S01.E05: Hail Mary

[formerlyfreedom]

As Jamal prepares to throw down the gauntlet on the thousands of citizens gathered in the Plaza to protest his reign, Barry scrambles to put together a summit in the hopes of avoiding violence and bloodshed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEBOdNWa-Ts&list=PLsNkouYIWlChThq9Z1FX1OxSOaPp-3Qmx

[Chaos Theory]

Its funny the political stuff is the least interesting story for me.  I actually really enjoyed Molly's name dropping.  "Who the hell are you?"  "Dr. Molly Al-Fayeed."

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Poor girl, married to an asshole, who's father violated her.

Plus dad has no backbone.

She's going to kill herself.

[Chrissytd]

Are they setting it to be revealed that Nusarat is pregnant with Jamal's baby?

Jamal broke her hymen,, with his fingers.

Thanks for the clarification.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Chrissytd

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Jamal broke her hymen,, with his fingers.

[thuganomics85]

Glad that Jamal's rapey ways aren't just going to be dropped, and are still an underlining (for now) issue.  Certainly don't blame Nusrat for wanting out (especially since Ahmed is slowly showing a darker side), but I figured Jamal was going to prevent that from happening. Always good to know that, when Bassam isn't around, Jamel is still capable of being a crazy fucker.  Isn't helping out the General and Leila seem to be tag-teaming him to get his ruthless dictatorship on.  Of course, I do wonder what would Leila's reaction be if she knew what really happened with Nusrat.  Sadly, while I'd like to think Leila would be disgusted, a part of me wonders if she would be willing to look past it, in order to main her family's "reputation."

 

Molly dropping the "Al Fayeed" name to get what she wanted, was certainly the most interesting thing she has done so far.  Much better then her freaking out about how Bassam should quit endangering himself and think of his family, even though he was the one who wanted to leave way back in the pilot, while she was the one whining about how he should stay.  Make up your damn mind, Molly.  But, if this leads to Molly slowly getting use and maybe corrupted by the power, that would certainly be a welcome change.

 

Samira/Fauzi's daughter is continuing to see that Rashid isn't a great man, himself.  Fully preparing to bail, if the shit went down.  I'm still wondering that the big plan is for both her and Fauzi.

 

Tucker is still fun to watch.  Glad that Alice Krige came out from wherever she was hiding.  I'm still curious about her character, and how much she knows about what her husband did, and what kind of man Jamal is.

Edited July 23, 2014 by thuganomics85

[Dowel Jones]

Are we to believe that Jamal picked up Nusarat's father (no petite man he) and lifted him up 2-3 feet off the ground with barely a grunt?  If it all goes bad, he's still got a gig down on Muscle Beach waiting for him.  If anyone's got the inside track to take him out, it's now Nusarat, simply out of spite.

[ShellSeeker]

Samira/Fauzi's daughter is continuing to see that Rashid isn't a great man, himself.  Fully preparing to bail, if the shit went down.  I'm still wondering that the big plan is for both her and Fauzi.

 

This was the most interesting part of the episode for me. It was -- or at least should have been -- quite an eye opener for Samira to realize that Rashid has no problem being the heroic martyr when it's easy, but deep down he's in it for the attention and glory and self-preservation will prevail.

 

I was also glad to see that Jamal assaulting Nusrat appears to be a bigger part of the plot, rather than just a plot device to show us what a sadistic psycho he is. I liked that her father tried to protect her, even if he was unsuccessful. The stereotypical reaction would have been for him to blame her, and say that she brought it on herself somehow. Instead, we see a father who loves his daughter and wants to keep her safe, but in the end is too afraid to confront her attacker. Which is understandable. Given what we've seen of Jamal, it's not unreasonable to think that he would hurt or kill Nusrat and her mother after killing him (or more likely, have someone do it for him). Her father has probably resigned himself to the fact that while sending Nusrat back to Ahmed will be awful for her, it is the least horrible/safest alternative.

 

And I've been going nuts trying to remember what I'd seen Alice Krige in, and then I finally figured out she was on Six Feet Under as the kooky leader of a self-help workshop, which I remember because one of those episodes had my favorite rant from Ruth Fisher, played by Frances Conroy.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Queasy-bo

[scrb]

Actually would have been an interesting twist if Jamal told the general to kill anyone who resisted and go arrest the sheik.

 

But from the previews, Jamal may be planning to crack down after pretending to open up.

 

Seems really obsessed with the Ghadafi video.  If he's that worried, he could go into exile with millions or billions, instead of waiting around to get killed or spill a lot of blood to maintain power.

