Tyrant: Accepting The Truth

Warning: Spoiler Alert

The whole tale of the FX Network Original Series “Tyrant,” revolves around brothers, fathers and sons and the problems that exist between them. The Al Fayeed family, that lead the mythical Middle-Eastern country of Abbudin, is a clan that’s filled with a history of betrayal and being unable to properly express their love for each other. The former President Khaled Al Fayeed, got betrayed by his brother Tariq who commanded the country’s military. The General went behind his brother’s back and attacked rebel forces with Sarin, over 20-years-ago. The attack resulted in a victory for the government, but Khaled lost the trust and faith of his people, including his youngest son Bassam.

Bassam left his homeland and reinvented himself in the USA, renaming himself Barry and became a husband, father and a physician in California. Last summer Barry took his family to Abbudin for the first time, so they could attend the wedding of his brother Jamal’s son Ahmed. Things got complicated when Khaled passed out at the reception and subsequently died, making Jamal the new President of Abbudin.

Barry agreed to remain in Abbudin as his brother’s adviser, while Jamal was getting used to the job. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out too well, as Barry tried to engineer a bloodless-coup to replace his brother. Jamal caught wind of the plan and ordered his brother’s execution for treason. However Jamal couldn’t live with the thought of his brother’s blood on his hands, so he abandoned Barry in the middle of the desert, giving him a chance to survive.

Barry did far more than survive, he once again took on a new name Khalil and became the leader of the Red Hand, a counter-revolutionary group determined to destroy the enemy of the regime, the Caliphate Army. Once again Jamal turns to him for advice, unaware that Khalid’s really his brother. However Barry’s son Sammy, wanting to help the Red Hand financially, goes to the headquarters of the Red Hand and finds out that the father he thought dead, actually leads the movement he wants to help. The reunion between father and son was far from joyous. Sammy insists on joining the movement to avenge a friend’s death and Barry can’t convince him to leave.

This week’s episode opens with Barry watching his son sleeping, he takes Sammy’s cellphone and calls his wife Molly and tells her he’s still alive. Molly doesn’t believe it’s him at first, then she realizes it’s true and tries to make sense of all she’s been through in the last few months. She drops the phone as Barry keeps asking if she’s still there.

Jamal’s wife Leila enters his office in the palace and tells her husband she’s concerned about him, that he hadn’t gone to bed the night before. The President’s paranoia has overtaken him and he tells his wife about his meeting with the religious figure, who told him that there’s an enemy within the palace. He then says that his son and the head of the Abbudin military Rami Said, had the chance to destroy the Caliphate Army’s leadership, but he didn’t act on it. He asks his wife if Rami could be the enemy within.

Leila, tells her husband that Rami’s trying his best for Jamal and the country and tells her husband it’s ridiculous to think that the General’s working against him. Jamal nods his head, but we can see by the expression on his face, her words haven’t soothed him.

Jamal’s other son Ahmed’s in his room with his wife Nusrat and he asks her where she wants them to head to for vacation, so she can heal from her miscarriage and hysterectomy. Nusrat follows the instructions she got from Leila and tells Ahmed they must have their marriage annulled, so he can marry another woman and produce an heir. Ahmed says he loves her and will fight to the death for her, but she tells him she doesn’t want him to, she just wants it all to be over.

The President holds a meeting with his senior advisers and Rami tells the group his plan to win back Ma’an. He says that meteorologists predict a huge sandstorm in three nights. His plan involves the Red Hand destroying the Caliphate Army’s anti-aircraft weaponry, then his troops will come in and destroy the rebels. He asks Jamal to share Khalil’s phone number with him, but the President says he’s the only one to make contact with Khalil.

The leaders of the Caliphate Army Ihab Rashid and Abu Omar, talk with Kasim Al-Yazbek about surviving the bombing during their raid of five Christian homes, the night before. Rashid says that Kasim must have been blessed to survive the bomb and asks him what he believes saved his life. Kasim says it was likely timing, Ihab Rashid says that timing’s critical, especially when coupled with information. He then accuses Kasim of collaborating with the Red Hand and when Kasim claims innocence, he starts asking about his brother Munir. Kasim remains silent.

Rami and the chief of his Air Force meet with Colonel Mahmoud and General Said tries to get Khalil’s phone number from him. He tells Said that he works for Jamal and if he were to disobey orders, he’d get tried for treason. The Air Force commander says it’s not treason to try to save the country. Mahmoud advises Rami not to try to get Khalil’s number as it will lead to trouble.

The Red Hand have a meeting and Halima asks about Barry’s progress with the palace. He tells the group he’s waiting for a call, but he’s encouraged due to earlier conversations. He tells them he’s sure that things are going to work out the right way and then asks Sammy if he’d like a tour of their living quarters. As soon as the two are alone, Barry hugs his son, but Sammy’s still angry and hurt. Barry tells his son he contacted Molly and let her know he was okay. The call for prayer sounds and Barry invites Sammy to join him, but the teenager declines the offer.

Barry’s cellphone rings while he’s praying, he sees the call’s from Jamal and steps out of the group to answer his phone. Jamal greets him by asking how his favorite counter-revolutionary’s doing and Barry responds he’s anxious. He tells the President he’s glad he called, he wants to speak with Jamal’s military leader and solidify plans. The President replies that he doesn’t trust his military commander and then tells him that Rami’s actually his son. A son he never knew he had, who came to him with a distinguished military career.

Barry asks Jamal why he doesn’t trust him and Jamal replies that God hates him for refusing to forgive his brother. Barry responds that the President’s a very wise man, but he shouldn’t presume to know God’s thoughts. Jamal asks if the Red Hand could storm the Caliphate Army base and destroy their anti-aircraft artillery, Barry replies that without explosives or trained soldiers it would be a very tough mission. Jamal says that’s fine they’re just exploring options.

