TYRANT-- FX NETWORK

[Juliajms]

I'm less convinced that Barry will always do the right thing. Is Jamal really the title character? I guess it's possible, but I'm expecting this to be a Walter White transformation. If not, I'm only here because the show is about a very different culture, but I'm not sure how long that can keep me coming back.

I read they are filming in Israel and the conflict made them leave before the last 3 episodes were completed. I wonder if that will be noticeable or how it will play out. Maybe it will be three episodes of indoor shots, which would be too bad.

[Cyberologist]

Its now being filmed in Turkey, I just got into it and IMO is pretty violent; so I can fill in whatever blanks...right now the son (Sammy) and wife (Molly) gets on my nerves Jamal is vile beyond belief I haven't seen all the eppys yet I'm just starting three... I'll probably finish up this first season at least.

I think their father was a Tyrant who changed now Jamal is.

[rhinohide]

Ugh. We debate rape here endlessly. What is or isn't rape. The brutality of rape and it's role at the center of Jamal's power is really hard for me to watch. And even though we haven't seen a rape since the first couple of episodes, it's part of every episode. Sometimes only subtley and others like this most recent episode, much more overtly. I'm really having difficulty staying with it, but I admit I am very intrigued by the political intrigue. Kind of watching through my fingers. I couldn't take it if it were more violent.

This reminds me of The Bridge, but I think The Bridge is better.

[Juliajms]

I thought it was interesting that Ahmed has been so patient with his wife. A month is a long time to wait for your spouse to have sex with you when you don't know they've been assaulted. I hope Nusrat's mother told her to have sex with Ahmed ASAP, not because she should have to live in this hellish situation, It's just a matter of survival. If she turns up pregnant and can't pass it off as her husband's, I don't want to see what happens next.

I wonder if there's any chance Ahmed is actually Barry's. Jamal might know or suspect the boy isn't his, but not that his brother is the father.

[ajsp35801]

I am just on episode 3 but the first thing I wondered was if Jamal's son was actually Barry's son. This was before they showed that they had sex. I knew from their first meeting that the Jamal's wife and Barry had a thing. Too many years of watching soaps I suppose.

Sammi is an idiot. You are in the middle east. Openly gay is a not allowed.

I don't like Barry's daughter. Hopefully that changes.

The actor that plays Jamal is brilliant. He has taken what I am sure was a one note sociopath on the page and made him sympathetic and multi-dimensional.

I didn't think that Jamal raped his son's wife. Molested, yeah. I thought he used his finger to break her hymen. Am I wrong? Or does something happen I have not seen yet.

Oh, and I am pretty sure the tyrant is Bassam. I felt that way when he was shown as a child pulling that trigger with no remorse and when he slapped his son. He will transform into someone unrecognizable to what he was from the first episode.

[Juliajms]

I agree with you. If the Tyrant isn't Bassam this show is wasting my time, but I believe it is. Killing someone as a child and his father saying "it should have been you" are what make me thing so. Also knowing this show is partially based on Assad, who is also a doctor. I wonder what is going to trigger Bassam. Seems like it will have to be the opposition hurting his family, but we'll see.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

WOW....I was half expecting Jamal to do something like that but to his wife.....

[rhinohide]

Did I miss something? What did Jamal do to his wife? And I'm so confused. Why did Jamal

?

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

What he did to the mistress I've been expecting to do to his wife....that was my point.

The episode was pretty good. But I find the concept that Molly and the kids will be forced to stay her to be kinda annoying. In reality I just think it would never happen.

Jamal is such a fascinating character. I felt so bad for him in that scene with his wife and later with the mistress. Only for him to completely destroy that by the end of the episode....just amazing work on the part of the actor and the way he goes from 1-1,000 is just incredible.

[rhinohide]

I agree. One minute is just a lost little boy looking for love, and the next he becomes a monster. He can almost make you weep for him, and then you're just stunned that he's such a sociopath.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

What did you think of Barry/Bassam this episode. A part of me was really wondering if he'd do it but by the end of the episode I wasn't quite sure if I believed that he was capable of doing that....

[ajsp35801]

The actor that plays Jamal is stealing the show from the lead.

[Juliajms]

Yeah, I think the lead actor is pretty bad unfortunately. He's lacking charisma, imo.

[ajsp35801]

I figured that Bassam was going to have to kill that Sheikh. The show spent far too much time building up the friendship and showing how much respect they had for each other. His death at Bassam's hands was imminent. Writing wise, I think it was important to show that Bassam is not incapable of doing what must be done. This makes him a believable adversary for a sociopath.

[Juliajms]

Are we sure Bassam himself isn't a psychopath? I suspect he is considering he's murdered at least two people and didn't seem terribly broken up about it.