As the Crow Flies season one ended on a rather sad note, with the famous journalist Lale Kiran quitting her job at the MON5 network as a result of the chaos unleashed upon her by a newcomer, Asli Tuna. Both the manager, Gul, and her longtime friend, Muge, deceived Lale. She was left with no choice but to leave the network with respect. The entire situation broke Lale’s confidence, and she decided to focus on her family instead. Meanwhile, Asli Tuna took over “The Other Side,” which was once started by Lale, Kenan, and Muge. In As the Crow Flies season 2, we find Asli struggling with her job. She had focused too much of her time on the dirty game and did not pay attention to the fact that she needed to have the talent to anchor a show. She had become more arrogant with her newfound fame, but she was also aware that she had a lot of haters. She was always compared to Lale and criticized for being incompetent. Asli suffered from insecurity because, deep down, she knew that one day or another, she would be replaced.
Spoiler Alert
How did Asli try to get back in the game?
The fear of being replaced kept Asli on her toes. She was initially trying to become Lale Kiran, but after witnessing the dip in ranking, she realized she had to bring her own flavor to the show. Asli decided to be more candid on camera and wear clothes that she liked. Instead of chasing the truth, she focused on the drama. She became the judge and jury on the show and gave her opinions without researching the story. Her new approach caught the attention of the audience, and she was once again back in the game. Asli never cared about journalistic ethics, and as long as people watched the show, she was ready to do and say whatever was required to hold their attention. Lale was shocked to see the state of journalism. After quitting her job, Lale was no longer the woman Selim knew. He was worried for her, and he contacted Kenan to help her get back into the business. Kenan was producing a show, and he was glad to bring Lale on board. Their goal was to stay true to journalism and bring forth only the truth. Even though they initially did not plan on competing with mainstream media, Lale was drawn to the competition. After watching Asli’s success, Lale’s quest to rise to the top was not just personal; it was necessary for the survival of ethical journalism in Turkey. Lale had her own pace of getting things done; she believed in conducting thorough research before presenting it to the public. Kenan and Lale’s opinions differed on the matter. He wanted them to deliver the news before anyone else did, but Lale preferred being thorough with the subject.
Why did Lale back out of the award show?
Lale Kiran held no grudge against Asli, even after the past that they shared. She always tended to think everything logically, and she did not believe she had any reason to hate Asli. Lale was disappointed with the state of journalism, where drama was celebrated over facts, but she did not entirely blame Asli for it. But Asli never stopped obsessing over Lale. She continued to feel threatened by her, and she always made it a point to check out her show. Asli was over the moon when she was informed about the award she had won, and she particularly looked forward to Lale handing her the award. Lale agreed to present the award to Asli because she wanted to be the bigger person. She tried to be logical about it, but deep down, she was completely torn. She tried to keep her ego aside, but she could not forget the harassment she had to live through.
On the day of the award ceremony, Lale reached the venue, but she chose to leave. Maybe after seeing Asli, it all felt a little too real, or she had always planned on leaving Asli hanging on live television. Walking away, Lale felt relieved; in her quest to become a rational being, she had lost contact with her feelings. She was a human being, after all, and it was only normal that she experienced all the negative emotions like everyone else did. Lale realized that the young reporter, Yusuf, was quite right; she did not have to stand tall all the time. In season 2 of As the Crow Flies, we also witness Lale going through an eating disorder. She did her best to hide it from the world, but Kenan noticed that she had lost weight. It was her career, her personal life, and the public embarrassment she faced because of Asli that impacted her health. Maybe it was the only aspect of her life that she could control, and she chose to deprive herself.
What led to Asli’s downfall?
Asli was at the top of the rating chart when she decided to invite an influencer to her show to justify the remarks she made on an online broadcasting channel run by Erme. The influencer had stated that women were delicate beings who were not meant to work, and men must always be chivalrous. Asli was aware that the public was making fun of the influencer, and she intended to become the voice of the public. Lale approached the entire debate quite strategically; instead of expressing her opinion on it, she asked Yusuf what he thought about it. She agreed with his logic for not comparing men and women in the first place. But instead of jumping guns and creating a news story out of it, Lale chose to spend some time studying the influencer and the entire fiasco around the comments she made.
The influencer, Ilayda Canli, was brought on “The Other Side” show, and Asli charged at her without allowing her to explain herself. She was accused of belittling feminist movements, and she was shamed on national television. Later, social media started to buzz with news of Ilyada’s attempted suicide. The ones who cheered Asli for calling out Ilyada were now accusing her of destroying the mental health of the youngster. Asli did not know how to react, and she ultimately came up with the idea to blame Erme since he was the one who brought Ilyada to the show. When Erme refused to come on her show, she paid an intern to follow him to the posh restaurant he was having dinner at. She conducted an exposé to divert the hatred she was receiving.
Meanwhile, Lale chose to maintain silence over the whole issue and only came forward when she had the whole truth—Ilyada did not attempt suicide. She was hospitalized after suffering from food poisoning. She contacted Ilyada to clarify the matter further. The influencer was glad that Lale chose not to join the media circus and instead brought the actual truth forward. This was the first major blow for Asli, and things only kept getting worse with time. All of a sudden, pictures of her previous apartment went viral, and Asli had to discuss her past publicly to explain herself. Asli’s backstory explains the reason why she was so desperate to make it big. She did not come from privilege, and that was the reason behind her insecurity. She believed only by playing dirty tricks could she make a place for herself in the industry. She always doubted that everyone around her was conspiring against her because she had convinced herself that she did not belong there. Instead of making friends in the industry who could have helped her, she only made more enemies out of jealousy and self-doubt. Asli wanted to control everyone around her, but she soon realized that she had failed to do so.
