Tyrant (2014–2016) User Reviews

An Arabian Review .

[qusai-tamimi2000 · 9/10 · 25 June 2014]

I'm an Arabian and I'll review this series on that basis(sorry for any mistakes).

-(a brief history and review of Khalid)the series especially the Fayeed family has close resemblance to Saddam's Hussein Era and gulf countries Royal families. the picture which this series draw from the beginning is sadly true, unfortunately till the Arabian "spring" there were no elected president in whole 22 Arabian countries except in Lebanon, so you can imagine that every leader came by a military coup "or inheritance from his father" must clear the previous ruler's Allies to protect himself from assassination(which clearly seen in the pilot) and to prove his dominance.

-Jamal is a clear representation of children who was born with a golden spoon in their mouth and a gun in their hand, Iraq and Gulf countries have many "Jamal"s, with various degrees,for e.g Oudai Saddam Hussein was exact picture of Jamal(don't know about purity incidence). Oudai was a killer, rapist and a maniac same as Jamal.

-Bassam Aka Barry. I am conflicted about him, will he become like his father and brother as depicted in flashbacks or will he be the Arabian "spring". still to come.

-the luxury of the royal family is not exaggerated in the series and maybe downgraded (I'll leave this to your imagination) -the background and the set. Finally Arabic is written right not some gibberish or isolated letters, the wedding, music ,dancing and the "bachelor" party were nearly right.

-negative thing: they didn't show the foreign influence and i hope they will, don't think these rulers and leaders came from nothing, they're all pawn were put to control the countries income and resources and convert it to outside -Finally ,what you saw and what you going to see in this series is sadly some what true, but people started to open their eyes and start revolutions.

p.s this is my first review ever and it may be complicated but 1000 aren't enough to describe centuries of conflict and blood.

Season 3 ruined everything

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 24 September 2020]

Show started out nicely, with good characters and interesting storyline but the everything crashed in season 3. s3 is an absolute disaster. characters are not themselves anymore and are way out of place especially Bassam and his wife. them becoming tyrants just felt rushed and almost stupid. season 3 ruined the show and it ended with a bad cliffhanger and now the show got cancelled. good job.

season 1 is great but s2 is better, it's my favorite. it's more intense and suspenful. shame it got cancelled.

Good show but obviously not good enough to give an ending !?

[roxmewild · 7/10 · 16 March 2020]

I have to say I enjoyed this show and binge watched all 3 seasons ! So was exceedingly annoyed and frustrated that the last episode left the whole series hanging with no real ending! I get that networks pull the plug on many a show on its ratings but they normally give fair warning to allow writers to assemble a reasonable finale to the show however this was either not done for this show or the writers gave up? Either way as a viewer you feel ripped off after investing many hours over 3 seasons to end with a host of unresolved storylines is frankly a disgrace!

To be honest in this day and age of catch up tv recorders etc how any network can get a true reflection of a shows following by audience viewing on the actual night of broadcast is beyond me.

Blown away by the first episode.

[tomhg38 · 25 June 2014]

Forewarning only the pilot has been seen so far, but based on that I was thoroughly impressed.

Tyrant is the story of the second son of a powerful middle eastern tyrant who has escaped the corruption and despair of his native land and spent two decades Americanising himself and building an unassuming life with his wife and two kids. Reluctantly he is brought back to his country of birth for the wedding of his nephew.

Its not immediately a genre I would find myself drawn to, but I was enthralled. Barry (the second son) Is a wounded character, wary of his father and everything he represents, and they depict him brilliantly. His interactions with his brother and father are complex and deep.

The setting for the show is very beautiful, right in the opening portion of the episode you get a great sequence of shots where the American family is being driven in a cavalcade to the palace, and you can really see the juxtaposition of the opulence of their cars, the palace with its gardens and forest, with the impoverished masses being kept at bay so the streets are clear for the motorcade.

Watching both Barry's reaction to this contrasting culture and his American families reaction is very interesting and adds a different element to the story. His wife's "Dr. Phil" moments trying to get him to open up about the atrocities he witnessed when Barry (and the audience) know she could never really understand, his sons oblivious superficiality and obnoxious self absorption help make the story relatable to me coming from a western culture, and also highlight how ignorant they (and we) are.

