Vuurzee

- Season 1

(2005)

First generation Turkish immigrant Osman Aslan, who became an engineer like his native Dutch best friend Peer Looman, celebrates his 50th birthday with family and friends. Behind the festive appearances fester tensions, notably concerning their children. Peer's son Sander, a studly lifeguard, seems to have a substance problem. When he sneaks out to the Boedzand beach, so does Osman's daughter Yasmin Aslan, his girlfriend and things get out of hand.

Osman is a broken man: his daughter Yasmin is still missing after his birthday party. Even her brother Deniz must cease the search at sea. Ferdi consoles Yasmin's mother. Captain Marcel Clijsters investigates, helped by Rinus. Sander, the last to see Yasmin, doesn't mention their row on the beach. So his claim to have dozed off before she left walking towards the sea seems dubious. His mother realizes he stole her ADHD medicine for kicks and tells him alcohol can turn it into a psychedelic. Marcel shows Peer the porn site.

Now missing Yasmin's hair is found on the beach, Boedzand's police chief Marcel Clijsters briefs a team of detectives from the Duinlanden region. After hostile questioning, Sander pretends only to have had alcohol, but is jailed 'for the time being'. Hearing from his mother about the ADHD pills, which combined with alcohol possibly made Sander psychotic, her father orders her to keep silent. Marcel's daughter Merel states to the police she saw the beach episode - it was just sex. Sander is released. Merel tells Sander, who can't remember what happened, she lied to get...

Osman finally gets a $150,000 Euro ransom call also stating 'no police'. Rinus and Peer, insists on accompanying him to the delivery location, which bizarrely is on the back of empty bus 61. Meanwhile Sander's reputation is restored in class. Both he and Merel's own dad, police chief Marcel Clijsters, who is frustrated by the city detectives chief's arrogant absurdity, realize the teenager is playing dirty games at everyone's expense. Desperate for a kiss, she even bites Sander.

Now even Sonja, her and Yasmin's school buddy, don't know where his daughter Merel is, her cellular is traced by satellite and police dog to the beach, but is abandoned. Sander and Deniz search at sea, in vain. Marcel tells the city detectives about the website, and Sonja explains to the city detectives how the trio were rolled into nude 'lesbian acting'. The worried families bicker what to tell to whom.

Now cop Marcel's daughter Merel is missing too, Deniz admits he knew Sander had words with her, again on the beach. Then a body washes up nearby- it's wicked teenager Merel, skull smashed. The police arrests Sander, just for being the last known to have met both girls. Even his dad Peer has anxious doubts, but arranges a lawyer. The undeniable horror of the situation crushes the whole Boedzand community, only bank manager Rinus still cares for the anniversary committee. Conflicting loyalties cause rising family rifts, Deniz even has to prevent his parents fighting.

Now Sander's DNA is found under Merel's fingerprints, he's transferred to a youth prison, where the strict regime starts with an intimate strip-search. The lawyer is furious he didn't tell about his ma's pills, but gets him released. He makes it to Merel's funeral, but Marcel asks him to leave. His ma considers moving. Denis gets worrying cell phone calls and is summoned for a meeting on the beach. His ma is breaking down in nightmares and turns completely on Sander, unlike fair Osman.

The police release Sander, still a prime suspect, and confronts Osman with the dirt on Yasmin. Through mosque prayer he contacts Turkish mob boss Sezai to find Sergi and get a gun for honor revenge. The Aslan boys aren't amused to be approached by newspaper reporter Jacques Vriend. Kristel wants to move, but Sander prefers to stand up against the gossip and Peer is insulted she still hasn't rooted in his native town. She seeks adulterous 'comfort' with Rinus. Merel's therapist tells Marcel she was borderline and obsessed with a suicidal aunt (Esther), Kristel denies ...

After the vicious beating, Sander is in hospital with knee and back injuries, his leg may never heal. Drugs and nightmares make him fear he killed Yasmine. Deniz discovers the baseball-bat was bought by his brother Ferdi, who leans on him successfully: he tells the police he knows nothing. The police tricks Kristel into admitting Sander stole drugs. The scandal wrecked tourism, hence Osman's business: he returns to Peer's factory as ordinary foreman. Sergi contacts Sonja to buy off the porn. She agrees to help the police arrest him. The inexperienced detective's ...

Sergi was killed in the police's ransom deal that went wrong, without revealing anything. Sander's mother fears that there may be some truth to his nightmares. Mobster Sezai calls in a marker: Osman must find out if the steel plant has bought land to expand. The incompetent detective takes Sanders' drugs-induced suggestion that he might have suppressed a horrible memory. The police pressures Deniz to talk, and big brother Ferdi to keep silent. Osman finds out and evicts his violent son, but still orders the junior's silence. The DNA on Yasmin isn't Sander's but his ...

Peer is on trial, charged with murdering Yasmin and burning her corps in the steel oven. He offers a feeble excuse for the blood-stained rug from his office. Sander is back on crutches, in time to testify how horribly he suffered from false accusations. The defense also argues Yasmin's home situation made a fugue likely. Turkish mob-boss Sezai's man Keskin pushes Osman to snoop in Peer's office and copy the land deal documents. During the trial, Osman puts things together. His attack on Peer leads to a surprising confession.

Now Peer has confessed to trying to burn the carpet because of blood stains, after having sex with Yasmin in his office, both families need to pull together, and make up. The judge starts reading the sentence concluding there is a lack of proof. Then Marcel recognizes a veiled woman in the audience: Yasmin is alive. She explains it wasn't consensual but a failed rape, she had earlier lovingly given her virginity to Sander. The she couldn't bear Sander's physical play on the beach and hitchhiked to Antwerp, where she hid until she read about the false charges on ...