Eventually, in As the Crow Flies season 2, we find out that Asli’s assistant, Nazli, was conspiring against her. She posted negative comments about Asli and started spreading false rumors about her. Asli finally got a taste of her own medicine. When she questioned Nazli’s talent, the PA poured hot coffee on herself. She screamed in pain and accused Asli of assaulting her. People campaigned against her, and Asli got caught up in a legal battle.
Why did Lale help Asli?
Even though Lale and Asli were meant to be staunch enemies, the two vastly different personalities often sought advice from one another. Whenever Asli found herself at a crossroads, she wanted to call Lale to find out what she would have done in the given situation. One night, when Lale was quite drunk, she decided to visit Asli. She knew that Asli got caught up in a dirty game, and instead of taking pleasure in her misfortune, she genuinely wanted to help her. Surprisingly, the only person Lale could speak about Kenan with was Asli.
Lale believed in Asli, and she was confident that Asli was innocent and that the evidence against her was manipulated. Lale always believed in standing for the truth, and Asli’s case was no different. Even though the past they shared was bitter, Lale chose to help Asli. She proved that she was mature enough to get past their differences and build a meaningful relationship. The industry was competitive, and Lale set an example by supporting another journalist during her tough time. She and Asli might never be the best of friends, but there was a strange connection between the two that always brought them close, and as a fellow human being, Lale sympathized with Asli. She handed Asli the phone number of her attorney and asked her to call him to take over the case. The attorney ultimately handled Asli’s case, and eventually, the charges against her were dropped, and the case was dismissed. Perhaps Asli could have never imagined that the person who would help her at her lowest would be Lale. Asli had a lot to learn from her former mentor.
How did Lale and Kenan end up together?
When Lale saw Kenan with another woman, she experienced a sense of jealousy that she was embarrassed of. She knew it was not justified, yet she struggled to watch him with someone else. She wanted to be loyal to her husband, but her dreams often involved Kenan. Their love never died, and they had only learned to pretend over time. Lale tried her best to find comfort in her marriage, but eventually, it became almost impossible. Selim figured out that his wife was not in love with him but with Kenan. The distance between them kept getting worse, and the spark in the relationship was lost. Watching his wife talk about the time she had spent with Kenan at the beach when they were young was not easy for Selim, and after giving it much thought, he decided it was best that they part ways. They were great parents to their children, but they were not the perfect partners. Selim craved love and attention, and he was aware that no matter what he did, Lale would always have Kenan in her heart.
After separating from Selim, Lale moved to her own apartment. She wanted to share the news with Kenan, but once she learned that he was leaving the network, she felt betrayed. They had started the journey together, and she was saddened to think that they would have to part ways once again. It was on his last day at the network that Selim found out about Lale and Selim’s separation, and he was hopeful that they could once again try their luck at love. At the end of As the Crow Flies, Lale and Selim spend the night together just like old times, and Lale finally feels a sense of contentment. For the first time, we watch Lale relish the food presented to her, suggesting that she is finally happy and that her heart and mind are in sync. The future looked promising once again with her partner in crime by her side. Kenan and Lale took a much-needed break from their jobs, and they traveled to Kiyikoy, the place where Kenan first noticed Lale and fell in love with her almost immediately.
Who became the face of “The Other Side”?
Asli encouraged the daughter of the network’s owner to take over Gul’s position. She had assumed that once Guliz became the executive director, she would never lose her job, but she could not have been more wrong. Guliz was equally cunning, and when the ratings of “The Other Side” dropped, she knew she had to make a strategic decision. She went after Kenan to join the network, and when he finally agreed to meet her, he brought Lale along. Guliz was desperate to save the network, and she was ready to get rid of Asli if that was needed. Guliz did not mince words while speaking to Asli, and she made it clear that the show must come to an end since the audience no longer cared about her. Guliz was advised to bring Lale back at any cost, and she had no choice but to do so.
In As the Crow Flies episode 8, we watch Asli suffer a mental breakdown once she figures out that she is being replaced by the network. She was drunk when she entered the newsroom. She no longer cared about her reputation and went on to speak her heart on live television. Most laughed at Asli, but Lale felt bad for her. She knew how grueling the industry was and how Asli was simply another victim of it. Season 2 ends with Asli leaving the MON5 office. While leaving, she was reminded of the day Lale had to quit; she had people cheering for her, whereas in her case, no one showed up. This might make some think that Asli will try to become a better journalist like Lale to get the respect she desires, but that does not happen. Gul offered Asli a job anchoring a show called “Concerning Life.” The show allows Asli to carry on with her theatrics, but thankfully, it does not seem to have much to do with the news. Maybe this was Asli’s calling, and she might make a name for herself by being the anchor of an overdramatized reality show.
Meanwhile, Lale and Kenan met Guliz, and to everyone’s surprise, Lale refused to anchor the show. She wanted to part ways with mainstream media, but she had someone on her mind who was responsible enough to carry the show on their shoulders. Yusuf takes over “The Other Side” after Asli, and Lale could not have been more proud of him. By allowing Yusuf to take over, Lale displayed extreme courage and selflessness. She had trained Yusuf, and she trusted him to carry out his duty to the best of his abilities. Yusuf was in love with Asli, and he hoped that she would be happy about his achievement. But being the self-centered girl Asli was, she could tolerate his success. Even though Yusuf was living his dream, he never assumed it would be this lonely at the top.
During As the Crow Flies Season 2’s ending, we find out that a sex tape of Lale and Erme has been leaked, and the series ends abruptly, suggesting that the mystery behind it will be solved in the third season. Will Kenan support Lale through this tough time? How will her family react to the news? And most importantly, who is behind it all and why? Can it possibly be Muge? In the next season, we can hope that all our questions will be answered.
