Arka Mukhopadhyay
Created by Meriç Acemi, ‘As the Crow Flies’ (originally ‘Kus Uçusu’) is a Turkic original corporate thriller series that probes into the ever-changing nature of truth in a world governed by social media. Building on the jungle metaphor, the story follows a bird of prey who eyes a pack of lions before snatching away her prize. She catches up to them, using whatever means necessary. After a chance encounter with famous news anchor Lale Kiran, Asli gets a stint as an intern in the famed news agency MON5, leaping her way to the top. The story goes haywire with personal and professional lives overlapping, but you must be stupefied after what went down in the final moments of the first season. If so, let us decode the picture. SPOILERS AHEAD.
As the Crow Flies Season 1 Recap
In a lecture session, aspiring journalist and hoaxer Asli Tuna meets Lale Kiran, the face of the news channel MON5 and the host of its TRP magnet program “The Other Side.” Lale heads to the washroom, keeping her assistant on watch. Asli lies that she is pregnant to spend a moment with Lale in the restroom. But Lale advises Asli to run after the news rather than the news anchor. Therefore, keeping her aspiration in place, Asli heads to the office of MON5. She is in luck since the company is receiving applications for internships. The last one standing in training will find a place in the team.
Although Asli does not have an appointment, she makes her way into the internship. While other interns speak to a subordinate employee on the team, Asli discovers the office of Muge, editor-in-chief. After finding out from social media that Muge was at the Venice Film Festival, Asli feigns meeting her at the festival, getting a hands-on assignment in return. Asli does not take time to make her presence felt in the organization. In the meantime, Lale speaks to sacked factory worker Nuri. Drunk and in a volatile state, Nuri hollers a gun on live television while Kenan keeps the camera rolling. However, Lale brings the tense situation under control with a pacifying tone.
When Lale becomes trending on social media, Asli spews hatred on her several social media handles, calling the incident a publicity stunt. In the following episode, the interns formally meet the big guns at the company. Kenan, the producer, is a close friend of Lale Kiran, the star of the network. They were a thing together until Lale got married to Selim and gave birth to two beautiful daughters. Flashbacks reveal that editor-in-chief Muge and Lale were close friends until Lale became a celebrity.
Now, Muge does not show her genuine emotions, although she feels like a lower-level employee at the company. The contracts of Lale and Kenan are about to be expired at the channel. To pressure CEO Gul to decide, Kenan invites rival media channel owner Faruk Sirmaoglu to Lale’s party. The tactic agitates Gul more, who reminds Lale that she can join Faruk only after three years due to her bold decision to keep the camera rolling despite the presence of a gun in the studio. The case violates the contract.
Guliz, the daughter of a stakeholder at the company, is confident of getting the job. But Asli sets her up with the cameraman, and she is relieved following the leaking of her photo with the cameraperson on the internet. After clearing the field, Asli finds her permanent place in the organization. Meanwhile, a social media account named Busbus is spreading rumors about the organization. Kenan has a short liaison with Eda, an employee at the office. Asli spreads the news that the boat of Sinan Boyatli, a famous actor, has caught on fire in Amalfi.
The news spreads like wildfire, but Lale denies stating the information on camera before confirming it. Asli comes to the rescue, connecting Lale to the actor himself, who assures the viewers that he is okay. The following episode sees Asli orchestrating a plot to get rid of Ozge, Lale’s assistant. Despite her upcoming wedding arrangements, Ozge agrees to pick up the prime-time news from an informer. Ozge hurriedly keeps the pen drive on Muge’s table and leaves.
Asli picks up the drive right on cue. She would drop the storage device on Lale’s Americano, getting shivers when Muge asked the team to check the camera feed. Asli orders her nascent lover Yusuf to delete the footage, and Yusuf pulls some strings. After getting fired, Ozge has a road accident, landing on a hospital bed. She desperately wants to meet Lale, but Asli does not make that happen. Asli stays Lale’s assistant for the time, while her jealousy reaches a zenith. Devising a break-up between Lale and Selim, Asli spreads stories about her and Kenan. Lale figures that Asli is onto something.
As the Crow Flies Season 1 Ending: Does Asli Become the New News Anchor?
For the bulk of the first season, Asli has thought of herself as wanting to be somebody important. When Lale confronts Asli in the dressing room, Asli shows her true colors. Even Yusuf cannot wholly agree with Asli’s wicked ways, and Asli progresses to have a nocturnal liaison with Kenan. Bouncing back from the subtle rejection from Lale, Kenan is only too willing to have a physical encounter with Asli. However, when Asli implies that they are a thing the following morning, Kenan shoves her aside and even terminates her from the job.
The jealousy erupts into a literal fistfight after Asli visits Lale at her home. While concealing the incident from her husband, Lale sends Asli off to the Ankara news office as a reporter. However, in a curious turn of events, Asli is summoned to the MON5 office by Gul, who has a proposition for Asli. Asli says that she wants to be in Lale’s place this time around, and Gul agrees. After getting reinstated in the company, the first thing Asli does is make a deal with Muge.
Muge, who feels neglected in the corporation, is also willing to join hands with Asli. The editor-in-chief summons her team late at night in the office for a secret assignment to spread fake news. The news about a mishap in the justice department may be detrimental to the government, especially after the surfacing of an incriminating document. However, while broadcasting the piece, Lale realizes that the news is fake and apologizes to the viewers. She also notes that some things are about to change in the office.
What is Asli’s Skill? Does Asli Choke?
The finale of the series introduces Asli as the new news anchor. She takes the stage in place of Lale. It may seem that Asli has no talent, but she has extreme social engineering skills. She can enter the pores of the fabric and turn the structure on its head – which speaks a lot about the innate human urge for survival in a social Darwinist world. She is a master manipulator and hacker, and when unhinged, she can reach the top by playing tricks. On the other hand, Lale, who weights her conscience, plus the burden of being somebody in the world, must keep a system around her.
As Asli faces the camera, she feels that she is being hunted in a jungle. Asli has reached the top in an unfair world without much actual work, and the foundations are unstable. She also must feel an ounce of guilt for beating the heck out of Lale in the latter’s own home. Furthermore, she must also feel enraged since Lale’s testimony on TV against her ten-year-old colleagues has gained her quite a few fans. Therefore, while Lale has the innate confidence from her decorated resume, Asli has nothing but her fight or flight instinct. Therefore, when the camera rolls, Asli chokes and becomes stiff. While the cliffhanger keeps us rooting for a second season, we hope that Asli gathers herself. It will be interesting to see the trajectory of Asli’s career while we are to see whether Lale gets back in her office.
Does Lale Leave The Company?
In the end, it remains unclear whether Lale will leave the company. However, as a monologue previously preaches, the greats know when they are to fall. Lale can possibly predict her own downfall, especially in the absence of Kenan in the office. As we already know, their contracts are about to reach an end, and the power of renewal is in the hands of Gul. As lions do not brawl amongst themselves, Gul may get along with Lale by keeping her in the company. However, she may be given a lower rank following the breakout, while Asli will have the final say in the office in her all-important role. In a third scenario, Lale may walk ahead and open her own company, despite what the haters say.
Read More: Is As the Crow Flies Based on A True Story?