[dubbel zout]

I don't quite understand why a divorce for Nusrat and Ahmed is out of the question—it's not as if Jamal can't put all the blame on her and her family, especially this early in the marriage. The Al Fayeeds gave her family their power, so a business/financial alliance wasn't what the marriage was about.

 

I'll be curious to see if they take Nusrat down the same road that Leila seems to have gone, i.e., resigned to an unhappy marriage but getting something else out of it. Right now it doesn't look as if Nusrat has the same ambitions Leila does (whatever those are; please, Show, tell us more!), but willful ignorance doesn't seem Nusrat's speed. Unlike Amira. Maybe that's the only way she can live with herself. I can't believe she doesn't know what Jamal has been up to even a little bit, and there's no way she didn't know what her husband did.

[annlaw78]

 

I don't quite understand why a divorce for Nusrat and Ahmed is out of the question—it's not as if Jamal can't put all the blame on her and her family, especially this early in the marriage. The Al Fayeeds gave her family their power, so a business/financial alliance wasn't what the marriage was about.

I'm assuming divorce is frowned on in whatever religion they were married in (it is in most religions).  The family is trying to consolidate power and get the country to rally around a new leader, and it doesn't look good that the new princess (who the family is probably counting on being a PR darling ala Kate Middleton or other wives-of-heirs to Europe royal houses) wants to bolt.  It's important to play happy families. 

 

I have a feeling the Sheik is going to propose that he will endorse a peace/unity plan if Barry is installed as president instead of Jamal.  They've really been building up Jamal's "don't come between my brother and me" attitude, and that would create quite the conflict. 

[scrb]

I think it's also the attitude of, we made you, you don't refuse us anything.

 

These families which are close to the regime get all kinds of privilege but in exchange for absolute loyalty.

[MissScarlett]

I like that Molly is getting more involved and that the naive veil she's had clouding her eyes since the beginning is just now coming off.  The character is becoming a little less of a nuisance for me. 

 

Bassam's plea for the Sheik to talk to Jamal for the purpose of coming to a peace agreement, is going to blow up in his face somehow.  It seems that there will be a revolution, regardless.

 

Leila, Tariq and Bassam are all poking and prodding Jamal to be a certain kind of leader.  It seems a lot like poking a sleeping bear though.  Jamal is bound to crack and give up the facade and go back to being the psycho we were introduced to in the beginning.  In fact, as soon as he is able to get an erection, I think all bets are off and he goes batshit crazy.

 

Poor Nusrat. :(

Edited July 23, 2014 by MissScarlett

[dubbel zout]

I doubt the general public cares if Nusrat and Ahmed divorce. Their marriage wasn't presented as a nationwide celebration of true love. And we haven't seen that Abuddin has powerful clerics to mollify, so even if the religion opposes divorce, so what? Jamal doesn't exactly live a principled life.

 

I get the "we made you; you don't refuse us anything" aspect here, but Jamal can take it all away if he chooses. Or at least make life extremely difficult for Nusrat's family.

 

I don't know what the stakes are here for Ahmed and Nusrat to stay married. She isn't pregnant. The marriage isn't a year old. If we'd seen Ahmed beg his father to fix things, that would explain things. What's the big deal (from Jamal's standpoint) of them getting a divorce and then shaming her and her family?

 

Why was Molly running around in a negligee for so long? I also thought her dress for the luncheon/reception was too formal. A strapless ballgown for a day party? Everything about her—writing, wardrobe—is uneven.

Edited July 23, 2014 by dubbel zout

[MissScarlett]

 

I have a feeling the Sheik is going to propose that he will endorse a peace/unity plan if Barry is installed as president instead of Jamal.  They've really been building up Jamal's "don't come between my brother and me" attitude, and that would create quite the conflict. 

 

That's one way to get Jamal out of the way where leadership is concerned but still keep him around!  There's been a lot of talk that Bassam will transition from diplomat to Tyrant.  I think that transformation can't happen unless something tragic happens to Molly and/or one of his kids.  He's already said that Molly and the kids are his link to sanity and that they ground him.  Imagine removing that element from his life.  All hell would break loose at that point.

[scrb]

I don't think Leila would be particularly sympathetic if she learned the truth.

 

It would be more like, "bitch, you've been holding out on my son?"

 

Nusrat may not have been that enthusiastic about marrying doughboy in the first place, either.