I've only seen the pilot, as mentioned above, but I loved this first glimpse of a, for me, unique new story. I cant wait to see how it unfolds, and I recommend the first episode highly.

Ashraf Barhom - WOW

[ababuso · 9/10 · 18 July 2014]

Great premise for a series...the interaction of cultures seen through their humanity and frailties. The cast is variable, except for Ashraf Barhom, playing Jamal, who just blows me away with his fierce energy. Every moment he is on he completely dominates the drama. Everyone looks pale beside him -- his energy seems to come like a fire from within and burns up the screen. I think this is a new star... I'll be watching to see him in more! FX really does an amazing job bringing us really interesting series instead of the usual pulp on network TV. Just when you think you've seen it all, they come up with something new. Most of us have no idea what life really looks like in Middle Eastern countries. This gives us a cool story and lets us peek into another world. And GO BARHOM!

Guts and honesty--for a change.

[Iris_85027 · 10/10 · 25 June 2014]

I'm impressed with the courage it took to put this on TV. This is not an easy subject to cover and the honesty it is dealt with says a lot about the willingness of the entire crew to take risks.

The acting is superb and everyone gives their character the exact nuance required to convey the sliminess, brutality, tortured indecision, suffering, or shallowness required.

I never thought I'd see such depth and truth portrayed on a mere TV series. The people who put this on have guts and I'm impressed. I will continue to watch for as long as the producers, directors and actors are willing to avoid shallowness or cave to "political correctness."

I'm not a big fan of sex, nudity, or brutality on TV but this story could not be properly told without representing the characters as they really are.

Congratulations! And I'll be praying for you.

An Excellent Show About the Tightrope of Power

[dabirdman · 9/10 · 25 June 2014]

With a stunning and fascinating portrayal of a middle-eastern power structure, FX has outdone themselves yet again.

What does it mean to have true power, and can you ignore power when you are born into it? The central conflict of this show thrusts it's main characters back into the fray of just such a situation. It portrays power as both freedom and a prison. The Al-Fayeed family, rulers of a fictional middle-eastern country are no different from any other modern Monarchy except that it is still in defacto power and uses brutal tactics to stay there.

Assad, Khadaffi, Saddam, Bush...

These names conjure Dynasty's and dictatorships, and for thousands of years the power struggles within their individual kingdoms were largely ignored by western powers, or swept quietly under a convenient media rug. But for Barry Al-Fayeed, the violence and politics of his family have been left behind. He has no desire to rule anything then his pediatric practice.

As the younger son of a brutal dictator, Barry took advantage of his families wealth to leave the country behind, and hasn't seen home in twenty years. His wife and children are somewhat ignorant of their husbands and fathers old world, knowing only that they are 'sort of' royalty and that grandad is rich. Their ignorance is typical of the average American family, not stupid, but simply devoid of the truth of the day to day in tyrannical regimes in many parts of the world. When his brothers son is due to be married, Barry is called home, and the cycle begins again.

But the truth is, Barry's legacy is one of bullets and blood, of violence and ruthlessness, of intimidation and manipulation. What makes a tyrant? This show promises to show just how far one man will go to secure his family, his country, and his power.

A summer program worth watching?

[Aptosblue · 8/10 · 15 July 2014]

I will go through a few points about various elements of the show.

Casting - It doesn't seem like anyone is out of place, but there were a few confusions about child versions of a few characters. One of the children looks nothing like the adult version of the character, I was confused and had to look up the cast. Other than that the cast is solid.

Writing - Generally well written with a few odd circumstances but nothing that cannot be explained later in the show. I am glad the writers were up to the task because the show is very dialogue based there isn't a lot of action but I was still pulled in episode after episode.

Acting - Adam Rayner is the main character is this show and as far as I know it's his first lead he has had for a major network. All I can say is that he is playing his role right. This can be said for the rest of the cast with a few exceptions. I cannot say too much without giving away spoilers but I have no complaints about the acting.

Set - Most of the show was filmed in Morocco, the show is not set in Morocco but it had me convinced it was a middle eastern country.

