The Deal

Episode 2 of Old Money starts with Arda telling Osman that he is meeting up later with Nihal and wants to know his final decision on the boat. Arda had promised to take Nihal out to visit his favourite bakery since she had previously told him about being disappointed that her favourite bakery was closed while growing up.

Osman asks Arda to call Nihal and insists that the boat-making deal is over. He wants Arda to call her in his office. However, Nihal insists they meet, so Arda leaves to pick her up.

Nihal shares a drink with Berna and tries to get more information to understand why Osman keeps changing his mind as they wait for Arda to pick her up. Berna says she should not listen to Engin since he hates Osman. Also, talking to Arda will not help her situation since the final decision-maker is Osman.

Arda picks her up and is surprised that Nihal and Berna are friends. Nihal explains that they have been friends since high school. She adds that Berna is a natural leader, and the Buluts are lucky to have her.

After hanging out with Nihal, Arda drops by Osman’s office. He is excited about the time spent with Nihal, saying they were like kindred spirits. Nihal is wild, brilliant, and a fantastic artist who loves her job. Her eyes light up with excitement whenever she discusses her career.

Osman is hung up on the wild, but Arda does not explain. He says that Nihal is Osman’s type and that she will be going to their house later for dinner. Nihal insists on talking to the family and hearing Osman’s opinion about the boat deal. Arda thinks that Nihal is diplomatic.

Engin arrives at Nihal’s house as she leaves for dinner with the Buluts. Engin says he is here for her and tries to stop Nihal from going for dinner. He thinks the Buluts are sending a driver to pick her up because they want to control her.

Nihal asks about the deal between Engin and Osman, but he replies that he’s keeping his distance. However, if he wants to, he can destroy them. Regardless of his insistence, Nihal still goes to the dinner.

Osman wants to leave as Nihal arrives. She asks if he is running away, which makes him change his mind. Dinner is a delight, and they get along very well. Mahir asks if Nihal is staying around, and she says that she has a job waiting in France and took a leave to handle family business.

After dinner, Osman joins her for some more drinks and a cigar smoke. The attraction between them grows as they restrain themselves from kissing each other. Osman even offers her a drink in his precious whisky glasses.

Before she leaves, he whispers that they are both headed towards defeat, even though none of them has ever lost. Osman walks her out and helps tie her shoes. Nihal is smitten and cannot help but smile and think about Osman. Engin watches her through the binoculars.

Arda walks into the boardroom the next day after Berna finishes her meeting. He asks her for a meal, but she says she is not hungry and is on intermittent fasting. Arda fails to say what he really wanted to, even when Berna tries to push him to. Berna is disappointed.

Elsewhere, Mahir watches Asli perform at the bar. They both head to her house afterwards and have sex. Asli tries to hint that he should stay, but Mahir puts his clothes on after the sex. She hesitates when she mentions wanting to watch a recently dropped movie on Netflix.

Mahir asks if she wants them to watch the film together, but she says she was thinking about it. Mahir asks Aski if she wants to take their relationship further, but she feels they should keep it casual since she is busy with her album.

The next day, the Buluts head out to Nihal’s office for a meeting about the boat design. Engin sent Nihal an administrative assistant, Gokhan. When the Buluts arrive, Gokhan starts making a move on Songul.

The meeting goes well, and Nihal excitedly shares the designs. They ask about funding, and Nihal assures them she can get it. However, at the end of the meeting, Osman suggests that they move the timeline up by four months.

Nihal knows that doing so will increase the cost, but seeing Osman is determined to constrain her, she agrees.

Once they leave, Nihal goes into a panic mode, struggling to breathe as her eyes and face turn red. Osman looks back and sees her dishevelled; his face drops as he stops to watch her. Nihal looks up and sees that Osman is looking her way. She puts on a brave face and looks at him with a smile.

Later that night, Mahir contemplates whether or not to text Asli and offer to watch the movie but decides not to. Asli is eager to receive his text as she constantly looks at her phone.

At the end of the episode, Osman goes to Nihal’s house. She sees him approach from her window and goes down the dock. Osman looks at the dock and remembers young Nihal waving at him. Nihal asks him to come but then changes her mind.

The Episode Review

The episode explores the love triangle with Osman, Nihal and Engin. Engin has had a crush on Nihal for a long time. In this episode, he seems to be an aggressive and condescending person. He thinks people who have struggled to make it are not like them, and Nihal should not associate with the Buluts.

His tone, especially when he tries to order Nihal not to go to dinner and says he can destroy Osman, makes one wonder what he will do to break up a relationship between Osman and Nihal. The fact that he secretly spies on Nihal is already a big red flag.

The second couple is the boss-subordinate relationship between Berna and Arda. They seem to like each other, but neither is bold enough to make a move. Mahir is in a sexual relationship with an upcoming singer. They seem to enjoy each other, but like Arda and Berna, they are holding back from making their relationship anything more than casual.

However, the most interesting one is between Gokhan and Songul. Engin sent Gokhan to help Nihal, and he quickly tries to approach Songul. Is there a hidden agenda in his advance, or is he simply into Songul? Given that Engin is the one paying his salary, the possibility that some schemes might be involved cannot be ignored.

Let’s see how these relationships unfold in the next episodes. Will all the couples have a happy ending? Tell us in the comments below who you are rooting for!