S01.E07: Preventative Medicine

[formerlyfreedom]

Jamal is terrified to discover that Sheik Rashid may actually survive Jamal's brutal attack, while Amira's disclosure of a twenty year old secret leads Barry to question everything he's ever believed about his father.

 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Bland Al-Fayeed is about to 187 Jamal's ass and take the throne.

Hi Wren Schmidt, loved her on BE as Julia.

[Enero]

I haven't tuned in to this show for a while. Tuned in tonight. Just when I started to feel sorry for Jamal he kills his poor mistress. SMDH. Didn't see that coming at all. IMO, he is by far the most compelling character on the show.

On the other hand, Bassam continues to be yawn worthy. He was interesting in the first episode but the direction they've decided to take the character hasn't been very compelling. So he's killed twice for Jamal and to keep the country in order, and now he decides he's going to facilitate a coup? Ok. How is that going to stabilize the country. Seems like that'll only bring more chaos.

I see that Molly, the kids and now her sister (argh) are more boring than ever. They add absolutely nothing to the show and actually breaks the flow of the episodes when they are shown.

Don't know if I'm going to watch next week. Overall the show is just not very interesting. Though I do find Jamal intriguing to watch.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Enero

[Rhetorica]

Well, that moved the plot along. Just as we thought, Tarik was the mastermind, Bassam is running for pres. And what kind of woman raised Molly and Jenna? Mrs. Cleaver?

Loved the episode title!

I'm usually good at speculation and theories, but why the hell did Jamal kill Katarina? 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Once Jamal dies, can't see Rayner carrying this show.

Ashraf is the lead, far as I'm concerned.

[Auntie Anxiety]

I figure that he Jamal killed the mistress because he told her things that he shouldn't have, like how he doesn't give a shit about the country, for example.  

 

The two kids=no value added.  Please, writers, just write them out of the show.  You've got to know that ne'er-do-well aunt ends up getting them into trouble.  Yawn.

 

Every character seems so two dimensional to me.  Not at all compelling.

[bluebonnet]

Why on earth was Bassam surprised that Tariq was a warmonger?  Everyone saw that from a mile away.  But Bassam, who has sat in on councils, was apparently shocked?!  lol

 

And Molly's sister.  We already know that's not going to end well because the wild sister who breaks up marriages and runs away to a dictatorship because she didn't like being told to do never ends well.  Was she just being figurative when she said that Molly was marrying down?  This woman clearly knows that she's in the palace of a dictator, so wtf?  Did neither Molly or her family do any research about the man Molly married?  The news of our world applies in their world considering the Gaddafi video.  But a family with the last name of a dictator didn't ever raise any questions?  Have they never suffered in America from having this name?  So hard to believe that their eyes are only open now that they are there.  

Once Jamal dies, can't see Rayner carrying this show.

Ashraf is the lead, far as I'm concerned.

I agree.  And I've wondered if the writers are considering changing what they had previously mapped out because it's clear the audience is not connecting to Rayner in a positive or negative way.  I mean, Jamal is a psycho, murdering rapist and the audience is still connecting with him due to Ashraf's performance.  I even felt for Jamal when he was strangling his mistress.  The feelings might have been negative, but at least I felt something.  Whereas I felt nothing when Bassam had his fake tear rolling down his cheek while killing the Sheik.  

[Rhetorica]

Once Jamal dies, can't see Rayner carrying this show.

Ashraf is the lead, far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure they will kill off Jamal. (at least I hope not) I can see the continuing conflict of brother vs brother. Bassam said the election could be years away so perhaps those years to come are the main plotline.

[thuganomics85]

OK, I doubt this was on purpose, but the introduction of Molly's annoying sis actually explains a few things, because now I can just believe that Molly's early behavior wasn't a fluke, but that her entire family was just sheltered, and just doesn't know squat about the real world.  Maybe her parents didn't let them watch TV or something.  I'll take what I can get!  That said, I feel like the sister is just here to make Molly look normal.  I almost think the TPTB realized how badly they bungled Molly in the early episodes, and are trying to rectify it.  I do like the actress playing the sister (remember her from Boardwalk Empire and The Americans), but I can already tell she is just trouble, and will probably do the Al Fayeed's more harm then good.

