Shahmaran is about an endless cycle and a prophecy that is supposed to do away with it — theoretically, it could go on forever. But should it? The Turkish Netflix series is a good drama, but Season 3 might be a bridge too far after Season 2 already felt like it was running out of road.
Moving from eight episodes down to six was telling, even though the pace hadn’t really improved, so while the ending of Season 2 does imply there’s more to come, the question is whether the artistic impetus is there.
And this is to say nothing of the more boring cost-benefit considerations that determine whether or not Netflix deigns to renew a show, particularly an international one with a necessarily niche audience. Time will tell in that regard.
Shahmaran Season 3 Could Feel Like A Thematic Betrayal
As mentioned, Shahmaran is about a cycle. It’s based on the folkloric tale of the titular half-woman-half-snake, who sacrifices herself for the good of humanity in the hopes they’ll learn important lessons. This being humanity, they tend not to. But the thrust of the two seasons has been our protagonist, college lecturer Sahsu, fulfilling a prophecy by falling in love with a Basilisk named Maran and ultimately breaking that cycle by becoming Shahmaran herself.
In her original incarnation, Shahmaran was betrayed by her human lover Cemsap, infuriating her vengeful sister, Lilith. By the end of Season 2, Sahsu and Maran have become the functional replacements of Shahmaran and Cemsap, though this time without that risk of betrayal. Their love is genuine. With Lilith re-imprisoned the cycle is, essentially, broken.
This is a neat thematic ending, despite the late implication that humanity’s hubris might well have undermined the sacrifices of Sahsu and Maran. It would feel sensible to leave things here, perhaps with a note of ambiguity for the audience’s pondering, rather than drag out yet another cyclical story.
Nobody Wants To Be Told The Same Story Again and Again
The question on my mind is whether another story in this universe would be meaningfully different enough to justify. And no matter what angle I approach the question from, I always seem to arrive at the same answer.
The trouble with endless cycles is that they’re boring. The appeal is in breaking the cycle in a meaningful way, and there’s a very strong case to be made that Shahmaran has already done that with Season 2. Season 3 would have a hard time justifying another go-around to tell what would functionally be the same tale, and it would have an equally difficult task surmounting some of the narrative roadblocks that have emerged in Season 2’s climax.
While Shahmaran is a perfectly serviceable drama, it also feels like one that would be better off ending before it outstays its welcome. This might be the time to do it.
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