Tyrant
Starring: Adam Rayner, Jennifer Finnigan, Ashraf Barhom, Fares Fares, Moran Atias
Created by: Gideon Raff
Genre: Drama
Seasons: 2
No. of episodes: 10
Running time: 45 minutes
In the (fictional) country of Abbudin, the winds of revolutions are rising. The old tyrant and President Al-Fayeed is dying, and as the laws of tyranny would have it, his son Jamal is to succeed him as President. But on his death bed, Khaleed Al-Fayeed tells his second son, Bassam, that it should have been him. Bassam has kept away from Abbudin for 20 years and is living in America with his wife Molly, son Sammy and daughter Emma. He even changed his name to Barry. But Bassam is forced to face his fears and return to Abbudin for his nephew Ahmed’s wedding. After the wedding, the old President dies and Bassam is swayed into the politics of running the country beside his incompetent brother. Jamal’s methods are pretty much the old ways –he loves women, he loves to show people he has power and he likes to lead by fear.
On the other side of town, the resistance leader Ihab Rashid is mobilising followers into his camp, among them Samira. Samira is the daughter to Fauzi Nadal, a war correspondent and also a childhood friend of Bassam’s. Samira is led by her ambitions for a better Abbudin, but mostly by her love for Ihab Rashid. For the sake of removing tyranny from the country, Bassam plans a coup along with the US Ambassador John Tucker. Bassam might look like he wants peace for the country, but there are instances that make the viewers doubt his intentions. He has the instincts of a ruler – he knows when to use force and when to be a diplomat. He is definitely more qualified than his brother Jamal to run the country and sometimes it seems as though he wants to.
Adam Rayner’s portrayal of Bassam’s character is best described as a poor man’s Scofield from Prison Break. He lacks the silent stare that says a thousand words; he lacks the intrigue and mystique. In fact, the boy who plays young Bassam (Housini Abour) has more on-screen charisma than the older character. But Ashraf Barhom’s endearing depiction of a lost and tortured soul is what saves most of the show. He elevates every scene with his impeccable performances. One character that is definitely underplayed is that of Amira Al-Fayeed. As the matriarch of the Al-Fayeed clan, she should have a central role rather than the few minutes of screen time that she is allocated in random episodes. The role of Amira is played by South African-born actress Alice Krige.
The show is like listening to a great story from a bad story-teller. The plot is unique, interesting and definitely captivating, but some of the acting and directing leaves much to be desired. But because it is such a fresh story to come on the small screen, Tyrant is definitely a must-watch.