Tyrant on FX is our new TV obsession! Check out why we love this political drama so much, and get a sneak peek at tomorrow’s Season 3 premiere!
It’s summertime and I’m always on the lookout for something good to binge-watch. Over the last couple of years I’ve heard about the FX show Tyrant and how intense and scandalously juicy it is. By now you know I’m very fond of political dramas, so after seeing an ad about the show’s third season premiere coming up, I decided to give it a try early last week.
Let me tell you, once I started, I couldn’t stop! I ended up watching the first two seasons (22 episodes) in two days… and it was FANTASTIC! As I said, I really enjoy political dramas, but Tyrant is so much more.
The bulk of the story takes place in Abuddin, a fictional Arab country in the Middle East. So, we watch as conflict unfolds in Abuddin between the political/military elites, pro-democracy protesters, and radical Islamist groups. In the midst of the public conflicts, we witness the Al-Fayeed family drama.
Bassam/Barry Al-Fayeed flees Abuddin when he is 16 out of frustration with his father’s authoritarian leadership. After 20 years, he returns with his wife (Molly) and two children (Sammy and Emma) for a family wedding. His older brother Jamal, the next in line for leadership, is essentially a mess… reckless, impetuous, and incredibly violent. When their father dies, Bassam realizes he can’t leave Abuddin in Jamal’s hands…
… from there, the story unfolds in the most incredible way. We’re talking betrayal, coups, exile, secret romances, murder, illegitimate children coming out of the woodwork, people coming back from the dead… just craziness!
And the interesting thing is how political events in Abuddin imitate a lot of what we see in the news in terms of the Arab Spring, the rise of the “Caliphate”, and authoritarian leaders grasping for power.
But for me, what’s most fascinating part is that Bassam, the pro-democracy/pro-peace brother, might be the most tyrannical of them all!
Tyrant is totally MUSTWATCH and I can’t wait for Season 3, which starts tomorrow!
The last time we were in Abuddin:
- Bassam (as his alter-ego Khalil) had joined with the Abuddinian military/mercenaries to beat back the Caliphate.
- Ihab Rashid (leader of the radical resistance against the Al-Fayeeds) was injured in the conflict and now in custody.
- Bassam revealed his true identity and was reunited with Molly and Jamal; he was also the favorite for the domestic and international pro-democracy movement to be candidate for president in Abuddin’s first elections.
- Jamal reneged on his deal with the Arab League to resign from the presidency (because of evidence that he committed crimes against humanity via a gas attack on the city of Ma’an)—evidence given by his wife, Leila Al-Fayeed.
- In the process of Jamal announcing he would not step down as president, he was shot in the back by his daughter-in-law, Nusrat (revenge for him sexually assaulting her on her wedding night).
SO MUCH SCANDALOUSNESS! And this is really just the tip of the iceberg.
As we start Season 3, I have so many questions.
Is Jamal going to die? Once Bassam steps up as interim president, will be willing to give up power when the time comes?
What’s up with the Bassam/Molly/Daliyah triangle? I like Molly a lot… and I’m not a pro-cheating/pro-polygamy person… but something about Bassam and Daliyah’s relationship makes me so happy. What are we going to do?
And what’s going to happen to Nusrat? She has lost EVERYTHING to the Al-Fayeeds and their manipulation. I really just need for her and Rami (Jamal’s illegitimate son from a previous relationship) to run away to Europe together. *sigh*
Take a look at the synopsis for the Season 3 premiere episode “Spring” (written by Christopher Keyser, directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton):
With Jamal’s life in danger and Abuddin on the verge of plunging into chaos, Barry steps forward as interim president and sets the stage for democratic elections. Daliyah takes a leading role in the nation, bringing her close to Barry. Swept up in the tides of revenge, army leaders overstep their bounds in securing peace. An American General who shares history with Leila arrives in Abuddin. (via The Futon Critic)
Welps, let’s see how these preparations for the elections go… especially since Ihab Rashid is still lurking about. I also wonder what Molly is going to think about Daliyah hanging around.
And we know that the American general (General Gogswell) coming to Abuddin is played by Chris North, of Law & Order, Sex and the City, and The Good Wife fame!
Take a look two videos that give us a first look at Season 3, inclduing behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast… and from all accounts, danger is lurking in every corner in Abuddin!
I AM SO EXCITED!
Tune in to FX tomorrow (Wednesday, July 6) at 10:00pm ET|PT for Tyrant‘s Season 3 premiere. I’ll be live tweeting during the East Coast viewing, so join me on @WeSoNerdy!
In the mean time, check out 20+ images from Tyrant Season 3, including photo stills from “Spring”.
