Tyrant - 1.03 to 1.07 - Review

Tyrant 1.03 – 1.07
(Airs Tuesday, 10:00 pm e/p)

Since the death of the president Al Fayed, Bassam decided to say in Abuddin to help his brother run the country. Taking advantage of the situation, a group of rebels demanded freedom and peace in Abuddin. But how can Bassam establish peace in his country without sparking a war within his family?

        After a good pilot and a not-so-good second episode, I was a little bit skeptical about what Tyrant would become. Since the beginning of the political crisis with the rebels, the show took a political turn. It is not brilliantly executed but the good thing is, there were good ideas like the free elections and the mix between politics and family begins to succeed. Especially after the seventh episode which is the best of the season yet!
        Since the pilot, the most interesting characters are the Muslims with Bassam. The contrast between the two brothers is still interesting and working but it is still a bit stereotypical with Jamal. The bad brother, completely broken. I do not know if the problem is how the character is written or the actor... Jamal does not seem broken but more like a stupid little boy. But the character had some good moments like when he attacked Sheik Rashid – even if it was predictable. And since children inherit their parents' sins, Ahmed is similar. He does not have the same madness as his father for sure, but how he treats people shows the audience that the character takes the same path. For now, the most interesting female character is Leila. She tries to control the situation and her husband as often as she can. I do not really understand the character's motivations for now but, is she doing that to become someone important since she is the first lady of Abuddin or for something else?

        The Americans are still the weakest part of the show but the characters are becoming more developed even though it is not perfect yet. There is an important contrast between Samy and his sister Emma. The boy likes the place and is quite irresponsible with his homosexuality and does not seem to understand the situation in Abuddin. He knows he is a royal but puts aside everything else. The daughter is still in the shadows, even though the fourth episode casts a new light upon the character. I like the fact that the girl does not like the country because she seems to be the only reasonable person with her father. She knows something is wrong and the place is dangerous. Her conversation with her mother is an important moment for Molly because I think it is THE moment where the character begins to really understand the situation and how it is affecting her family. She could be an interesting person – as in episode 5, where she tries to take care of her brother's maid – if the writers gave her the opportunity. With the arrival of her sister and her new job in Abuddin's hospital, the writers begin to give something to the character. I hope they will do the same with the children now!
       In the middle of the two clans there is Bassam, completely lost between the political pressure of the country and his family. Since the arrival of Sheik Rashid, the audience can see a more disturbed character but the seventh game changer episode, changes everything for Bassam. The revelation of his – not so tyrant – father with the gas attack and the reality of his brother's madness pushed Bassam to take care of things in a drastic way. The revelation about his father, willing to make peace, was an important moment for the show and the character. He understands – and so does the audience – why his father said “it should have been you” in the pilot! The son knows what he has to do now... Seize power from Jamal and lead Abuddin. But how will he do it? At least, Tyrant is now ready to become what it was supposed to be, let us just hope it will succeed!


        Tyrant is becoming more and more interesting but some details do not allow it to be a brilliant show. The writers try to fix some problems in every episode but it is not satisfactory yet. There are still important problems with the characters' developments and situations but after the seventh episode, it is really encouraging. If Tyrant goes on like this, it could become a really good show by the end of the season!

        TYRANT airs every tuesday at 10pm EST on FX.

About the Author - Laurent

Laurent is a 22 years old french student and he is currently studying cinema & television in college. He will review several shows like Tyrant and Wayward Pines. Always exciting about television, his favorite shows are Twin Peaks, Buffy, Damages, The Good Wife, X-Files, Lost, Bron and a lot of other dramas.

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