 

So, Tariq was not only responsible for the bombing, but did the gassing too, without the father's permission?  I guess they're really trying to flip Bassam's world upside down, by having his father not be the murderous dictator he was suppose to be.  Then again, he did cover it up and continued to let Tariq do his thing; and I'm still wondering how much his parenting caused Jamal to become who he is now, so he isn't a total innocent in all of this.

 

Bassim and Jamal both kill someone today, in order to protect themselves and their families.  Or at least that's what they tell themselves.  Of course, once again, Ashraf Barhom continues to do everything he can to continue to make Jamal compelling, despite being an awful, awful human being, while Adam Rayner continues to make Bassam an impressive bore, by being his normal blank, stoic self, only with a few crocodile tears.  Dammit, show.  I shouldn't be finding the psychotic rapist to be more watchable then the lead.

 

Leila is continuing to show that she is just as bad, by towing the "Everyone who doesn't support you should die!" line.  But, as long as Moran Atias continues to look that stunning, I'm not going to complain.

[Chrissytd]

The two kids=no value added. Please, writers, just write them out of the show. You've got to know that ne'er-do-well aunt ends up getting them into trouble. Yawn.

Every character seems so two dimensional to me. Not at all compelling.

I agree. I liked the past couple episodes better without the kids.

[scrb]

It looked like Leila was just about to get on her knees when Jamal told her he tried to kill the sheikh.

 

But then his talk about running away to the Maldives turned her off.

[Ottis]

I'm usually good at speculation and theories, but why the hell did Jamal kill Katarina?

 

 

In his fear and dismay that the sheik would survive and tell the world what Jamal did, Jamal allowed himself to appear weak to his mistress, and fantasize about leaving a country to find himself. Once Bassam took care of the sheik, it was back to being president for Jamal, and now he had a witness to kill. The key takeaway here is that even though Jamal knows that he doesn't really want to be president, and that being so means he has to be something he doesn't truly want to be (shades of him refusing to kill as a child), he still cannot turn down the power and all that it brings. If he had stronger principles, he would still walk away. But he can't.Plus, then we wouldn't have a show.

 

The visit to the home of the man Bassam killed as a child was interesting. In effect, because Bassam killed the father, the family moved away - and lived when they would have all died if they had stayed. You could see the wheels of justification turning in Bassam's head.

[Constantinople]

Creepiest Scenes of the Episode

 

3rd creepiest: Jamal kills his mistress for somewhat dubious reasons, IMO.

 

2nd creepiest: Bassam kills the Sheikh (Barry does not approve)

 

Creepiest: Leila gets aroused when Jamal tells her he attacked the Sheikh

 

Honorable mention: Bassam tells his mother that the Sheikh would be dead if Tariq was behind the Sheikh's accident.

[dubbel zout]

I figure that he Jamal killed the mistress because he told her things that he shouldn't have, like how he doesn't give a shit about the country, for example.

 

That, and she represented something he could never have, i.e., peace and quiet. If she'd said yes right away, I think he might have taken her to the Maldives.

 

Also, mistresses are always loose ends, so I wasn't entirely shocked she was killed.

 

Why on earth was Bassam surprised that Tariq was a warmonger?  Everyone saw that from a mile away.  But Bassam, who has sat in on councils, was apparently shocked?!  lol

SERIOUSLY. Dude is always wanting to use as much force as possible whatever the situation. And Tariq was the brother who didn't get the top job, so there had to be some resentment there.

 

I had to laugh at the handwaving the show did to explain Molly working at the hospital. It doesn't make her any more interesting, but at least she's not wandering around the palace in wildly inappropriate clothing anymore.

 

Agree with everyone who says Molly's sister is just going to cause more grief for everyone. I was kind of surprised she was so open about being in a dictator's palace. Just because she's the sister-in-law doesn't mean she's safe. But she seems more aware of the world than Molly. Maybe she's Googled the Al Fayeed name.  Molly's utter naïvété about that still drives me absolutely nuts.

 

And I see next week she harangues Bassam again about moving to Abuddin. Ugh. Take the kids and go back to the States and stay there.

[eejm]

Creepiest: Leila gets aroused when Jamal tells her he attacked the Sheikh

 

YES.  These two are like the Van Aldens/Muellers on Boardwalk Empire when they killed the Prohibition agent (I think?).  I can't imagine Leila was ever all that interested in Bassam, as her freakiness seems just as extreme as Jamal's (although she's better at hiding it).

