Friday Feature Review: The Protector (Netflix)

Have you guys checked out The Protector on Netflix? At first this show drew me in with the imagery in the title – that looks very much like a sigil or protective seal in the O of the title. But this show is a Turkish drama and the imagery of the title wasn’t enough at first to get me to watch a show that is dubbed in english (although I’m sure you can turn the subtitles on, I just don’t know how to do that).

But, I decided to put my prejudices aside and give this show a try and I am sure glad I did!

There are some things that just aren’t great about this show. Some of the acting is overdramatic, some lines just don’t translate great into english, and then there is the bad dubbing at times.

Overall though, there was much more good than bad. I really enjoyed the storyline and was engaged in what would happen next. I didn’t start watching until Season 2 was released and I was glad that this gave me just under 20 episodes to watch and get a feeling for. Season 2 may not be as great as Season 1 but it was still compelling.

I also really liked the editing that was done in this show – which is a Netflix original. There are times when two scenes containing separate characters but contrasting events are paired together in a way that gives both more meaning. I am not big on editing and don’t know much about it – but this is one of those instances where I stopped and really appreciated the art that occurred when these scenes lined up so perfectly.

Another unexpected outcome of watching this Turkish show was a new appreciation for Turkish culture. I found myself googling Istanbul and looking a pictures of the city while watching this show. The music included is also great and had me looking up the songs to add to my playlists. 

Overall, this was a fun show. There is a little bit of paranormal sci-fi quality to it, but it still remains grounded in “reality”. If you are looking for something to add to your Netflix list, I would recommend The Protector. 

I hear that it may get picked up for two more seasons and I know I will watch them when they come out. Unfortunately, I could not find the book this series was based on available in English. If anyone has any hints on if it is/will be available, I would love to know!

What are you watching these days on Netflix??? Any good recommendations?