Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Yasak Elma (known internationally as Forbidden Apple), which captivated Turkish audiences for over five years with its exploration of high society scandals and moral corruption.
Yasak Elma premiered on March 19, 2018, and concluded in 2023, spanning an impressive 177 episodes with an average duration of 120 minutes each on Fox TV. This Turkish television series was created by Medyapım, featuring actors Şevval Sam and Eda Ece, written by Melis Civelek and Zeynep Gür. The series is available on various streaming platforms and has gained international recognition for its portrayal of Turkey’s elite society and the moral compromises people make for wealth and power.
The show operates on the premise that “Three things in life can not be hidden: love, smoke and lack of money,” exploring the social society and the events behind the business world. Yasak Elma masterfully combines elements of drama, romance, and psychological thriller to create a narrative that exposes the dark underbelly of Istanbul’s high society while examining how desperation can lead to moral corruption.
A Dangerous Game of Seduction and Betrayal
Yasak Elma centers on Ender, a woman from high society and wife of successful businessman Halit Argun, who hires Yıldız Yılmaz as her husband’s personal waitress. Ender later offers money in return for Yıldız to seduce Halit so Ender can get finances after their divorce. This twisted arrangement sets the stage for a complex web of manipulation, betrayal, and unexpected consequences that drive the series’ central conflict.
The story initially focuses on Yıldız and Zeynep, two sisters who are very close but have very different characters and life goals. Zeynep is a girl who strictly adheres to her ethical values, aims to have a successful career and strives for it; while Yıldız believes that she deserves more and considers happiness to be a marriage with a rich man, who would save her from her low-income life.This fundamental difference in their moral compasses creates the foundation for exploring themes of ambition, ethics, and the price of material desires.
Yıldız’s Transformation from Innocent to Manipulator
Eda Ece delivers a powerhouse performance as Yıldız, portraying a character whose evolution from a working-class woman to a skilled manipulator of Istanbul’s elite showcases remarkable range and complexity. Eda Ece gained a large fan base thanks to her TV series project and created a very good career leap for herself, providing herself with a very strong career with the character of Yıldız, which she played for 6 seasons.
Her portrayal captures both the desperation that drives Yıldız’s initial choices and the gradual hardening that comes from operating in a world where money and power trump moral considerations. Ece’s ability to make Yıldız simultaneously sympathetic and morally questionable demonstrates her exceptional acting abilities.
Ender’s Machiavellian Schemes and Hidden Vulnerabilities
Şevval Sam brings sophisticated complexity to Ender, the wealthy woman whose machinations set the entire series in motion. Şevval Sam won the “Best Actress” award at the Murex D’or 2023 International Awards, one of the most magnificent award ceremonies in the Arab world, held in Lebanon.. Her performance explores the psychology of a woman who uses others as pawns in her games while harboring her own vulnerabilities and insecurities.
The focus shifts to the dynamic between Yıldız and Ender, who have gone from enemies, to best friends, to enemies, friends and now enemies again. Sam’s portrayal captures the complex relationship between these two women whose alliance and rivalry drive much of the series’ dramatic tension.
When Moral Boundaries Completely Collapse
The series reaches its most intense moments when the characters’ schemes begin to spiral beyond their control, forcing them to confront the true cost of their moral compromises. These episodes showcase the show’s strength in exploring how small ethical lapses can snowball into major life-altering consequences, creating a domino effect that affects everyone in their orbit.
The psychological complexity of these turning points demonstrates how Yasak Elma elevates itself beyond typical melodrama to offer genuine insight into human nature and the corrupting influence of wealth and power.
Long-Running Success on Turkish Television
Although the Yasak Elma series has been going on for many years, it is still among the decently watched series. The series attracts great interest both in Turkey and in different countries of the world.The show’s ability to maintain audience engagement across 177 episodes speaks to its compelling characters and evolving storylines that kept viewers invested in the fates of these morally complex characters.
Yasak Elma stands out as one of the most successful long-running Turkish dramas, demonstrating that audiences appreciate sophisticated storytelling that doesn’t shy away from exploring the darker aspects of human nature and social dynamics.
A Turkish Drama That Exposed Society’s Dark Side
If you love psychological dramas with morally complex characters and high-stakes manipulation, Yasak Elma is the perfect series to binge on streaming platforms. The show offers a compelling exploration of how desperation and ambition can corrupt even the most well-intentioned people, creating a narrative that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Why This Turkish Social Commentary Deserves Your Attention
Yasak Elma stands as a testament to Turkish television’s ability to create sophisticated, long-running dramas that maintain quality and relevance across multiple seasons. The series doesn’t just entertain; it provides a mirror to society’s obsession with wealth and status, questioning whether anyone can remain untouched by corruption when surrounded by temptation. This is television that challenges viewers to examine their own moral boundaries while delivering compelling drama that kept audiences engaged for over five years.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 177 episodes (completed)
Platform: Fox TV (originally), NOW TV, various streaming platforms
Release/End Year: 2018-2023
Current IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
Genre: Drama, Romance, Psychological Thriller
Production Type: Turkish Drama (Dizi)
Status: Completed series
Protagonists: Eda Ece (Yıldız), Şevval Sam (Ender)
Antagonist: Various characters depending on season arcs