Gassal (Series)

Gassal is an internet series broadcast on the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s digital content platform, tabii. The first season premiered on 21 December 2024 and the second season on 24 May 2025. The series blends dramatic storytelling with elements of black comedy to explore an individual’s confrontation with the theme of death.

Gassal series poster – Beyazperde

Plot

The series centers on Baki, a man in his thirties who works as a gassal—a traditional Muslim ritual washer of the dead. Living in isolation and withdrawn from society, Baki is one day threatened with a knife in a cemetery. It is later revealed that the knife is a toy; however, this incident forces Baki to confront his own mortality. This encounter leaves him alone with the question: “Who will wash me when I die?”

The narrative, built around this central question, leads Baki to reckon with his past and reevaluate his relationships with those around him. The series examines universal concepts such as the meaning of life, loneliness, and death through the interplay of personal experience and social reflection. Throughout the storytelling, the language of black comedy is preserved, while the character’s internal transformation remains at the core.

Season 1

The first season of the series was released on 21 December 2024 and consists of ten episodes. The entire first season was made available to viewers through TRT’s digital platform, tabii.

Cast

The main cast of the first season includes the following actors:

Ahmet Kural – Baki

Erdal Cindoruk – Aziz

Sibel Aytan – Elif

Muharrem Türkseven – Ahmet

Ezgi Özyürekoğlu – Neslihan

Serkan Ercan – Nazım

Demir Karahan – Hüseyin

Mehmet Güzel – Merdan

Viewer Reception and Impact

The series achieved high viewership rates, particularly following its initial digital release. The first episode garnered approximately 21 million views on TRT’s tabii YouTube channel. The music used in the series also attracted significant attention. In particular, the song “İçim Yanar” was quickly embraced by a broad audience and widely shared on social media platforms.

Gassal (Season 1) Episode List

Episode 1 – “I Am a Gassal” (34 min)

Episode 2 – “Who Will Die, Who Will Stay, Nazım?” (32 min)

Episode 3 – “The Helvals and Their Secrets” (33 min)

Episode 4 – “The Dead Have No Need for a View” (34 min)

Episode 5 – “I Wondered… Why Don’t You Marry Me?” (33 min)

Episode 6 – “Service, Wallet, Love and Death” (30 min)

Episode 7 – “A Man No One Wanted” (35 min)

Episode 8 – “Everyone Left, I Stayed” (34 min)

Episode 9 – “If I Had Never Known, I Would Have Been Free…” (30 min)

Episode 10 – “You, Me and the Children” (30 min)

Season 2

Release and Gala Events

The second season of the series began airing on the tabii platform on 24 May 2025. Following a gala event held in Istanbul, a second gala took place in Ankara on the same date. TRT General Director Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, in his speeches at both events, emphasized that the series was produced in accordance with traditional public broadcasting principles and stands against conventional perceptions of digital content.

Attendees of the galas included TRT executives, the series cast, writers, directors, industry representatives, and art enthusiasts. Three episodes from the second season were screened at each gala. Additionally, Bayhan and his orchestra performed live at the Istanbul gala.

Plot and Thematic Structure

The second season continues the story of Baki, the character introduced in the first season. A gassal whose profession brings him into constant contact with death, Baki has made the decision to change his life. In this new season, unexpected transformations occur in Baki’s life following the arrival of Nihan, a mysterious female gassal who comes to town.

Cast and Characters

Ahmet Kural reprises his role as Baki, while Hande Soral joins the cast as Nihan in the second season. Alongside returning actors from the first season—Demir Karahan, Mehmet Güzel, Ferhan Vural, Eren Balkan, and Mertcan Ertürk—the second season introduces new characters portrayed by Ercan Kesal, Nazan Kesal, Zerrin Sümer, Serhat Kılıç, Kenan Çoban, Ceren Soylu, and singer Bayhan.

Gassal (Season 2) Episode List

Episode 11 – “A Father Who Did Not Wait Nine Months” (32 min)

Episode 12 – “The Magnificent Aroma of Rose Water and Zemzem” (36 min)

Episode 13 – “Such a Grand Funeral” (35 min)

Episode 14 – “The Most Beautiful Sign” (31 min)

Episode 15 – “Mothers Who Die, Mothers Who Kill” (34 min)

Episode 16 – “Why Is My Name Baki?” (32 min)

Episode 17 – “Reasons Beyond Love” (31 min)

Episode 18 – “A Profession That Does Not Suit a Smiling Face” (35 min)

Episode 19 – “Those Who Die in Teneşir, Those Who Are Born in Teneşir” (33 min)

Episode 20 – “We Are Not Ugly… None of Us” (34 min)