Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Shahmaran’ Season 2 on Netflix, Where The Turkish Drama Brings Its Mythical Battle To The Earthly Plane

The Turkish drama Shahmaran returns to Netflix with six episodes instead of the first season ’s ten, but also a new mandate: with all of its omens revealed, the series will now fulfill its prophecy, with Şahsu (Serenay Sarikaya) taking on the mantle of the title – Shahmaran, the being out of myth that is half woman, half snake. Burak Deniz also returns as Maran, who Şahsu now knows is not himself fully human, but instead a powerful basilisk with an ancient lineage. But hey, you can’t just fulfill a prophecy and call it a day. Together, Şahsu and Maran will face the power that’s finally strong enough to try and claim the human world for herself. “Humanity is just a mask. I’m here to take it down…”

Where Was ‘Find Me Falling’ Filmed? Discover the Cyprus Filming Locations for the Harry Connick Jr. Netflix Movie

Opening Shot: “Let her be,” the wise Çavgeș (Ebru Ӧzkan) tells Maran as Șahsu remains submerged in a lake. “She needs to see something.” And we enter Șahsu’s mind.

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Another Self’ Season 2 On Netflix, Where Three Friends Navigate Love, Tragedy And Illness In A Turkish Seaside Town

The Gist: In an empty, windswept desert, there are three magical doors. the Door of Life, the Door of Death, and the Door of Wisdom. All worthy choices! But Șahsu is drawn to another door, this one clad in black. “Shahmaran has awakened inside you,” Çavgeș tells her when Maran finally pulls her out of the water. “An ancient creature now breathes in your soul and your body.” Șahsu has come a long, long, way from when she first arrived in Adana, at the start of last season, as an academic on a mission to confront her grandfather Davut (Mustafa Uǧurlu) for abandoning her mother. The prophecy was always for a chosen human woman to fall in love with a basilisk. And in leaving her regular life behind, and falling in love with Maran, Șahsu has prepared a place inside her for the Shahmaran’s return.

CLICK HERE TO GET EMAILS FROM DECIDER

“I know you are in there. Show yourself.” Also returning to walk the earth out of the depths of the deep, dark pit where she was banished is Lilith (Saadet Ișil Aksoy), the embodiment of everything her older sister the Shahmaran isn’t. Pure evil. A killer. A manipulator of human emotions and desires. A creature who believes she is owed blood. Lilith stalks through the village in her scarlet wrap, putting Cihan (Mert Ramazan Demir) under her spell and pairing him with Abra (Olimpia Ahenk), a mysterious young woman who seems connected to the earth, like she wasn’t just in the pit with Lilith but has literally been fashioned from it. Together, Abra and Cihan will do Lilith’s bidding as she gathers more power and lays waste to Maran’s loved ones, with him and Șahsu as her ultimate target.

If Șahsu was at first terrified of what Maran revealed – his family history as basilisks, their fealty to prophecy – she’s fully on board now. She can feel the Shahmaran inside of her. And besides, with Maran’s sister Hare (Nilay Erdönmez) murdered by Lilith’s forces and her own grandfather said to have been killed as well, she believes that the prophecy’s truths and Maran’s ancient fight are all she has left. They’ll face Lilith together, even as her powers are seemingly limitless. (Watch her force humans to kill each other with a flick of the wrist, or place Șahsu inside an unseen barrier of possession.) Caught between the Shahmaran and Lilith are the Mar, a community of people with snake blood themselves who have been oppressed by humans throughout history. The Mar will have to choose a side. “If we don’t all change, humans and snakes together,” Maran tells them, “there won’t be a world to fight for.”

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? In the Turkish series The Gift , an artist’s mystical roots are revealed through archaeology and parallel universes. Season 3 premiered on Netflix in 2021. And Shahmaran ’s Burak Deniz brought some leading man energy to the romantic drama Don’t Leave .

Our Take: First of all, Shahmaran looks great. It’s all sweeping desert vistas or humid forests full of lakes, often shot at night, and features an attractive cast who, when they aren’t being killed or possessed by ancient forces seeking revenge and world domination, are removing their clothing to take a dip. (Actually, some of them also remove their clothing while being possessed. So there’s a lot of that.) Serenay Sarikaya plays well off Burak Deniz as Şahsu and Maran, respectively, and we’re really interested in how exactly they’ll counteract the moves made by Lilith, since the Shahmaran’s sister racks up numerous bloody wins just in the first episode. Sure, Maran is a basilisk from way back, with snake fangs he’s prepared to use. And Şahsu has embraced her emergence as the prophesied human that becomes the Shahmaran. But her powers are still emerging, which makes us curious about what trials she’ll have to perform to bring the creature fully to life. And along the way, we’re also enjoying Shahmaran as a kind of guidebook to the folk traditions of Turkey.

Sex and Skin: Yep, both. And Shahmaran seems to be positioning Lilith and her minion Abra as curious about the ways of human sexual pleasure.

Parting Shot: “Before Camsap the Betrayer, Anavarza was ours!” Lilith’s recruitment speech to the Mar drips with myth and vengeful boasts. “This time, it will be humans who tremble and try to hide!”

Sleeper Star: Olimpia Ahenk’s Abra is definitely the most intriguing character in season 2 of Shahmaran . What powers has she brought with her out of Lilith’s pit? And how does she figure into the main battle?

Most Pilot-y Line: “I will start the era of snakes on Earth!” And Lilith does not mean garter snakes.

Our Call: STREAM IT. A formidable villain has taken center stage in season 2 of Shahmaran , even as our heroine and her true love are finally preparing to fully embrace the prophecy that will make Şahsu much more than a human woman. It would be disappointing to manifest as the Shahmaran only to be snuffed out before you can enjoy it.

Johnny Loftus ( @glennganges ) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.

For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com