Not Sure What the Hell Happened to This Show

[rvross-199-285864 · 6/10 · 14 October 2016]

The first season of Tyrant was very promising. We are left wondering who the real tyrant is. Barry and his evil brother have a dynamic that leaves you constantly intrigued. The influence of the wife and children are another force waiting to be explored. I even had some hope the homosexual son sub-plot would take a powerful turn. I could hardly wait for another episode as each one was so promising.

Season two was still satisfying but took some turns that I found unconvincing. When I saw the advertising where Barry is walking in the desert and holding the sand, I did not expect them to take such a literal turn. Daliyah's character was actually another win for the show. I held on with the expectation that season 3 would knock some exciting developments out of the park.

Season three feels like it was written by high school students filling in where previous writers abandoned ship. I'm assuming that's what happened anyway. Granted, I have only watched snippets of each episode because it got too soapy for me to continue. There were so many missed opportunities, and the direction it has taken is nonsensical. The death of Jamal was probably the point where the show ended being relevant. There is never any real drama here anymore. It just became another show that adds unnecessary grenades because the real story has been bulldozed.

The new "must see TV" show for the summer has arrived.

[blink28-1 · 10/10 · 10 July 2014]

I watch a unhealthy amount of television. Thus the summer is a time of incredible pain. This show can finally help ease this. After diving into the first 3 episodes I can safely say that this show is on the right track. Some plots, and characters can be somewhat 2 dimensional (Barry's son, wife and daughter come to mind) BUT can every character involved in every figment of a story be dynamic as the leads ? The plot is original for once, and the acting has thus far been superb. The sets are gorgeous and very true to the geographical locations as well. The realism and barbarity of a dictatorship/police state is also well portrayed. Give this show a full season and watch where it goes. I beg FX to let this series fly and play out.

9/10 thus far.

2/3

[theoldmongoose · 6/10 · 19 October 2020]

Did you ever invest 2 seasons on a great show only to have writers run out of ideas by season 3, so they decide to make everybody sleep WITH Everybody? Well, this is that kinda show.

Great serie, until...

[imdb-646 · 8/10 · 21 July 2018]

My wife and I really enjoyed watching Tyrant. That is, till season 3. Then it just got ridiculous. So the eight stars are for the first two seasons. Season 3 ended with one star.

Season 1, amazing. Season 2, still good. Season 3, terrible.

[dv727 · 6/10 · 30 April 2018]

If I rated each season, the first would be 10, the second a 7 or 8, and the third 0 or less. The other reviewers covered the specifics well. I guess if you wanted the series to end, they knew how to do it well. The zombification of Molly and her needing to breed was pole vaulting the shark. Who would have thought Jamal and Laila were the likeable ones?!?

Started out interesting in Season 1, Season 2 less believable, Season 3 Tyrant Jumped the Shark

[dtruitt001 · 3/10 · 14 September 2016]

Can't discuss this series without discussing "spoilers", so hang on, here goes.

Interesting concept in Season 1 - can an Americanized expatriate son of a bloody Middle Eastern dictator manage to bring some western- values based humanity to a forlorn country long used to abuse by its autocratic rulers - first his father, and now his own brother?

In Season 1 the answer was "maybe?".

In Season 2, all of a sudden this Americanized son and brother of a brute was leading a "revolution" and a hero to his downtrodden countrymen and women? Uhhh, no, that's simply not very plausible.

And by Season 3 the series arc suddenly became the Americanized protagonist now fully Tyrant-ized, brutalizing his own people and fanatically pursuing tribal vengeance at the shrewish urging of his own Tyrant-ized wife, now focused solely on killing the killer of their daughter, no matter the cost to any other person on earth.

Sorry, I didn't much believe the noble American revolutionary leader and I sure don't buy the full circle transformation into bloody Middle Eastern tyrant - either of Barry or his seriously demented American born wife

Through the second half of Season 3 I found myself wishing someone would just take out Barry's evil you-know-what wife ... to save Barry, his son, and his entire nation the bloody outcome sure to result from the path of never-ending vengeance.

And I also found myself wishing that the producers and writers could have come up with a more nuanced Barry character and not the complete submissive idiot that he turned out to be, fully whipsawed by a combination of his wife, his terrorist nemesis Ihab, and, well, his entire situation. Not that I wished instead that Barry would somehow become a Middle Eastern Super Hero and teach all those Middle Easterners how to live like a good American ... but rather, I wanted Barry to have some sense of humility, to recognize his own limits, and to understand that absolute power corrupts absolutely (after all he had his family history to prove that), and to realize when he was in far over his head.