He then asks the man he knows as Khalil, his thoughts about just giving the Caliphate Army Ma’an. He admits that would give up the nation’s oil resources, but he says that oil’s not the energy of the future. Barry tells him that’s a bad plan, that Jamal’s people are there and counting on the government and the Red Hand to save them. Jamal chortles and says that Khalil’s a warrior and he likes that and trusts him. However at that point he looks out his office window and sees Rami talking with Nusrat and says he’ll call back the next day.

Rami tells Nusrat she looks as if her world’s falling apart and she says that happens to be the case. She then tells him about her conversation with Leila and he asks what’s Ahmed’s reaction. She says he’s devastated, because he’s willing to give up everything for her, but she’s not willing to do the same for him.

Ihab Rashid’s torturing Munir, trying to get information about where the Red Hand are located. Kasim’s sitting and watching his brother getting tortured and tells Munir to tell them the truth. Munir cries to his brother that he saved his life and Kasim responds he’s trying to do the same for Munir.

Rami pays Leila a visit, she’s pouring water in with the liquor in Jamal’s decanters, in an effort to cut back her husband’s drinking. She tells Rami that Jamal’s drinking too much and not sleeping, he then asks her for Khalil’s phone number.

Molly calls Barry and unloads all her frustration and anger on him, she says that she’s found herself wishing he really was dead, since she heard from him. She can’t comprehend what kept him from contacting her and she says he’s a horrible person. Barry lets her vent without defending himself.

While Jamal’s taking an afternoon nap, Leila takes his cellphone into their bathroom and copies Khalil’s number onto her phone, to give to Rami. Jamal wakes up shouting her name, when she arrives at the bed he tells her he had a nightmare. He says he was in the ocean and developed a cramp and started to drown, he saw Leila standing on the shore but she just watched dispassionately, making no effort to help him.

She tells Jamal she will always be there for him and would do anything to save him. She tells him he just had a dopey dream and then gives Jamal back his cellphone, saying he left it in the bathroom.

Barry’s asleep when he’s woken by his phone, Rami’s on the other end and asks Khalil if they can meet that evening, at a safe-house not far from Ma’an.

Kasim comes back to visit Munir holding food and water and Ihab Rashid cuts off the bonds that have secured him to the chair. Kasim says that he knows his brother’s hungry and thirsty and all he has to do is walk over to the map and point out where the Red Hand are hiding. Munir says he doesn’t know, and that Kasim’s his only friend. Ihab Rashid puts a gun against Kasim’s head and tells him he’s going to shoot Kasim if Munir refuses to give up the Red Hand, Munir gets up and walks over to the map.

One of the female members of the Red Hand has a crush on Sammy and keeps trying to flirt with him. Suddenly the members of the Red Hand get excited as they hear that Khalil’s meeting with Abbudin’s military leaders that night. One man starts pounding the table and chants assassinate the Caliphate. Soon almost all are banging and chanting, while Sammy looks on.

We cut to a jeep and see Ihab Rashid, Abu Omar and Kasim riding along. Abu Omar says it would have been alright for Kasim to sit out the attack on the Red Hand as he just witnessed his brother getting killed. Kasim says he admitted his crimes and got the punishment he deserved.

Barry, Siddiq and a few other soldiers from the Red Hand meet with Rami, the commander of the Air Force and other military leaders. We join them as their meeting’s finishing up, Rami tells the man he knows as Khalil that he’ll be given enough explosives and goggles to take out the anti-aircraft weapons. He then asks Khalil to not mention the conversation to Jamal and sound surprised when Jamal tells him the plan. Barry nods his head and says he understands.

Just as the meeting breaks up, the Caliphate Army arrive at the Red Hand headquarters. They start by bombing the building, then send in soldiers to engage in a fire-fight. The girl who has a crush on Sammy, grabs her machine gun and him and they take off. She shoots back at the Caliphate Army soldiers, then the two of them hide under a truck as the soldiers run past them. She then kisses Sammy and when he asks her why she kissed him, she says she was tired of waiting for him to kiss her. She tells him to hang tight, crawls out from under the truck and gets killed by gunfire. Sammy stays under the truck hyper-ventilating.

As Barry and his men get closer to their facility, they see flames shooting from the structure into the night sky. He tries calling Sammy but keeps getting his voicemail. When they arrive back at their camp they see all the dead and Barry starts screaming for Sammy. Just then he gets a call from Molly and he starts crying that he doesn’t know where Sammy is. She tells him she spoke to their son 20-minutes ago, he’s battered and bruised but otherwise alright and he’s heading back to fight with Barry. She then tells her husband she’s glad he’s still alive.

When Rami and the Air Force commander return to the palace, Jamal and Mahmoud are waiting for them. Jamal says he’s gotten a report that they met with a group of armed men and asks if they met with the Caliphate Army. The Air Force commander says they met with Khalil to try to save the country, Jamal asks his son why he disobeyed a direct order?

Rami’s frustration gets the best of him and he calls Jamal a drunken old fool and tells him to stand down. He says allow me to do my job and save yours in the bargain. Jamal asks his son if that’s the way he talks to his President and his father? Rami apologizes and says somehow I’ve lost your trust, but I swear on the soul of my dead mother that all I want to do is help you. He says everything’s in place and they’ll take down the Caliphate Army, the night after next. Jamal smiles and says excellent job and dismisses the two men, but holds Colonel Mahmoud back to talk to him. As soon as the two men get out of earshot, Jamal says he wants Rami dead.

The Story Continues Next Tuesday Night at 10:00pm on FX.