It seems impossible to understand what makes Kenan so special to the story. Looking at it objectively, he is not really a good man. He doesn’t love journalism as much as he loves money and power, and he has no qualms about throwing others under the bus for his own interests. But the one thing that has moderately influenced his actions in the direction of goodness is his love for Lale. It was his only redeeming quality and the one thing that stopped him from becoming a villain. While his arc in season 2 of As the Crow Flies was pretty straightforward, it is his actions in the first season that give us a true insight into his character.
Kenan had fallen in love with Lale the moment he saw her, and when he met her again, they started dating almost immediately. Lale had broken up with him much later, but the reason for that has still not been told to the audience. However, in the one interaction we saw from their past, Kenan looked very unaffected while Lale was crying her eyes out, saying that his actions were breaking her heart. Based solely on this, we would guess that Kenan had probably taken Lale for granted when they were together, and that is what caused the breakup. Lale had moved on in life, and perhaps it was after he lost her that he realized he couldn’t do without her. After all, he did not leave her side for so many years, and the reason was nothing else but love. That is why it took so little convincing on Asli’s part (in As the Crow Flies season 1) to push Kenan towards Lale.
There are reasons why we say that Kenan is not a good man. Not having Lale’s high journalistic standards is one thing, but we cannot forget the derogatory term he used for women during a stressful time in season 1. Lale even calls him disgusting because of that. Additionally, we may be overreaching here, but we believe that Kenan only ever got involved with younger women. They are who we saw him with when he wasn’t with Lale. During that very stressful time, Kenan had called Lale “Lale the Ancient” to push her to cover the news he wanted. He was easily age-shaming her when it suited him. Kenan is the classic example of a man who is bad to everyone but good only to the woman he loves. However, the reason he isn’t annoying us is because he has not been glorified in the least.
Kenan was by Lale’s side through thick and thin. When she decided that she did not want to work with him, he respected her wishes because he knew she was doing it for her family. It was his way of protecting her. In fact, he only contacted her when he got the green signal from Selim. Kenan had been hopeful of something happening between him and Lale in As the Crow Flies season 1, but when she definitely chose her family over him, he stepped back. Kenan never stopped loving her, and that is why he got back together with her at the beginning of season 2. The reason was more than professional, but this time, he kept his distance. He did not try to sway Lale’s feelings. But he was still protecting her, which is why he did not tell her about Muge or even the other things he was handling behind her back. But he was reaching his breaking point.
When Lale started realizing her feelings for Kenan, she wasn’t cool about it the way Kenan had been for so many years. That meant that she couldn’t be as friendly with him as she used to be and was often irritated with him. Kenan could handle the fact that Lale probably did not love him, but he couldn’t digest her annoyance and how she seemed to keep pushing him away from herself. He did not know the reason for it, and for once, he did not question it. He had been sad for a long time, and he simply wanted to stop and move on in his life.
Kenan was leaving the network, and the reason for it was obvious. By this time, even Lale was divorced, and the reason for it was clear to her. But she had too much pride to admit it or ask Kenan to stay back for her sake. Lale goes through a tumultuous period, and as much as she tries to stay away from Kenan, he keeps protecting her in his own way. There comes a time, probably after Muge’s betrayal, when Lale realizes that Kenan had been the only one by her side throughout it all.
There was no question that Lale loved Kenan, and she had admitted it to herself. But she still couldn’t admit it to Kenan. Finally, he comes to know that Lale has been divorced, and things just fall into perspective for him. He realizes the reason she has been so distant and sad, and for once, he can see his future with Lale once again. The thing with Kenan was that he was not trapped in so many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ the way Lale was. He was clear in seasons 1 and 2 that the day he got the slightest hint that Lale still liked him, nothing could stop him anymore. Kenan realized that there could be only one reason for Lale’s breakup, and this is exactly what Selim had been hinting at when they were talking about whiskey. Therefore, Kenan finally had the hint and the permission he needed. He asked Lale whether she wanted to be with him, and this time, even Lale had the freedom to say yes. She did not know whether Kenan would ever give her the security she needed, and whether life with him would come with many ups and downs, but Lale had not been happy without being by his side. Therefore, why not see what life has to offer with Kenan and enjoy it as much as she can? Kenan is also older and wiser. Maybe he wouldn’t behave as foolishly as he did when he and Lale were together many years ago, and he would build a stable life with her in the present. In many ways, As the Crow Flies is also a love story, and it has reached a good place right now.