I sympathize with the desire to exact revenge after a senseless bloody killing of a dear family member, but stupid is as stupid does. Pretty much every single decision that Barry made in Season 3 was worthy only of someone dumber'n a box of rocks.

After Season 2's semi-ridiculous story line, in Season 3 I was hanging on in hopes of a turnaround that would get it all back to something resembling a thoughtful treatment of Middle Eastern culture clashing with western values ... instead, I'm done.

Really Enjoyed The Pilot.

[lielduko · 9/10 · 30 June 2014]

As a Middle-Eastern, I pretty much comprehend the concept of this series. I am a Jew born in Israel, a grandson to Jewish grandparents who immigrated from Iraq, I have heard plenty of stories from my grandfather about the life in an Arab country, about its glory days and its very elegant lifestyle but also heard about the brutality and mercilessness which often characterizes the Arab leaders in certain Arab countries.

In addition, as an Israeli, I am updated in all of the scenarios in the Arab world, and how unstable the Arab world is.

You can sense the extravagant Arab lifestyle in the first episode of the series, this exaggerated lifestyle traits the way most of the Arab leaders used to live and are still living nowadays, you can sense the frustration and the torment of the lower population strata, it makes the series very realistic because it brings back the memories of the "Arab Spring".

As other people have already written, the plot of the story unfolds the story of Bassam Al-Fayeed which was the second son of Khaled Al-Fayeed, Bassam suffers from childhood traumas which had a vast reflection on his life as a person and as a family man. His brother Jamal can be compared to Saddam Hussein's first child, a "hothead", truculent and sort of a psychotic pervert.

As for now, basing on the pilot, I find this series very interesting and very realistic, reflects the life in the Arab countries of the Middle- East, Gideon Raff did a fantastic job with the script and I hope this series will not disappoint us.

The Whole Package

[danielaccountingsource · 9/10 · 30 July 2014]

Most of the characters were somewhat stereotypical at first impression. However, the development of the characters has been executed nicely at a very gradual pace but accelerated to match the tempo of the development of the story.

I have found myself drawn into the characters and their psyche and I believe that most viewers can identify with most of them. The cast executes quite well in general. However, the "Big Brother" controlling Jamal is overdone and slows the development of his disposition. He is intelligent enough to make tough decisions. However, due to his father's influence coupled with the absence of his brother during his formative years, he sometimes needs to be pointed in the right direction yet maintains a cynical sense of humor and pretends to be dumb. This seems to invite the continual advice from his big brother. But the overbearing continual advice from the brother is still overdone.

Most viewers will find "Tyrant" to be a very distinct and unique series and very interesting to watch. It has very good content and nearly all ages can watch this for the sex scenes display more class than most shows on the air. These scenes are shown less and less as the show goes on and when they are shown they are done without unnecessary nudity and tasteless displays of the act. The violence has mellowed as well.

I sincerely hope that the writers keep up the good work, for so far they have shown great vision and originality!

Best New Series in a Long Time

[madmak-45-874486 · 9/10 · 4 July 2014]

I decided to DVR "Tyrant" after seeing a few promos. I'm happy to report that the promos didn't do justice to the series. I was hooked in the first ten minutes.

The adult cast is excellent. I expect that the children will be as well, but I haven't seen enough of them to be sure. The writing is mostly top-notch, and the relationship dynamics seem altogether plausible, with one exception (more on that below). The visuals are beautiful.

I wondered whether the depiction of an Arabic middle eastern country was accurate, but I've not visited there and have no frame of reference (other than news reports, which I take with a large grain of salt). I recommend that you read [e-mail]'s review, which I found very helpful.

My only real issue with the writing is with some of the interaction between Bassam and Molly. I get that the show needs to show us the dynamics of their relationship and tell us the back story. But I would expect these two characters to have a higher level of emotional maturity than the writers seem to give them credit for. Molly keeps trying to have serious conversations in public places where they're not appropriate, and Bassam doesn't seem mature enough to say more than "I can't talk (or won't) about this now." It's a common plot device, but I think this series deserves something less common.

