Tyrant Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Zanjir

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What do you do when your world comes crashing down around you?

If you're Leila Al Fayeed, you plan a coup. On Tyrant Season 2 Episode 10, things got real when the planned attack on Rami goes awry, and matriarch Amira is murdered instead. The resulting cover-up made it clear to everyone just how far off the rails Jamal has gone.

Protecting the Family - Tyrant

Leila is a woman who has been living in denial. I can't really blame her. She's been managing Jamal for years, but sometimes when you're so close to the problem, you can't see the forest for the trees. Her husband's remorse over Barry's supposed execution certainly would make one doubt the possibility of further familicide. 

Her scene with Ahmed hinted at the despair she felt in her marriage. She is a woman with limited agency, and if she had left Jamal, her quality of life would have been drastically reduced. It's hard to say that she did the right thing by covering for him for so long, but her options were limited. 

You're an Al-Fayeed, I'm an Al-Fayeed. None of us has a say in our own lives.

Leila

I do think she'll end up murdering Jamal, or at least she'll orchestrate it. It's not as if having him committed under a pseudonym is a viable option after all. I love watching Ashrof Bahrom be all crazy, but I don't see how keeping Jamal alive drives the story in the long term.

The unknown variable is Rami, and if he'll go along with his step-mother's plan. He may have been squeamish about killing Jamal, but Leila had some very good points to make. Still, it's taking some trust on her end to think that he wouldn't ultimately make a grab for power himself. After the betrayal he's faced, I can't say I would blame him. 

Leila: People who are cornered do desperate things. At this point, it might even be self-defense. So I'm asking: If I were to do my part, would you do yours?

Moran Atias did a beautiful job with Leila's frustration and despair, and the slow realization that her husband is not just reckless but pathological and paranoid. Really, the entire palace cast was on fire with this episode. 

Watching Nusrat build up her fury and hurt to a crescendo was beautiful. I was convinced that Rami was acting in a purely brotherly fashion, even though the two had just acknowledged his attraction to her. And even if she didn't reveal Jamal's rape to Ahmed, her bubbling rage while she hinted at her secret was cathartic.

You're parents are monsters, Ahmed! You're family is a horror! And I haven't even told you the half of it.

Nusrat

While Jamal was plotting against his son in the palace, Barry was doing everything he could to save Sammy in Ma'an. The differences between the brothers have been highlighted all season; this juxtaposition was just the latest example. The subtle comparisons add a nice depth to the show. 

Barry's actions aren't just highlighting how paranoid and generally terrible Jamal's become. They're also helping to redeem Sammy. He started the season as a whiny, spoiled brat, but Barry's role in the Red Hand Brigade is finally getting his lessons about privilege through his son's thick skull.

But we're not special. We don't deserve more from the world just 'cause we're Al-Fayeed's. Hasn't that been your point all along?

Sammy

Sammy and Daliyah might not  have the easiest of relationships, what with her wanting to get it on with his dad, but they're going to have to work together to save Barry. I don't feel like he's in any real danger (he is the main character after all), but it would make for a really great scene if Jamal thinks he really is responsible for Barry's death. 

Regardless of the outcome, I do think that Barry will be outed in "Desert Storm." It's too bad that his mother didn't have a chance to find out, but I'm looking forward to the reaction from the Red Hand Brigade, though I'm dubious of their ignorance. He's been giving Sammy a lot of special attention after all. 

One thing that's bothered me with recent episode is the lack of Emma. I know there's a lot going on, and Sammy had more to work out with Barry than his sister did, and the actress seems to have booked another project. But I hate when characters just disappear when the writers could at least throw in a line about them here or there. 

Watch Tyrant online and share your thoughts in the comments section! Are you #teamRami, #teamBarry, or #teamLeila?

Zanjir Review

Editor Rating: 4.25 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 (25 Votes)

Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.

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Tyrant Season 2 Episode 10 Quotes

But we're not special. We don't deserve more from the world just 'cause we're Al-Fayeed's. Hasn't that been your point all along?

Sammy

Leila: People who are cornered do desperate things. At this point, it might even be self-defense. So I'm asking: If I were to do my part, would you do yours?