The cat and mouse chase drama is something that has been explored in the past, but most of them would revolve around a spy who is in the center stage and is followed by other intelligence agencies. That is usually the norm. Here the protagonists are a mother and daughter duo, and the fact that they are on the run constantly, keeping away from people, crowds, and strangers in the hope of staying aloof. The mother and her daughter Bambi stay in luxurious places, but they tend to isolate themselves from the usual crowd and refuse to socialize. Why? Is there a specific reason for that? That is what each episode of “Who Were We Running From?” explores.
Spoilers Ahead
The Mother And Her Daughter
The narrative kicks off with a hotel staff member informing the nameless mother that the local police is coming for her. This is an indication of the fact that there is a risk of the police arresting the mother and, in doing so, separating the mother-daughter duo. The mother wakes her young daughter Bambi up and informs her that it is now time for them to leave the hotel premises. The mother is thankful to the hotel staff, who inform her in advance about the law-and-order officials catching up to her. She is now able to make a safe exit without making any fuss about it. The show cuts to the voiceover of Bambi, who talks about how she is the one who always wears colorful clothes, and it is her mother who attires herself in all kinds of black clothes. The mother moves into a luxurious hotel, requests their best room, and offers to pay for the room in cash. They intend to stay in that place for months, as indicated by the mother. Their body language, demeanor, and conversation create an air of suspicion among the staff at the reception and the housekeeping team as well.
The mother and Bambi are right now not bothered by the chatter about them, and they intend to stick to themselves and not indulge in any talk with any other guest at the hotel. The mother and her daughter Bambi have always been with each other for years, and they are used to the company they share. Bambi is not bored with her mother, but she is so used to her mother taking charge that she never had any issue with her mother controlling every aspect of her life.
It is later implied that the mother was under investigation, and the staff was also answering all the questions being asked by the authorities about the mother and daughter and explaining how they were guests. The mother made sure to give them enough fodder to talk about themselves because she did not hide the disdain she had for the crowd and socializing in general. She refrained from talking to the guests and made Bambi not talk to anyone as well. Because Bambi was a young, beautiful teenager, she was surrounded by people who would constantly compliment her beauty. Bambi would take the compliment, but her mother would be suspicious of everything that comes out of people’s mouths. This also makes her stand out because the hotel staff now knows who she is and how her nature is. The duo also heads out to the town to purchase some books on the insistence of Bambi, and over there as well, Bambi is under the watchful eye of her mother. At the bookstore, the mother comes across a model of a certain type of Mercedes Benz, which she steals and breaks apart with a stone. This shows she has disdain for the car; it was driven by someone she hated, and the model of the car reminded her of that person. All of this makes the mother-daughter duo stand out from the crowd, even though they intend to stay away from it. The investigation and interrogation also led to answers, which created more suspicions about the mother-daughter duo.
Who Is This Mother? Why Did She Kill The Hotel Owner?
The mother and her daughter Bambi are creating quite an impression about themselves in the hotel. The staff suspects them to be different from the usual guests. They do not allow anybody inside their rooms, and they carry boxes instead of suitcases. The mother has no qualms about what anybody thinks of her or her daughter so long as they do not start interfering in their matters and the choices the duo is making. The mother stays away from all social gatherings at the hotels. She rudely asks people to stay away from her at the restaurant if they want to talk to Bambi. The mother, to keep Bambi by her side, dresses up her only kid in the sort of clothes which would usually be worn by a ten-year-old kid.
Bambi, on the other hand, constantly reassures herself in the voiceover that whatever her mother is doing is for Bambi’s sake, and she has no issue so far with her mother making all the decisions. The duo has lived across Asia, Europe, and America, and they have finally come to Turkey, their homeland, hoping that their stay would be pleasant and uneventful. Bambi is used to the antics thrown by her mother because, again, her mother is literally the only person she has ever stayed in contact with, so she constantly believes her mother must be doing something right. At no point does Bambi question her mother’s actions, and she is happy to do anything her mother convinces her to do so. They both had never had a steady home; all they have is a steady flow of money that lets them stay in 5-star hotels and occupy the luxurious suite. The mother wants her daughter to remain happy, and that’s her reason for getting them the most expensive rooms available so that Bambi’s life is surrounded by comforts. The mother believes there is a lot of pain that comes from indulging in any relationship with people, and she encourages Bambi to avoid people who she refers to as the evil crowd.
The mother starts noticing that the staff at the hotel have started questioning the way she is recklessly spending and the fact that she has paid in full cash. The staff informs the hotel owner of the same, and he is also very keen on knowing why the mother and daughter are living on their property and why they are so suspicious of everyone. This behavior of the mother creates a line of suspicions in the hotel owner. The mother also notices that the hotel owner is being unreasonable with his staff and fires them for petty reasons. This does not bode well, nor does the fact that he is constantly following the duo to find out what they are up to. The staff plans to make sure to enter their room when the mother and daughter are purposely kept away from it. This plan does not fare well for anybody, especially the owner, because the mother turns out to be someone who would be willing to kill people to protect herself and her child. The staff and the owner wonder if Bambi is a victim of Stockholm syndrome, where she has gotten used to her kidnapper’s way of life. The hotel staff feels Bambi might be a hostage; they cannot believe a girl as beautiful as Bambi could be the daughter of a woman who is perpetually scowling.
The mother, on the other hand, has a distinct memory of her boyfriend, who was the father of her child. The man was a garage owner and the son of an employee who worked for Bambi’s grandfather’s company. She and her boyfriend fell in love, which led to their love child, Bambi. But she also knew her parents would never accept the alliance. This memory stays fresh in the mother’s mind, and she uses it to fuel her hatred toward people who are trying to change their lives and destiny. This makes the mother kill the hotel owner in a rather brutal fashion. She felt he was threatening her and Bambi’s lives, which made her take this step. She did not think twice before conducting the activities and requested Bambi to leave the hotel premises at once with her, saying they would be moving to another place. Bambi obliges her mother’s request, and they flee from this place. This places precedence on the fact that the mother and Bambi will always remain on the run from one place to another, staying away from the eyes of the police force and hoping they won’t catch up with her.
Final Thoughts
Though the show sets up well in the first episode why the mother and Bambi always remain on the run, there is more to be explored about the dynamics of who the duo is and what the trauma is that led to the mother being overbearing and overprotective of Bambi. The writing came across as sloppy, but I’m hoping the next episodes will hold the narrative tight. Written for the screen by Ertan Kurtulan, there is more to be seen of what the mother and Bambi are up to.
