What a disaster!
I really don’t want to hate on a foreign production because Netflix has really branched out with some fantastic gems in recent years (The Rain, Dark, and Money Heist were all extremely memorable). Unfortunately The Protector, Netflix’s first original Turkish series, is beyond ridiculous… and not even in a good way.
Picture every “chosen one” series you’ve ever watched and you’ll get the gist of this one: a reluctant hero who discovers unique abilities, a shadowy evil organization, a team of experienced sidekicks, and a Batcave-esque base of operations. This is basically a poor man’s Buffy.
The star of the show, Çağatay Ulusoy, is saddled with predictable love interests and ludicrous dialogue. It doesn’t help that he discovers his powers through a magical “shirt”. Yes you heard me right, a shirt. It’s laughable in every conceivable way. How was this even approved?
There is one bright side though. The Protector was filmed in Turkey which gives it an authentic setting that’s definitely a change of pace from all the shows you’re used to bingewatching. However, that’s not nearly enough for me to recommend this mess of a series.
Oh and in case you thought The Protector might try something new, the pilot begins in-media-res. Yup, if you’re looking for creativity (or action for that matter), you’d best look elsewhere.
Conclusion
A sorry excuse of a superhero show with a clichéd narrative and dull performances. Avoid!