Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Kubra: Season 2’ on Netflix, in Which the Commingling of Religion, Tech and Politics Intensifies

Turkish drama Kubra resumes on Netflix for a second season, resuming the tantalizing blend of religion, tech and politics established in the first. Its initial eight-episode arc concluded with a whopper of a twist, and I can’t discuss the season-two debut without getting neck-deep in the spoiler weeds, so consider that a warning. To briefly recap: Cagatay Ulusoy plays Gokhan, a working-class Istanbul resident who began receiving strange messages from someone dubbed “Kubra” via an app dubbed “SoulTouch” – strange messages that seemed to know things that only a deity could ascertain. And so Gokhan publicly declared himself a prophet receiving messages from Allah himself, which not only earned him a devout following, but stirred up all manner of trouble, from disbelievers to those who want to exploit him. Here’s the kicker, though: In the season finale, he learned that Kubra is actually an artificially intelligent entity created by a tech company. That didn’t stop Gokhan, though, as he chose to interpret this development as being the work of his god, and so he continued on his mission to spread the word and redistribute wealth to the poor.

KUBRA: SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Under cover of darkness, Gokhan climbs out of his hidden underground headquarters.

The Gist: The season two debut is cluttered with a confusing array of flashbacks and flash-forwards, so be patient. We get a quick revisit of the season finale’s final moments, when Gokhan, known by his followers as Semavi, declares he’s going to give money back to the people it belonged to. Kubra hacks into ATMs, which spit out money throughout Istanbul, causing chaos. Gokhan leads cops on a car chase through the streets, until his followers set up roadblocks and toss smoke bombs, allowing him to escape through the sewers to his hidden HQ, where his family lies in hiding. Cut to the Datakraft offices, where Kubra’s creators, Berk (Onur Unsal) and Adem (Meric Rakalar), watch TV news, overwhelmed by the pandemonium the hack caused. The banking system is in shambles.

Meanwhile, politicians and law enforcement declare Gokhan a terrorist at large, and round up the friends and family of his followers to interrogate them as to his whereabouts. But the commonfolk consider their Semavi to be a hero, their savior from out-of-control capitalism and corruption. In the bunker, tension brews among Gokhan’s mother Dilek (Nazan Kesal), sister Gulcan (Ahsen Eroglu), wife Merve (Aslihan Malbora) and father-in-law. Merve senses Gokhan is keeping secrets from her, but he kinda dodges that and reassures her that he’ll always be by her side and then ventures to the surface at night and refuses to tell her where he’s going. Please note, this is not how happy marriages function. She follows him, and sees him meet secretly with Berk, with whom Gokhan proposes an alliance. I’m not sure what exactly she hears, but her crestfallen expression as she returns to the bunker says that she got the gist of it. Gokhan returns to HQ and prays, then, the next morning, gathers a group of supporters, ventures to the surface, and addresses the populace via a video feed playing on giant screens in the heart of the city. What does he say? You’ll have to watch the next episode to find out.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Kubra still seems like a Middle Eastern variation of Netflix’s Messiah.

Our Take: Kubra has created a fascinating ideological conflict: Those representing the establishment, the corrupt system of powermongering capitalists, are threatened by a populist uprising. The tech guys mirror the idea of industry “disruptors” bent on generating havoc, and possibly taking power themselves. And the people of faith cling to the idea that they’re the righteous ones who know the truth, oblivious to the fact that their leader is a delusional fraud, albeit a delusional fraud with good intentions. But we’re also starting to wonder if Gokhan is being corrupted by the power he wields; our doubt about his motives creeps in when we see him mislead his own wife, and work in concert with a man who could be an outright lunatic. 

This, in a word, is a morass. A big, fat, ugly morass that reflects a number of universal societal ills, ranging from the distribution of wealth to tech companies’ dereliction of responsibility regarding their creations. Where this series goes is anybody’s guess, and it makes for fascinating drama primed to ramp up the intensity in the next seven episodes.

Sex and Skin: None in this episode.

Parting Shot: The great Semavi addresses his people.

Sleeper Star: Let’s highlight two standouts here – Unsal might be the true villain here, the unhinged personality bent on creating global mayhem; and Malbora is the sympathetic heart of the story, and we can’t help but feel the weight of her pain and disappointment.

Most Pilot-y Line: Berk: “What’s happening right now. Unbelievable. What’s happening is mindf—ing! We’re rewriting world history, for f—’s sake!”

Our Call: Kubra balances intensity and big ideas within a rich, novel concept. STREAM IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.