 

Speaking of Boardwalk Empire, thanks to those of you who recognized Molly's sister as Julia.  I knew that the actress's face and voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place her.  Maybe it's because Julia was so drastically different of a character.  Good casting in terms of the actresses looking like sisters, though.

[Jade Foxx]

Ugh, the brats are back. Dear Show - we don't need them.

 

 

Creepiest: Leila gets aroused when Jamal tells her he attacked the Sheikh

 

Leila's aphrodisiac is POWER. When Jamal started flexing, she couldn't help but get aroused!

 

So let me get this straight:  Strenuous lovemaking, pillow-talk about running away to a tropical isle, a soul-stirring kiss, then -  a pillow over the face. Oh, Jamal. You sexy, murdering devil. You really know how to treat the ladies!

 

Bassam is sooo boring. And of course he has the opportunity to give a long-winded speech justifying why he must kill the Sheik, with absolutely no SECURITY or STAFF keeping watch over such a high profile patient. Barf.

 

And Molly is basically running the hospital now, white coat, badge, clearance, and everything. (double barf)

 

For all it's groan-worthy moments, I still can't quit this show!

[dubbel zout]

And of course he has the opportunity to give a long-winded speech justifying why he must kill the Sheik, with absolutely no SECURITY or STAFF keeping watch over such a high profile patient.

 

The sheik's sons were outside his room; Bassam asked their permission to spend some time with their father. Bassam could easily tell any guards and watchful staff to give him some privacy. As an Al Fayeed, it's unlikely they'd give him any pushback. And it's not as if Bassam were yelling at the sheik, so I'm not sure what anyone could have done anyway. He was speaking very quietly and was as discreet as someone could be while injecting a fatal drug. Plus, the drug wasn't fast-acting, so the sheik wasn't going to immediately start convulsing or anything like that. And lastly, no one had any reason to suspect Bassam might hurt the sheik. Bassam was one of the people who saved him at the palace.

Edited August 6, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Constantinople]

I don't mean to cast aspersions on Jamal's killer instinct, but are we sure the mistress is dead, or will Bassam have to clean that up too?

Edited August 6, 2014 by Constantinople

[AlliMo]

Jamal is supposed to be The Devil here, but imo Leila is ten times the monster he is.

[scrb]

She's a gorgeous monster.

 

They haven't really developed her character.  She may be the Lady McBeth of Abbudin but that would be playing against type for Muslim women, even wives of presidents of Muslim countries.

 

Not only does she not hide her hair, she's not deferential, in the way you suspect the mother of the president was, even though she was born and raised in the West.

[Ferniesfreckles]

Wow, I think Basam is far from boring.

HE is the true psychopath. I saw it from the first show and it is becoming more and more evident.

He was the only person who didn't duck for cover when his father was being shot at while they were on that platform. He was just calmly looking at where the shots where coming from. He didn't crouch down.

When he killed that supposed traitor? When his brother couldn't? I think I got chills.

He killed another person for his brother, again.

Leila is a stone cold, power-hungry witch as well.

The kids barely have anything to do, but they might be entertained by the aunt.

I do love this show more and more each week.

[bluebonnet]

Wow, I think Basam is far from boring.

HE is the true psychopath. I saw it from the first show and it is becoming more and more evident.

He was the only person who didn't duck for cover when his father was being shot at while they were on that platform. He was just calmly looking at where the shots where coming from. He didn't crouch down.

When he killed that supposed traitor? When his brother couldn't? I think I got chills.

He killed another person for his brother, again.

 

If Rayner's performance was only half as moving as kid!Bassam, there probably wouldn't be so many complaints.  Bassam has the potential to be very interesting.  Audiences love the psychopaths.  But Rayner is a giving a very mediocre and wooden performance.  

[Constantinople]

He killed another person for his brother, again.

Bassam killed the Sheikh for his brother

Barry killed the Sheikh for the people of Ma'an

Not that it matters since B&B are still 6 kills behind his brother Jamal after Jamal killed his mistress.

[GaiusB]

I think major problem of Tyrant is that what should  be most compeling part is the most boring part by far. Bassam and his family should be an emotional centerpiece of the show, because it is about him becoming the tyrant and also about his family how they will adapt. But he and his family are terribly written and acted. Other characters are far better, mostly because of actors, because i think the writing for them suck too. Too bad, i really like the premise, but the execution is very bad.

