Red Roses

“Kızıl Goncalar” tells the poignant story of Meryem, married off at 14 in an Islamic sect, and now battling bravely to prevent her daughter Zeynep from suffering the same fate as the bride of the sheikh’s grandson. Guided by her sister-in-law, a former sect member, they realize they must flee to save Zeynep from the sect’s powerful clutches. Fearfully hiding her plans from her cruel husband, Meryem must first earn money as a carer in the home of secular psychiatrist Levent, who agrees to help her. Despite their clashing religious and progressive beliefs, Meryem and Levent are drawn together emotionally, but the turmoil in their lives deepens as the identity of his daughter is revealed.

Red Roses (2023-2025) is a Turkish national-television drama series created by Necati Şahin and broadcast on FOX and NOW. Özgü Namal plays Meryem Tezel, a woman married off at fourteen inside an Islamic sect who fights to keep her daughter Zeynep from the same fate. Özcan Deniz plays Levent Alkanlı, a secular psychiatrist who hires Meryem as a carer, and Erkan Avcı plays Sadi Hüdayi Güneş, the sect figure whose household looms over every scene. The engine of the story is Meryem's secret plan to flee, hidden from her cruel husband while she earns money inside the home of a man whose beliefs clash with hers. Each episode builds quiet tension through domestic routines, whispered conversations and a slowly growing emotional bond that crosses religious and progressive lines. Spanning two seasons and forty-six episodes of long runtime, the series is one continuing serialized story with melodramatic momentum rather than a case-of-the-week format. Set in contemporary Turkey, it moves through the claustrophobic hush of a closed religious community and the more open, uneasy rooms of a modern urban household. Its tone is emotional and earnest, with a melancholic undercurrent of dread and a hopeful pull toward freedom. Fans of Kara Sevda and The Handmaid's Tale will find resonance in its portrait of a woman reclaiming her life from patriarchal control.

• Big Little Liesshared emotional drama about a woman escaping a controlling religious community, slow burn domestic tension, cross-belief romance
• Kara Sevdashared tone of emotional melodrama centered on a woman fighting for her child against an oppressive household
• The Handmaid's Taleshared theme of women escaping patriarchal control and a secular-religious clash, intimate family drama

Created by

Necati Şahin

Release Date

2023-12-18

Episode runtime

120 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (17)

What is Red Roses about?

A young mother secretly plots to save her daughter from a religious sect while working as a carer for a secular psychiatrist.

What is Red Roses like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Red Roses as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Red Roses violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Red Roses as mild.

Which shows are like Red Roses?

Shows with a similar feel include Big Little Lies, Kara Sevda, and The Handmaid's Tale.

How long is Red Roses?

Red Roses: 2 seasons, 46 episodes.

Is Red Roses still running?

No, Red Roses has ended.