After claiming the Ottoman throne, Mehmed II sends an unmistakable signal to Byzantine emperor Constantine XI. Enter Genoese mercenaries.

The episode was rated 7.53 from 203 votes.

Mehmed launches an ambitious siege to break through the walls of Constantinople, but Giustiniani's mercenaries manage to forestall the Janissaries.

The episode was rated 7.53 from 165 votes.

Mehmed moves his ships overland to the Golden Horn in a daring, visionary feat. In the shadow of betrayal, Giustiniani attacks the Ottoman fleet.

The episode was rated 7.54 from 158 votes.

Amid a spiral of brutality and low morale, Mehmed makes Giustiniani an enticing offer. The grand vizier urges Mehmed to seek a truce with his rival.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 148 votes.

Mehmed's men dig underground tunnels in an attempt to shatter city walls. The tides turn against the Ottomans when a naval blockade founders.

The episode was rated 7.60 from 154 votes.

Mehmed II solidifies his reign, but in nearby Wallachia, childhood friend Vlad the Impaler gains notoriety and seeks to challenge Mehmed's hegemony.

The episode was rated 7.65 from 57 votes.

Mehmed sends Maria to coax Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus into an alliance. An epic battle along the Danube River looms, and Vlad has the upper hand.

The episode was rated 7.71 from 49 votes.

Mehmed's troops advance into Wallachia, and Vlad employs guerrilla tactics to weaken his rival. A threat lurks in the imperial palace.

The episode was rated 7.80 from 45 votes.

Ottoman cannons reduce the city walls to rubble, and Venetian reinforcements arrive too late. Mehmed ushers in a new era for the Ottoman Empire.

The episode was rated 7.82 from 151 votes.

4. Brothers No More As the war drags on and resources dwindle, Vlad wages biological warfare on Mehmed's army. Radu closes in on Vlad's castle to take Anastasia hostage.

The episode was rated 7.84 from 44 votes.