[dubbel zout]

Bassam's family is a disaster. The kids are clichés, which I can kind of forgive because they're teenagers, and I don't care about them anyway. Not sure how much they could add even if written well. I don't need to see them join the resistance or anything. But Molly? She's a naive, uninformed, seemingly incurious dolt. Molly is supposedly Bassam's anchor, but she's so lightweight it's a miracle she doesn't float away.

[eyetotelescope]

This episode made me wish that this show was so much better than it actually is.  The premise of this show has SO much potential, but it's just absolutely squandered by the soap-ishness of this show, bad acting, worse writing and pointless characters and side stories.  Bassam going from mild-mannered American doctor to active participant in an overthrow of his brother's regime should be the most exciting turning point on a show like this but the end of the episode was just so anti-climactic, in large part because the actor who plays Bassam acted like he was just changing his pizza order when he was on the phone with the American ambassador.

[Ferniesfreckles]

But isn't that a characteristic of a psychopath? Being able to do things with nary an outward, visible reaction?

He's cool, calm, collected, unemotional.

He's starting to plan a coup d'état, for Christ's sake and he is talking like if it is nothing, like if he is just changing a pizza order. That's dangerous and scary to me.

I guess some see Jamal's always over-the-top, crazy reaction to EVERYTHING and think that's how Basam should be as well. Jamal is all bark and no bite.

[bluebonnet]

On tv, we need to see something from the actor.  If he always just looks like he's ordering pizza, then there comes a lack of believability with the character.  Consider kid!Bassam.  He was stoic and stone-faced.  But his eyes and tiny facial movements gave us an idea of what was going on in his head.  It gave this viewer the shivers.  Rayner looking like he's always ordering a pizza doesn't make me feel anything other than irritation that this actor lacks the understanding of nuance.  

 

No one is saying that Jamal and Bassam need to act the same.  In fact, that would be ridiculous since they are clearly not intended to be identical in characterization.  We just want to see something from Rayner.  

[eyetotelescope]

I fully agree with bluebonnet on this one.  I don't need Bassam to be overly emotional or over-the-top, the way Jamal is, but I think we need to see some nuance in the way he's portrayed, even when he's supposed to be cool as a cucumber in a situation where most humans would be very emotional.  Something in his eyes, for example, would show that there's something going on inside his mind.  bluebonnet's example of kid Bassam is a great one - still stoic, calm and collected, but his eyes and facial movements showed us that there was something going on inside.

 

There have been many psychopathic or just plain cold characters portrayed on TV, particularly in the past decade, many portrayed by actors who have won countless awards for playing those characters, but the big difference between many of those characters and the way their actors portrayed them and Bassam and the way Rayner portrays him, is that Bassam isn't stoic, cool, calm, collected, etc. and being portrayed in a nuanced way.  He's just wooden-faced, in a "bad actor" kind of way.   The man has had pretty much one facial expression during the entire show so far!

[Constantinople]

All this talk of pizza is making me hungry!

 

I agree that Rayner hasn't show any nuance and done little with his facial expression.  He's certainly no Bryan Cranston.

 

But I'm willing to put up with it.  I find the story reasonably interesting, and like the other actors.  I don't expect every show to be Breaking Bad.  By definition, most of them will be mediocre.

[Rhetorica]

All this talk of pizza is making me hungry!

I agree that Rayner hasn't show any nuance and done little with his facial expression. He's certainly no Bryan Cranston.

But I'm willing to put up with it. I find the story reasonably interesting, and like the other actors. I don't expect every show to be Breaking Bad. By definition, most of them will be mediocre.

I loved Dean Norris, aka Hank, on breaking bad but he is just plain bad on Under the Dome. Of couse, the whole show suck so bad I can't even watch it for snark.

[ganesh]

I thought it would be a bit of a stretch that everyone would believe the sheikh when he woke up because he's an old man fell and hit his head. I suppose though there's enough history there that it wouldn't be good for Jamal's chances in the election.

 

I'm assuming they're trying to say Barry is still naive about this world with him being so surprised about Tariq's involvement in the gas attack, but it was a little much. He was like, "zomg! Tariq NO WAY!" I mean, come on.

 

I see that Molly, the kids and now her sister (argh) are more boring than ever. They add absolutely nothing to the show and actually breaks the flow of the episodes when they are shown.

