Scorpion.
Kills its prey with a venomous sting which keeps it safe. Meet one and it's over for you.
An exaggeration, yes - because you can survive many scorpion species - but it's how you'd feel if you were Berna in kykNET & Kie's new Afrikaans-dubbed Turkish telenovela Skerpioen.
It premieres on Wednesday 29 November at 20h00 once
Verbode Liefde wraps and it's a tale of mother/daughter betrayal, with whispers of the truth.
First impressions suggest that Ferda's the scorpion referred to in the title - see if you agree.
Grab a moment and come in close for this companion pack:
THE STORY
Perihan Emgen lives with her daughter and son-in-law, Berna and Fikret, and their children.
Perihan is an ambitious woman, but there is a secret that she's been hiding for many years - she is also Ferda's mother who she abandoned when Ferda was only a year old.
Ferda runs a hairdressing salon with her daughter, Merve, and is deeply loved by all the women in their neighbourhood.
Ferda blaims Perihan for all her problems and in a quest to get revenge on her mother, Ferda has an affair with Fikret.
Perihan tries to put an end to the affair, but Ferda is determined to fight for the life she thinks she deserves.
A tragic event changes everyone’s lives and Perihan’s secret is made public.
This causes even more of a feud between Perihan and Ferda, which drags Ferda's young neighbours Ipek and Aras into the war between mother and daughter.
THE CHARACTERS
With Afrikaans voice artists where available
Perihan Emgen
Played by Demet Akbag
Voiced by Alida Theron
Perihan survived an earthquake when she was six, but her mother and two siblings died. She took refuge with her father in a distant relative's house and at the age of 16, she married Ferda's father, Idris.
However, Perihan abandoned her one-year-old daughter Ferda in order to find the life she thought she deserved.
She later married Nurullah Emgen and had another daughter, Berna. When Nurullah passed away at an early age, Perihan became an influential business woman as the owner of Gevher Ilaç.
Ferda Kendirci
Played by Evrim Alasya
Voiced by Bernice de Wet
Ferda is the daughter Perihan abandoned. Her father, Idris, raised her with hatred towards her mother.
After her father's death, Ferda married the owner of a coffeehouse and, like her mother, had a daughter at an early age.
After years of suffering from abuse and violence, she divorced and opened her own hair salon, starting a new life with her daughter, Merve.
Merve Kendirci
Played by Müge Su Sahin
Merve is Ferda's daughter. She started working at her mother's hair salon after finishing high school. She has a cool attitude and more than enough self-confidence.
Fikret Gürsoy
Played by Bekir Aksoy
Voiced by film and TV producer André Scholtz
Fikret is Perihan's son-in-law and the father of her three grandchildren. He is a financial manager and met Berna while working for Perihan.
Perihan is aware of his promiscuous behaviour and affairs, but his wife remains oblivious.
Berna Gürsoy
Played by Basak Dasman
Voiced by Mari Molefe van Heerden, who voiced Zeynep on Verbode Liefde
Perihan's second daughter and Fikret's poor wife.
Duru Gürsoy
Played by Asli Melisa Uzun
Voiced by Stephanie Baartman
Duru is Perihan's eldest granddaughter (Berna and Fikret's daughter). She studied in America, but returns home after the tragic event.
Sahin Gürsoy
Played by Taha Baran Özbek
Voiced by Stephren Saayman
Perihan's grandson. He is angry and aggressive and has a strained relationship with his father Fikret. He is sarcastic and arrogant and is often seen as the family's troublemaker.
Ece Gürsoy
Played by Ahsen Türkyilmaz
Perihan's youngest granddaughter. Due to her sister studying in America, she shares a closer bond with her brother Sahin.
Hacer Aldemir
Played by Demet Gül
The housekeeper of the family. She moved to Germany with her family during her childhood and later married someone 15 years older than her.
Her husband divorced her without her knowledge and gained custody of their son, Furkan.
Hacer has a timid and conservative nature, and her greatest goal is to see Furkan again.
Aras Saglam
Played by Yusuf Çim
Voiced by De Waal Stemmet, who voiced Faruk on Verbode Liefde
Aras lives with his sister Ipek. He is Ferda's neighbour and confidant. His biggest wish is to restore his sister's health, who is suffering from a heart condition.
Ipek Saglam
Played by Esila Umut
Aras's younger sister. She was raised by Ferda after losing her parents, has a heart condition and will need a transplant if a suitable donor becomes available.
Aysem Güngör
Played by Beril Pozam
Voiced by Claudia Jones, who voiced Akça in Jy is My Seun
Ferda's lawyer. It's only a matter of time before she makes her mark.
There are 91 episodes in the series. The original Turkish title is Akrep - scorpion in Turkish .