[Constantinople]

I don't quite understand why a divorce for Nusrat and Ahmed is out of the question—it's not as if Jamal can't put all the blame on her and her family, especially this early in the marriage. The Al Fayeeds gave her family their power, so a business/financial alliance wasn't what the marriage was about.

Jamal can put all the public blame on Nusrat and her family as he wants. That doesn't mean people will believe him. Some may, but in a dictatorship where watching TV, or at least foreign news, is a crime, few will expect an explanation that blames the Al Fayeeds.

Jamal's rule is already being challenged, and there are public protests against him in the main square of the capital. If Nusrat divorced Ahmed, many would see it as a public disavowal of the Al Fayeeds by one of their closest associates. Dictatorships always have internal enemies. It's when their friends turn against them, or are seen as turning against them, that they run into real problems.

[annlaw78]

Jamal can put all the public blame on Nusrat and her family as he wants. That doesn't mean people will believe him. Some may, but in a dictatorship where watching TV, or at least foreign news, is a crime, few will expect an explanation that blames the Al Fayeeds.

Jamal's rule is already being challenged, and there are public protests against him in the main square of the capital. If Nusrat divorced Ahmed, many would see it as a public disavowal of the Al Fayeeds by one of their closest associates. Dictatorships always have internal enemies. It's when their friends turn against them, or are seen as turning against them, that they run into real problems.

It's a bit reminiscent (just a bit) of the situation with Princess Margaret of the UK in the 1950s, when she wanted to marry a divorced man, but as third-in-line to the throne, could not do so without renouncing her place in succession.  Because the abdication crisis of the 1930s was in the recent past, she was persuaded against going through with the marriage, lest the royal family be further undermined and de-stablized.  Again, much different time, much different place. But the same general idea against rocking the boat in royal/ruling families.

 

And, even more generally, I think we've only had one divorced POTUS to date.  I'm not sure if there have been any divorced PMs of the UK.  You reach a certain level in leadership/politics, and divorce can become a liability.

 

What sort of sniggering would there be if the new princess bride was repelled by the heir to Abuddin and within a month of marriage wanted to bolt?  None of the speculation that would come of that would reflect well on Ahmed.  The likely gossip would be either he's some sort of brutish sexual animal or he's impotent.  Neither of which are things Ahmed or his family would want circulating about him.  And, to be fair to Ahmed, though he's clearly a spoiled jerk, he's neither of those things.  He's been patient and as far as we are shown, not forced Nusrat to consummate the marriage.  He has no idea why his new wife, who seemed enthusiastic about marrying him, now recoils at his touch. 

 

ETA:  And to be clear, I'm not heaping praise upon Ahmed for doing what any decent man would do: not rape a woman.  I'm just pointing out that he's not a brute, nor impotent, so the speculation about him would be false. 

Edited July 23, 2014 by annlaw78

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Rashid being smacked down a few pegs, that was awesome.

He's a pretender, pappy shut that ass down.

[glitterpants]

This episode dragged for me, I even found myself missing the two brats for a second. Adam Rayner is killing me slowly with his one-note acting. Bassam always looks either a) concerned, or b) slightly more concerned. I assume that scene with Molly after he returns from his "failed" meeting was supposed to be touching or at least show something about the evolution of their relationship, but all I saw was two people staring at each other vacantly - yawn. I'd rather watch Leila file her nails.

[Etta Place]

 

A strapless ballgown for a day party?

I know! I mean, it was a very formal morning or lunch get-together, but that ball gown.

 

I guess Samira is poised to become a real leader if she doesn't end up dead. But she can't possibly end up a leader for this movement as it stands, right? She must go with more of a "rights for everyone" platform.

 

Molly name-dropping: power corrupts. Maybe she'll become the tyrant of the title!

[Constantinople]

Jamal's rule is already being challenged, and there are public protests against him in the main square of the capital. If Nusrat divorced Ahmed, many would see it as a public disavowal of the Al Fayeeds by one of their closest associates. Dictatorships always have internal enemies. It's when their friends turn against them, or are seen as turning against them, that they run into real problems.

 

Sorry to quote myself, but I forgot to mention the scene where Tariq told Leila that if Jamal didn't act, somebody else would.  Leila asked if that was a threat and Tariq responded that he's trying to help.  Nevertheless, Leila is concerned not just concerned about Rashid & Co.,but also Tariq and, perhaps more generally, the military.  She's not about to add any additional challenges to al Fayeed rule, albeit implied, but permitting Nusrat to divorce her son.

 

I'm not if Jamal was concerned primarily about the private insult the divorce would cause, or the political ramifications, but I think Leila was focused on the latter.