 

It's beyond ridiculous that Molly is just working in the hospital. She is a massive security risk! But all these scenes really fucked up the pacing of the show. Really, an aunt now? I suppose because the show needs to kill someone off, but the main family is off limits. 

 

I'm not sure they will kill off Jamal. (at least I hope not) I can see the continuing conflict of brother vs brother. Bassam said the election could be years away so perhaps those years to come are the main plotline.

 

I guess they're really trying to flip Bassam's world upside down, by having his father not be the murderous dictator he was suppose to be.  Then again, he did cover it up and continued to let Tariq do his thing; and I'm still wondering how much his parenting caused Jamal to become who he is now, so he isn't a total innocent in all of this.

 

I think they're trying to parallel brother v brother in the older generation with brother v brother now. Which is cool. With the sheikh dying, I think they will cancel the election or suspend it because another candidate would have to be found. Unless Barry is going to step in and run immediately, which doesn't seem likely to me. 

 

Excepting the kids and Molly, I'm fine with the show. 

[henripootel]

But isn't that a characteristic of a psychopath? Being able to do things with nary an outward, visible reaction?

 

Not so much.  Psychopaths lack empathy for others but that doesn't mean that they have no regard for themselves.  They're not robots, nor are they necessarily violent or even dangerous.  They just don't see things the way others do, and are often confused by the connections others feel.  I don't think there are any real psychopaths on this show, just damaged folks (like Jamal), professionals (like Tarik), or the well-intended (like Bassam).  They all do the shit they do because they feel obligated or entitled, not because they 'don't get it' that it's wrong.  

 

The show still feels like the dumbed down version of Homeland (and after the last season, that's saying something).  Jamal, elections are not a good idea just because your brother says so, you've been in the tyrant biz longer than he so stop taking his advice.  Bassam, holding elections may be a good move in the long run but this doesn't mean you have to hold them right now, at least not for the job of president.  Hold elections for an elected parliament - that'll take years to plan, organize, and amend the constitution.  The international community will be mollified and your enemies will fight amongst themselves, rather than fighting you, at least for now.  Years from now when you hold elections for the presidency, you'll have had plenty of time to make Jamal look like George Washington, and the Sheikh will probably have coughed himself to death by then.  In the meantime, go the fuck home and take your stupid family with you before they get themselves killed.  Truly Bassam, you are the stupidest one here, and that's with some stiff competition. 

[candall]

Jamal definitely brings the pizzazz, but Bassam is supposed to be emotionally stunted and repressed.  He's no Olivier, mesmerizing with the twitch of an eyebrow, but we're still a long way from The Blacklist-- where there's exactly one character who can carry a scene.

 

I'm even okay with bringing in this ridiculous aunt character for some cultural numbfuckery.  The show wouldn't let anything really awful happen to the American Al Fayeeds but we can sacrifice Auntie in any number of satisfying ways. 

 

"No one's had anything chopped off in a while," she says cheerfully.

 

**************

 

Uh-oh, hold the phone. . . .is Barry having a belt at a cozy little neighborhood bar?!?!  Show, why do you do this to me?

[dubbel zout]

Bassam is always wandering around by himself without anyone bothering him. I could buy it in the beginning, but by now the press has gotten a good look and him and his face should be splashed all over the news as much as Jamal's is. Yet no one looks twice when Bassam walks into a bar or coffee shop.

[Addlepated]

I thought Molly was a psychiatrist in the first episode, but suddenly she's Dr. Kerry Weaver in this episode.  What the heck kind of doctor is she, anyway? 

[VLove]

The show still feels like the dumbed down version of Homeland (and after the last season, that's saying something).  Jamal, elections are not a good idea just because your brother says so, you've been in the tyrant biz longer than he so stop taking his advice.  Bassam, holding elections may be a good move in the long run but this doesn't mean you have to hold them right now, at least not for the job of president.  Hold elections for an elected parliament - that'll take years to plan, organize, and amend the constitution.  The international community will be mollified and your enemies will fight amongst themselves, rather than fighting you, at least for now.  Years from now when you hold elections for the presidency, you'll have had plenty of time to make Jamal look like George Washington, and the Sheikh will probably have coughed himself to death by then.  In the meantime, go the fuck home and take your stupid family with you before they get themselves killed.  Truly Bassam, you are the stupidest one here, and that's with some stiff competition. 

 

This.  Just all of this.

[dubbel zout]

What the heck kind of doctor is she, anyway?

According to the official website, she's an internist.