“Preventative Medicine” ends on a mysterious note, as Barry voices his concern regarding Jamal remaining at the helm of the country. This episode really left things at a stand still as Barry looks to be preparing to make a move against his brother in the interest of the country, while Jamal feels more confident than ever about the state of his relationship with Barry. After being privy to the truth, concerning both his father and Jamal, his perspective has taken on a different sense of reality. If Jamal isn’t the Al Fayeed for the job, who is? Clearly, Barry isn’t suggesting that Tariq (Raad Rawi) take over the country, especially given the recent information that he was responsible for the deaths of so many of his own countrymen in the attack on Ma’an. This leaves only one option, Barry himself.
This may come as a shock for viewers, but even in the pilot episode of Tyrant there were hints that a change was in the cards for the dictatorship of Abbudin. As the show continues to develop its story, it’s been a continuous toss up when it comes to Jamal’s skills in the area of diplomacy. His negative facets have been overshadowed by some of his more redeemable qualities on several occasions, but like his actions with his daughter-in-law on her wedding night, there’s not any coming back from something like this.
And, to put his character in even more of a grey area, he chose to kill the American woman he was sleeping with. Viewers didn’t get many details about her, which makes the entire situation misleading, but it looked like they’ve been carrying on a relationship for sometime. Whether his decision was out of camaraderie to his brother – you took a life for me, I’ll get blood on my hands, too – or in an effort to silence any doubt he had about staying in the country, it was definitely one of the more messed up moments we’ve seen.
When Barry was referencing evil inducing evil in his final audience with the Shiek, it seems fair to say that he was more than likely referring to his own brother. Jamal has pushed him to the point where the safety of the country demanded a sacrifice – but it’s not the Skiek’s life I’m talking about. The greater significance of this moment was that it marked when Barry sacrificed his moral high ground for the benefit of a country that he left behind twenty years ago. Although I don’t doubt that Barry does in fact love his brother, I do doubt that it was enough of a reason for him to give up his values. Instead, his unwanted attachment to the citizens of Abbudin encouraged him to take part in the Shiek’s death.
There are three more episodes of Tyrant left in season one, and there’s still so much left up in the air. Do you think that Barry is going to give up the life he built in America for the sake of his homeland? What does his sister-in-law coming to town mean for the family dynamics entangled within the subplot? Will Jamal be that easy to get rid of? I doubt it – but, chime in below in the comment section and let us know what you think it going to happen before Tyrant closes its curtains on a fantastic first season!