[candall]

Still loving it.  This is the only summer show that makes me close down the Solitaire and turn on the CC.

 

Sheik Rashid is a convincingly charismatic old lion in winter, isn't he?  When the crowd fell still and parted, I totally bought it.  Looking forward to more of him.

 

And to more of poor Nusrat--I have some hopes for her as an insider informant with a bent for revenge.  But probably not, because I'm batting zero on Nusrat predictions.  So far I've been surprised a)Ahmed hasn't forced himself on her, b)her father supported her instead of pushing her head under in the swimming pool and c)Leila didn't narrow her eyes and give Nusrat the "wifely duty" speech.  It's almost shocking that no one's rebuked her for what Jamal did to her.

[dubbel zout]

It's almost shocking that no one's rebuked her for what Jamal did to her.

 

I think Nusrat going back to Ahmed indicated one or both of her parents said something about it to her. I'm glad it was offscreen, because I don't need to see a rape victim being berated for getting raped.

 

Does anyone in Jamal's family know? Nusrat obviously hasn't told Ahmed, and Leila doesn't seem like the confiding type.

Edited July 24, 2014 by dubbel zout

[ganesh]

I'm not interested in the kid drama so this was pretty good. And good for Barry getting the Sheik out of exile. Although this may lead to worse consequences. Even if Jamal wanted to, I don't think the sheik would have returned.

 

It was -- or at least should have been -- quite an eye opener for Samira to realize that Rashid has no problem being the heroic martyr when it's easy, but deep down he's in it for the attention and glory and self-preservation will prevail.

 

She leveled a very withering and disgusted look at him too. And I think the dad noticed it too.

 

I don't quite understand why a divorce for Nusrat and Ahmed is out of the question—it's not as if Jamal can't put all the blame on her and her family, especially this early in the marriage.

 

In addition to the political reasons, it's always important for dynasties to make babies, legit babies, which Jamal mentioned twice. 

 

Molly name-dropping: power corrupts. Maybe she'll become the tyrant of the title!

 

I posted in E4 that maybe Barry isn't going to be the Tyrant, simply because it's so obvious. I don't think this is the show that's going to kill off his wife, have him somehow installed as president and then go off on a brutal dictatorship. Where do you go from there? Some of the stuff we've seen Barry do since E1 has actually been working. I could see if nothing he's tried was paying off.

[Ariah]

I really liked this episode: first, there were no bratty kids around. A big plus for me, I'm not here for teenage drama of being misunderstood.

 

Second: there must be something wrong with me, because I'm liking this Molly. Couln't she have been written this way in the Pilot? Now I'm beginning to think she was so bend on staying in the country only because it would be wrong not to attend the funeral. The writers could have shaped her better, she still come sacross bi-polar. And sort of "I know your father killed millions, but it's ok, he didn't kill OUR millions."

 

The ending, when Jamal jumps in Barry's face, with the general at his side: I think Jamal was this close to putting his brother in jail or even executing him. I believe he'll ponder the thought more often now. And I think laila has an axe to grind against Barry, as hell has no furry - she was left behind by him after all.

 

As for the whole "who will be the Tyrant" thing: basically, I believe Barry is doing good things, but in the end the outcome will remain the same. He'll try to bring peace, he'll try to act in a democratic way... But the people will not notice the change. For them, he'll be just another Al-Fayeed, a nominal tyrant. No matter how much good intentions he has. And that's the tragedy of it.

[izabella]

So Molly hops on an ambulance so she can throw her name around at the hospital to make sure the kid is treated and isn't arrested, and no on notices and asks questions?  What?

[Primetimer]

Who amongst us hasn't blanched at running a dictatorship?

Read the story

[dubbel zout]

It's hard out there for a despot.

[eejm]

Are we to believe that Jamal picked up Nusarat's father (no petite man he) and lifted him up 2-3 feet off the ground with barely a grunt?  If it all goes bad, he's still got a gig down on Muscle Beach waiting for him.  If anyone's got the inside track to take him out, it's now Nusarat, simply out of spite.

 

I think the hanger-thingie was down for Jamal to be able to hang a new target and pull it up to shooting level.  Jamal merely backed Nusrat's dad up, hung the collar of his jacket on the hook, and pulled him up.  

 

I think Nusrat's parents were sympathetic to her plight, but after what happened with her father, they probably had to tell her to buck up, go back, and try to avoid Jamal if at all possible.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if she ends up killing herself out of despair.