole range of human archetypes in it. Inspired and inspiring. I watched the first fifteen episodes and I confess I was hooked.
What has touched me the most so far is how a high moral awareness, transcendent values and absolute faith in these values, together with a lucid awareness of reality, allows one to navigate and move forward in a world dominated by a psychopathic mind. And this is rare in a tv series.
There are characters where the alignment towards these values is already established (even if this does not prevent them from being overwhelmed by doubts and despair at times), others where there is a struggle inside between the two tendencies (SDS/SDA) and so far I find that it is these characters who are treated with more subtlety.
From what Matthew Ehret said, there are also examples of "redemption", especially from a character one would least expect. I haven't arrived at this event yet but I already have a small idea....
I warmly recommend this series.

 

[Gaby]

After watching the video of MindMatters with Matthiew Ehret I was motivated to watch this show and I completely agree with what you said. It is so dense and rich. You can find the whole range of human archetypes in it. Inspired and inspiring. I watched the first fifteen episodes and I confess I was hooked.

I couldn't get past the first episode and its violent scenes of battle and the scene where an evil guy chooses a white slave among several, then forces her to kill someone he dislikes, and then he kills her. I rather spend my little free time left reading any book on the Romance thread rather than watching disturbing and scarring scenes of violence, even when there are positive characters and plots embedded in the show.

 

[seek10]

The first 2 seasons of Ertugrul can be found on the youtube here

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiM9_Me5QJBEr0PItkbXgw

 

[Keit]

I couldn't get past the first episode and its violent scenes of battle and the scene where an evil guy chooses a white slave among several, then forces her to kill someone he dislikes, and then he kills her. I rather spend my little free time left reading any book on the Romance thread rather than watching disturbing and scarring scenes of violence, even when there are positive characters and plots embedded in the show.

Can't argue with this assessment, if the idea is to avoid any violence. In this sense reading romance novels is indeed a superior way to maintain a psychic hygiene. That was the reason why I also didn't watch GoT, because of the gratuitous and unnecessary violence. There are much better things to do with one's time.

And I agree that this particular scene was kitchy and painted that character in an evil caricaturish way. They do tend to show some villains in such a way, although there are more "sophisticated" ones as well.

And there are indeed a lot of "well orchestrated" battle scenes, although they usually censor everything, including wounds, because this show is apparently being watched by entire families.

Not going to advertise the show or argue why anyone needs to watch it more than it was already discussed on Mind Matters. But I do agree with everything that was mentioned there. Surprisingly, there are good messages and good values being shown there as a contrast to the evilness of the villains. Something that is missing in most Western series. And the plot provides a lot of opportunities for contemplation and discussion about human nature and choices. But it is a show, of course, and a very long one at that, so this should be taken into account.

Also, recently I realized how what Caesar said during the C's session could be applied to Ertugrul's premise and his "vision of the future" (i.e creation of the Ottoman Empire), and the whole representation of characters dynamic in the show.

A: I was wrong to think I could change the masses by example. Humans are fickle and self-centered for the most part. Thus, if you wish to really effect changes, it can only be done by early education, and even then it is fragile and will not last. In the end you must be true to your own nature and fear nothing. If you do that you may make a difference after you are gone. That is not exactly what you are looking for, but there are no 3 pieces of advice that serve all events.

ADDED: And no spoilers, but there is a an enduring and very romantic love story in there.

Also, if you would like to get a glimpse into what motivates Ertugrul and the "spiritual" reason behind his actions, watch the following short video. I mark it as a spoiler just in case you don't want to watch anything related to the show, although it doesn't reveal any of the plot points, except for one pivotal character. But then he was already mentioned by the Mind Matters peeps.

Spoiler: Ertugrul's vision

 

[Approaching Infinity]

And I agree that this particular scene was kitchy and painted that character in an evil caricaturish way. They do tend to show some villains in such a way, although there are more "sophisticated" ones as well.

And there are indeed a lot of "well orchestrated" battle scenes, although they usually censor everything, including wounds, because this show is apparently being watched by entire families.

Yeah, the scene Gaby mentioned is probably the most cartoonish and over the top in all of what I've seen of the show. They were clearly trying to establish the guy as the most evil of evil bad guys. Luckily the writers didn't feel the need to stoop so low again after that. Maybe they realized it was unnecessary and there were better ways to get across that impression.

As for the violence, I agree with this reviewer ;)

During the 13th century, there was some place in Europe producing an inexhaustible supply of Knights Templar for Ertugrul and his alps to cut up. Unlike lots of Netflix shows (Rome, Frontier, Last Kingdom), the fight scenes in Ertugrul are not splatterfests. The violence is violent, but, get this… they smudge the blood. ... The point of impact is blurred. Usually the Christians just raise their sword, get cut across the middle, and then fold in half like wilting flowers. Chainmail, it turns out, fundamentally did not work.

IMO, it's about as violent as the Mandalorian, all things considered, but with swords and daggers instead of blasters and lightsabers.

 

[CluelessIn3D]

I’ve watched two series lately that have some interesting tidbits to what is going on right now around us.

Westworld on HBO is about “robots” that awaken to their own consciousness. I think it’s a parable and the robots are “humans” in our reality awakening to the reality that they have been controlled by higher beings. So in the show, the robots are “us“ and the humans are our 4D “oppressors“ for lack of better words. Of course it’s all “fiction” or is it?

The other show is Utopia (Amazon Original,) and while quite graphic and potentially disturbing (my wife wouldn’t watch past the first episode with me,) it is unbelievably prescient considering it was filmed in 2019. Without giving away too much, it’s about an engineered pandemic that they develop a vaccine for, and it is quickly discovered that the vaccine is designed to sterilize the general population over many generations.

Truth in fiction maybe? I don’t know but eerily relevant to what’s happening in the world right now.

 

[genero81]

I started watching Ertugrul. I'm only on episode eight. I don't feel too excited about it just yet. Maybe it will grow on me, it probably will over time as I get accustomed to the cultural setting and become familiar with the characters.