I can't wait for the next episode.

How is this show still flying under the radar?

[dacaraballo · 10/10 · 1 August 2015]

I was skeptical about starting this show at first. I'm not a fan of "middle east conflict" stories and the premise just seemed boring, but I have to admit, this show has me hooked now. Me and my girlfriend are Hulu and Netflix junkies. We'll typically find a show and binge watch seasons throughout our workweek. Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black were a few of my favorites and Tyrant ranks right up there with the best of them.

At it's heart, Tyrant is a story of two royal siblings with different views on how the kingdom should be run, set in a modern world. The show does a great job of portraying the struggles that people face in the middle east and gives some insight as to why the people there sometimes turn radical. I think it's a bold move for the producers to humanize many of the extremist ideologies for American TV in an age where we still think of fanatical Muslims as puppets unable to think for themselves.

Don't listen to the negative reviews without watching it yourself. Tyrant is packed with plot twists, shocking moments, and great characters. Honestly, I think Adam Rayner's acting is a bit on the weaker side to be cast as the main protagonist, but Basam Al Fayeed is a great character nonetheless, a "good guy" who can make tough, sometimes very violent, decisions on the fly. Basam's brother Jamal is probably the most entertaining "villain" I've watched in a long time (just as fun to watch as Walter White or Jeoffrey Lannister for me). The rest of the cast do a great job also.

10/10 for me. I can't wait for the next episode.

Wrong comparison with Libya

[rgoran73 · 7/10 · 22 November 2014]

Just want to comment on the part with Ghadafi comparison...because it is totally not correct comparison. It is true that Libya did not have elections, but Ghadafi spent so much state money on Libyans that it could not be called an Dictatorship. This may come as surprise to western people, but that is because you were lied by your governments... In Libya you had free petrol (you poor full tank and leave small change less than 1 USD....this is almost free), free education, free health care, free education and health care abroad if you are talented of can not be treated domestically. You get free house/flat when you get married, you get avg. salary when you become university student, you get a free farm from state if you want to grow plants or keep animals...

By my opinion, this is not dictatorship, and even if it is, then I would like to live in that one, no problem.

Very good series, but unneccessarily soapy. Several spolers ahead.

[emuir-1 · 9/10 · 11 November 2018]

Despite most critics turning up their noses, and the dwindling audience which led to cancellation after Season 3, I found this to be one of the best TV series in years. The locations, sets, beautiful Islamic architecture and design all made this a feast for the eyes. Season 2 showed the frighteningly swift descent from a moderately affluent society of many faiths where women's head covering was optional, people drank alcohol, women attended university, where men and women associated freely and women did not need a male escort to set foot outside the home, to a war torn intolerant theocracy as religious fanatics enforced their narrow minded and warped version of Islam against the wishes of the majority by terror. Suddenly normal life is turned upside down as normality becomes daily bombings, enforced recruitment into extremist groups and years of violence and terror. I loved the multinational casting and recognized many top class actors from foreign language film and TV, but I did have a few reservations:

The American feminist bias: Clueless Molly and her children got on my nerves big time. Molly's selfish me, me, me, attitude and lack of understanding of the position her husband had been placed in really went against the grain. She appeared to have no understanding whatsoever of the position her husband had been placed in against his will and should have stayed in California. I realize she was shattered at the murder of her daughter, but hundreds of women around her were suffering the loss of their husbands and children without her self-absorbed tantrums. As a first lady she was a total fail. Having been married to a man from Abbudin one would have expected her to know something about the country and its culture. The transformation into Lady MacBeth and jealousy of Daliyah was out of character. Her equally clueless children can be somewhat forgiven as the US is very isolationist when it comes to other cultures unless they happen to be useful or the enemy of the week. Even then the news is unlikely to penetrate the video game/pop music world of the US teenager.

