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Tyrant - Pilot
FX's Tyrant is one of the most anticipated shows of the summer. Controversial because of its Arabic setting and the fear of Muslim-stereotyping. Critized for its depiction of sexual violence. Uncertain because of its problematic production. Tyrant has come a long way and now it's finally here. The show doesn't accomplish everything it sets out to do, but is still one of the most surprising efforts this year.
Barry Al Fayeed (the English Adam Rayner, Hawthorne) lives in the United States with his wife Molly (Jennifer Finnigan, 'Close to Home'), daughter Emma (Anne Winters, 'The Fosters') and son Sammy (Noah Silver, 'The Borgias'). Barry's cousin is getting married and he and his family have to attend. The wedding, however, is in the fictional country of Abbudin, ruled by Barry's father Khaled Al Fayeed (Nassar Faris, 'Elementary'). Barry left the life of a dictator's son twenty years prior. His brother, and heir to the throne, Jamal (Ashraf Barhom, '300: Rise of an Empire'), embodies everything that Barry has tried to escape. The return is filled with overwrought greetings, clashes of culture and a vacuum in which Barry is confronted with his past and his future.
Tyrant is notable for its Godfather-styled concept, created by Gideon Raff ('Homeland'). HBO missed the boat on the project, Showtime passed and ultimately it landed with FX. Director Ang Lee ('Life of Pi') signed on and then off, just like producer Craig Wright ('Dirty Sexy Money'). Eventually, Raff himself would leave too, The Hollywood Reporter reveals. In the end this is a project made under the supervision of Howard Gordon ('Homeland'). With an impressive resume which includes 'The X-Files' and '24', Gordon has a lot going for him. Yet, this is neither the soap opera Raff created nor the political thriller Gordon is renowned for. 'Tyrant' is somewhere in the middle and all this insecurity is felt in the tone of the series. There is action that would make Don Corleone proud, but there's also drama that Finnigen surely picked up from her days in 'The Bold and the Beautiful'. Somewhere underneath, however, there's a shimmering of hope that the show could be more than it reveals.
In the professional hands of David Yates (the last three 'Harry Potter' movies), 'Tyrant' looks incredible. Israel stands in as a backdrop, but the set design, costumes and special effects make the show marvelous. Beauty isn't the issue here. With a premise of the Islamic culture as perceived by Americans, not to mention the dramatizing and possible sympathizing of a dictator, the show walks a very thin line. Jamal is every Islamophobe's dream. He hits his wife, rapes other women and tortures his opponents. The instinctive disapproval of the entire subculture by the American-loving protagonist doesn't help.
'Tyrant', on itself, is a predictable hour of television. The first episode checks of all the boxes that come with the prodigal son returning. It's the brief character moments, as fleeting as they are, that make the episode worth it. The ruthless, meaningless sexual violence, the exhausting talk of family and honor and the firm avoidance of any cultural relevance are inexcusable. But with a feminist daughter, a son who seems to like Abbudin, a marriage that slowly unravels and a past that is infinitely complicated, the show indicates it might take on more than it has shown so far. After all, it's only the beginning.
Follow TyrantBarry Al Fayeed (the English Adam Rayner, Hawthorne) lives in the United States with his wife Molly (Jennifer Finnigan, 'Close to Home'), daughter Emma (Anne Winters, 'The Fosters') and son Sammy (Noah Silver, 'The Borgias'). Barry's cousin is getting married and he and his family have to attend. The wedding, however, is in the fictional country of Abbudin, ruled by Barry's father Khaled Al Fayeed (Nassar Faris, 'Elementary'). Barry left the life of a dictator's son twenty years prior. His brother, and heir to the throne, Jamal (Ashraf Barhom, '300: Rise of an Empire'), embodies everything that Barry has tried to escape. The return is filled with overwrought greetings, clashes of culture and a vacuum in which Barry is confronted with his past and his future.
Tyrant is notable for its Godfather-styled concept, created by Gideon Raff ('Homeland'). HBO missed the boat on the project, Showtime passed and ultimately it landed with FX. Director Ang Lee ('Life of Pi') signed on and then off, just like producer Craig Wright ('Dirty Sexy Money'). Eventually, Raff himself would leave too, The Hollywood Reporter reveals. In the end this is a project made under the supervision of Howard Gordon ('Homeland'). With an impressive resume which includes 'The X-Files' and '24', Gordon has a lot going for him. Yet, this is neither the soap opera Raff created nor the political thriller Gordon is renowned for. 'Tyrant' is somewhere in the middle and all this insecurity is felt in the tone of the series. There is action that would make Don Corleone proud, but there's also drama that Finnigen surely picked up from her days in 'The Bold and the Beautiful'. Somewhere underneath, however, there's a shimmering of hope that the show could be more than it reveals.
In the professional hands of David Yates (the last three 'Harry Potter' movies), 'Tyrant' looks incredible. Israel stands in as a backdrop, but the set design, costumes and special effects make the show marvelous. Beauty isn't the issue here. With a premise of the Islamic culture as perceived by Americans, not to mention the dramatizing and possible sympathizing of a dictator, the show walks a very thin line. Jamal is every Islamophobe's dream. He hits his wife, rapes other women and tortures his opponents. The instinctive disapproval of the entire subculture by the American-loving protagonist doesn't help.
'Tyrant', on itself, is a predictable hour of television. The first episode checks of all the boxes that come with the prodigal son returning. It's the brief character moments, as fleeting as they are, that make the episode worth it. The ruthless, meaningless sexual violence, the exhausting talk of family and honor and the firm avoidance of any cultural relevance are inexcusable. But with a feminist daughter, a son who seems to like Abbudin, a marriage that slowly unravels and a past that is infinitely complicated, the show indicates it might take on more than it has shown so far. After all, it's only the beginning.
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