Season 2, Episode 1
Airdate: Tuesday, June 16, 2015, 10:00 pm ET/PT on FX
Rating:
“You would never have said those things in front of my brother. Even though he’s not here, I keep his voice inside my head for safekeeping.” – President Jamal Al-Fayeed
Does Barry truly regret his actions?
If you haven’t seen Tyrant, check out my review of the season one premiere “Pilot” to help you become familiar with the various players and premise of the show. And catch up on last year’s season finale with my review of “Gone Fishing.” That said, “Mark of Cain” picks up four months after Bassam “Barry” Al-Fayeed (Adam Rayner) is imprisoned for his failed attempt to overthrow his brother Jamal (Ashraf Barhom) from the seat of power in Abbudin. With a death sentence hanging over Barry’s head, will Jamal carry out the execution or forgive Barry for his treasonous actions?
Barry’s refusal to play chess with Jamal any longer forces Jamal’s hand.
Rayner and Barham both give remarkable portrayals of the dynamic between Barry and Jamal in the initial prison scene. Not only is it loaded with emotion on both sides—from love to regret, from frustration to despair—but you can practically see the sparks flying off their bodies. Neither Barry nor Jamal wants to give in to the other. “Do what you need to do.” Since the trial court “handed down his death sentence” three weeks ago, how much longer is Jamal going to keep his brother in prison? Clearly, Jamal is conflicted between his family and his duty.
Unbeknownst to Barry, he has become the symbol of hope for those who oppose the Al-Fayeeds in power. In the city of Ma’an, many are working to free Barry, including rebel leader Ihab (Alexander Karim) and Samira Nadal (Mor Polanuer). When things become complicated for them, both Ihab and Samira are forced to question their actions. Although they have amassed a good sized following, Jamal’s uncle, General Tariq (Raad Rawi), has a much larger army working to protect the royal family. As an aside, it is comforting to see Samira and her father Fauzi (Fares Fares) come together in this stressful time despite their differences. Kudos to Fares for the very impassioned speech Fauzi delivers to Samira; obviously, he only wants to protect his daughter.
Behind the scenes, Jamal’s wife Leila (Moran Atias) rejoices in her new role as First Lady of Abbudin, and is poised to present her rich and culturally laden country to the world. General Tariq, on the other hand, is concerned about Jamal’s hesitation in carrying out Barry’s execution. It is obvious from Leila and Tariq’s conversation that they will stop at nothing to ensure Jamal will be “free of his brother’s living ghost.” Both Tariq and Leila are not to be trusted; each has their own view of Abbudin’s future and neither is aligned with Jamal’s wishes. Atias and Rawi both give compelling performances as the strong, duplicitous characters they portray in “Mark of Cain.” Atias easily switches between a loving wife and a woman hell bent on carrying out her own agenda, while Rawi depicts Tariq as a sneak and completely untrustworthy individual whom I have come to despise.
It’s about time Jamal’s son Ahmed (Cameron Gharaee) stands up to his father. While Gharaee didn’t have a huge role in season one of Tyrant, that may possibly change given what transpires between Ahmed and his father in “Mark in Cain.” Ahmed, however, now has a new force to be reckoned with—his wife Nusrat (Sibylla Deen). If you remember from the season one premiere, Jamal brutally raped Nusrat on her wedding night. Now, she’s out to collect the debt Jamal owes her for taking her virginity and that includes all the fame and fortune the Al-Fayeed name will bring. I empathize with Ahmed; Jamal wants him to be someone he’s not and can never be. It must be hard for Ahmed when he realizes what a disappointment he is to Jamal. All Ahmed wants, though, is to get out from under his father’s thumb and live a happy life with Nusrat in London. Tyrant does a great job with the amount of strong female characters and now, Deen’s Nusrat can be added to the list given her story line in “Mark of Cain.” I can’t wait to see where this story line goes!
Amira tries to comfort Molly.
Throughout “Mark of Cain,” Jamal and Barry’s mother Amira (Alice Krige) tries to comfort Barry’s wife Molly (Jennifer Finnigan) while appealing to Jamal’s sense of family in order to get Barry released. I can only imagine how horrified Amira must be at the thought of one brother murdering the other á la Cain and Abel; hence, the episode title. In keeping with that thought, jealousy and envy apparently are at work here just as they are in the Bible story. Krige does a terrific job conveying the anguish Amira feels as a mother about to lose one of her sons all while trying to be strong for Molly.
While Jamal agonizes over his decision about Barry, he also knows his brother always gave him good advice. Jamal understands he can no longer be a leader known for treachery and injustice and instead, must be a visionary of a future that aligns itself with morality. With his inherent distrust of Westerners, Jamal turns to the East. With the help of Chinese Prime Minister (guest star Orion Lee), Jamal hopes to make his country a global power in the oil business. Whether Jamal’s vision comes to fruition remains to be seen. Can a leopard truly change its spots? And what of the uprising that is sure to happen? Certainly, China will not want to be involved in that.
Barry and Molly break my heart in this scene.
With his decision made, Jamal finally allows Molly to see Barry in jail. As they reconnect, Barry begs for Molly’s forgiveness and understanding. As tears flow down Molly’s face, I couldn’t help myself. I sobbed right along with her as she struggles to find the right words to say. Finnigan and Rayner’s chemistry is sublime; the love Molly and Barry have for each other jumps out of the screen and into the audience’s hearts. Only a cold person will be unable to empathize with what this couple is going through, as both husband and wife and parents to Sammy (Noah Silver) and Emma (Anne Winters).
Overall
Shot in Budapest, Tyrant’s “Mark of Cain” is one of the most powerful episodes of television I have seen in quite a while. Not only is the acting superb throughout, so are the dialogue and direction, to say nothing of the costume department. Leila is absolutely stunning in everything she wears, especially the blue gown. “Mark of Cain” elicits immense raw emotion from all the main characters, which produces a great deal of empathy from the viewing audience. Once again, I am hooked on Tyrant.
What do you think of “Mark of Cain?” Leave me a comment below or tweet me @SeasideTV. Do you agree with my assessment of the episode? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Tune in to all-new episodes of Tyrant Tuesdays at 10:00 pm ET/PT, only on FX.
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Follow Tyrant on Twitter, using hashtag #TyrantFX. You can also follow Jennifer Finnigan (Molly) @jennigan, Moran Atias (Leila) @MoranAtias, Cameron Gharaee (Ahmed) @camerongharaee, Alexander Karim (Ihab) @AlexanderKarim, Leslie Hope (Lea Exley) @lesliehope, Noah Silver (Sammy) @noah_silver, Anne Winters (Emma) @AnneWinters_.
All photos courtesy of Kata Vermes/FX © 2015 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Linda
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