The casting: Although the huge cast was for the most part excellent, Ahmed, son of tall thin Leila and tall thin Bassam, was short and chubby. Bassam did not look or sound the slightest bit Arabic. It would have been far better for Keon Alexander to have been cast as Ahmed and Fares Fares as Bassam. Noah Silver was out of his depth in a major role and always looked stoned to me, even before we saw him smoking a joint. Only Moran Atias (Leila) and Alexander Karim (Ihab) really stood out. Alexander Karim was for me the most interesting and watchable character in the entire series. I have to wonder if some of the actors chosen were the 'names' needed to raise financing, just as the 60's blockbuster movies needed a big star from each country to ensure financing and distribution, or if they were wives, friends and relatives of the producers.

The use of English rather than subtitled Arabic: The accents were all over the place: Ashraf Barhom delivered his line one - word - at - a - time which painfully slowed his acting down to the level of a cartoon villain. When his character had to use English he should have been dubbed. Bassam's American accent should have given him away immediately when speaking to his brother. The Queen's English and Australian pronunciation popped up frequently and was not always explained by the character having spent time in the UK. English should only have been used when the English speakers were speaking to each other or with an Arabic speaker. All conversation between Arabic speakers should have been in Arabic with English subtitles. Non English speakers who were delivering their lines phonetically when it was necessary for them to use English, such as Jamal, should have been dubbed.

Too many characters: Even though I binge watched, I found myself turning to IMDB to refresh my memory of who was who as minor characters not seen for several episodes suddenly returned to be killed or whatever.

The unnecessary inclusion of gay characters: Why do so many TV series today seem obliged to include a gay storyline? I do not want to see a couple of men (or women for that matter) get naked. Rather than showing gays making love and kissing, it could be implied 'off camera' or with a shocked expression and/or lowered eyes by another character. The intolerance and persecution of homosexuals in one of the earlier episodes was well handled and made the point, but the love affair between Sammy and his professor was superfluous. I found myself fast forwarding through those scenes.

The killing off of characters who could have been further developed: Nushrat and Rami were a most attractive couple and could have carried a fourth season, but instead they were killed off. Rami could have been the contender for President. A big waste.

Too much soap opera: The revelations of previously unknown illegitimate sons were right out of a Mexican soap opera parody on Saturday Night Live. The story was also bogged down by tedious romances. I got really tired of Molly's histrionics and Daliyahs tearful eyes and trembling lips. At least Leila had some spine, but her 'romance' with General Clodhopper, the Victor Mature lookalike, had more of a whiff of opportunism. She was no slouch at playing both sides and switching allegiances when necessary.

Season 2 was far better than the first Season, but Season 3 was 'The Godfather on the Tigris'. The resemblance to the Corleone family was unmissable: Bassam as Michael, Jamal as Fredo, Leila as Connie, Sammy and Emma as Anthony and Mary, along with the supporting players unable to escape their destiny. The final episode left me with the desire to see the story wrapped up, but after watching it twice, I realised that it was spot on: The conflict would never end because it cannot end. There was no happy ending. no easy answers and that is how it is. Bassam would either be overthrown in a coup by General Maloof, and his family exiled or murdered, or he would double down and become a total tyrant and stay in power for the next 40 years. Leila now in exile may or may not prevail and will be courted by various foreign powers, until it is her turn. General Clodhopper would write a book and become a TV regular urging US action. Ihab would become public enemy No. 1 until he was taken out or overthrew Bassam and became President. Everyone would change sides. The US/Russians/Chinese would throw money at the conflict, probably supporting both sides at the same time. There are no easy answers. The US marines will not come riding to the rescue.

Overall, I found this to be an absorbing series despite the criticism listed. It had to be for me to binge watch three seasons over three days. Better casting would have made a difference.

Close

[LouieInLove · 6/10 · 25 June 2014]

I joined IMDb as a result of a bad week and watching the first episode of Tyrant. The show itself has real promise. The premise is clearly not to be taken too seriously, therefore if you allow yourself to view the show as pure entertainment it is enjoyable.

Nevertheless, I must mention the character of Molly Al Fayeed. She is the most naive, stupid and therefore irritating character I've ever seen on the small screen . It's impossible to have any empathy for her. Her character traits are the only weak spot in an otherwise well written show. I realise the writers have to weave her into the story, but this has been done at the expense of any realism and makes poor Molly appear as being borderline mental. Anyone who possesses a modicum of knowledge will quickly ascertain as to what I speak of after viewing.

I gave the show a 6 but would of given an 8 if it weren't for the character flaws of old Molly. The writers must see the kink as nobody is that naive!

EXCELLENT !!!

[Shivani_Gupta · 8/10 · 8 May 2020]

I love this show. Gives a good glimpse into the mind of a good person gone bad and the toll it takes on his family. Suspenseful and original.

Naive wife check, Annoying daughter check, Gay son check. Recipe for Modern TV check. Next Few episodes will make or Break Tyrant.

[tvdefrancesco · 7/10 · 18 July 2014]

I just finished episode 4 and I swear there were more commercials than actual air time. I really liked the pilot and the overall plot of the show, but the more we explore the characters the more I begin to despise them. The Homeland writers/producers for some reason make teenage girls unbearable, confrontation happy, downright annoying(see Dana Brody). I liked the daughter at first but she's turning into a terrible character. Then there's the wife, or the pull string doll as I like to call her. She can only say two sentences, "Are you OK and Can we please talk about it? Her obliviousness to Middle Eastern Lifestyle is pathetic. The scenes with the maid made me cringe. The Wife is so clueless. Barry's friend is really starting to pi$$ me off too. Barry's finally trying to help and he keeps whining and judging, even asking him to turn against his family. He disagrees even pleads with his daughter to not go down the rebel path, but then decides to join her simply to spite Barry when he offers help. Finally there's the son. I'm all for Gay rights but seriously? Does every current show need to shove Gay relationships down our throats. I know they're exploring how gays are viewed in the Middle East, but the lover's quarrel is already getting annoying. Teenage BS, but between two men...yet again.

Luckily we have Jamal and his smoking wife, and the terrorist leader. These characters are all very interesting as is the plot. I hope they start to show Jamal in a more brutal light. Episode 5 definitely shows promise. I can't wait for them to storm the square. We're starting to see that Jamal's son is an A-hole who cares only about himself. It'll be interesting to see what happens when he finds out his dad took his wife's virginity. It's scary to think he is next in line to lead the country.

Overall though I do like this show. However with each passing episode I seem to be liking it less. Episode 5 is going to be critical in roping us back in. Stop focusing so much on Barry's family and start showing some action. I definitely like the flashbacks too, more of those would be nice.

P.s. Did Barry's Mom die as well or is she just lost in the palace somewhere?

Cartoony Psychopath vs Martyr Family Drama, Objectified Exotics on the side

[HaveWisdomWillTravel · 5/10 · 9 July 2015]

This show could have been good edutainment. It could potentially bring deeper understandings to the struggles of everyday Arab people, give them names and human faces, and shine a torch on the ills of stubborn feudal system, and how the rulers - even those with good intentions - continue to self-sabotage and cause blood shed every power transition or at the slightest foreign meddling. Yes it did all that. But an honest and balanced presentation, this story is not.

Art direction is superb. I particularly like the theme song: epic, somber, deep, emotive, beautiful and austere. But the "key story voice" is anything but. Overall the producing, writing, directing are disappointingly SHALLOW given the available ingredients and excellent human resource they have at their disposal.

The actors do try their best, but there're just too many 'pander to mainstream American sentimental clichés' and cringe-worthy moments. Cringe-worthy, because the writer/director think their viewers are idiots, and the producer think "audience are lured in by either bloody visual violence or crying/seductive female baits". They must hit every VERY HARD on every points like we still haven't exited PATRONizing 60's.

It is not enough that the bad king acts like a testosterone ape, he must choose to CALCULATEDLY act out the most psychotic and "CREATIVELY SADISTIC" evil stunts, even when he is celebrating a moment of psychological triumph, or sneaking around his palace betraying his own less powerful family members with petty sinful acts many powerful American family males do regularly without blinking. Yawn.

Women, the damsel/virgin and the bitch/whore. Captain Obvious writer and director only know these two types of female species... Yawn...

The exotic queen is a real bitch - she just want the man she STILL loves to DIE. Oh, and she uses her sexuality (on her own husband!!!)to get her ways. So un-American and evil whore of her. Wow really. LOL.

On that note, the exotic/bad queen Leila is tall enough as is but insists on catwalking all the time in 5inch high heels just so that her mid-build hubby Jamal the bad king looks like a short angry-teen and her adult son looks like telly-tubby next to her. Telly tubby prince also has a tall fashion-model-frame wife, another one-dimensional damsel/virgin object with (unmatching)British boarding school accent.

Imagine the two VIP couples standing in a line. The cartoon visual is NOT intended, however, and that is the core problem with the production: the casting decision is 300% TESTOSTERONE-driven.

Testosterone excess always seek estrogen excess. Thus...the "good" wife of our leading hero is too whiny and fluffy and lacking in "first lady in line" qualities.

As an actress Finnigan just pouts and botox-widen-eyed innocence-posturing and camera-poses to much - ANNOYING even when she's supposed to elicit audience sympathy. Her self-absorbed acting made more jarring by her excessively groomed hair and over-stretched-face and "dreamy white angel in Moroccon resort settings" Vogue fashion shot parades. A 30-something actress who BEHAVES like a flighty 30yr old department store executive would of course FAIL to convince as a 40+ DOCTOR wife OF A DYNASTIC FAMILY with 18 year old children! What? She's a child bride of Bassam at 14?

Finnigan as Molly = most distracting and anti-immersion and cringe-inducing element in the entire show.

Bassam's American family are shallow, banal, run-of-the-mill stereotype Californian upper middle class private school bred, doesn't act like they've grown up with a serious conscientious intellectual "Persian prince" as a father, or a doctor as a mother, even as the kids apparently hung out with their cartoon-psychopath-playboy-millionaire uncle during school holidays in the exotic land of complications. The father's focus is on the lives of millions, his shallow family just want to drink French wines in resort palace and whine about daddy/hubby not caring abt his poor little angelic family? Huh? Seriously?

Overall, it's just bad use of good talents. The daughter is a post-porn era wannabe Lisa Simpson who talks social justice but walks ubercool fashion cafe streets. The son, a caricature of a self-pitying super-brat, another captain obvious "bad seed" Al Fayeed.

But still, Bassam the hero is THE ONLY good AND strong one - so stereotypical Jesus earnestly seeking martyrdom he even looks like Jesus in some scenes. Jamal is just cartoon in his inconsistent evil-type: one minuet he's one super-EFFECTIVE Machiavellian schemer, next minute he pulls another psychotic idiotic stunt sneakily behind his wife/son's back. Huh?

The white/good couple against the exotic/bad couple. So neat. So politically correct. So obvious. Even the attempt to be "edgy" and controversial (cross-cultural male homosexuality) is also neat and captain obvious.

After all that logic holes and glaring flaws, the show has redeeming qualities. There is actually a main story arc still held together by the good dedicated actors and art directors. I'm in the second season start, bracing myself for the tedium of filtering out Finnigan's distracting Botoxed face with bad queen's inappropriate catwalk parades in between more desert sand and beardy males with captain obvious black or white morality.

Those who think Homeland and Zero Dark Thirty are morally just and unbiased will really like this show.

Most educated and rational people will find the gratuitous Arab/ female objectification excessive. I wouldn't say the show adds to the suffering and misunderstanding of those who have to live in that reality, but it certainly isn't as high-minded as it presents itself.

Recommended as a high budget cartoon that pretends to be serious drama. Brace oneself for unnecessary visual and psychological violence.

Best new show of the season ... PERIOD!!!

[jbohemier61 · 10/10 · 13 August 2014]

Far and away the best new show of the season. I love it and can't get enough. Its full of action, drama, betrayal, plot twist... a story line that's second to none. As one whose traveled throughout the Middle East, I can say that this show portrays their reality about as close as any American Network's managed to get to the real thing. The story line's captivating and as one whose easily distracted, this show holds and keeps my attention. Each episode seems to last a mere five minutes, and then I'm stuck waiting another week for the next. And that, in my book,is the prime mark of a terrific show. The actors are all strong, well rehearsed, and work extremely well together. HIGHLY recommend watching from the beginning to end, each episode in order. Better yet is BINGE watching of this show. I highly recommend recording this to DVR so no episodes are missed. If you've not seen the show, try Bing watching it from the beginning, Best show of the season, regardless of network. I look forward to many more seasons, and hope to see each season come out on DVD shortly after they each end. Thanks FX for giving us quality entertainment!!!