Tyrant Review: “Preventative Medicine” (Season 1, Episode 7)

Tyrant delved deep into the story arc surrounding the Shiek and his impact on Jamal’s (Ashraf Barhom) future as the President of Abbudin on tonight’s episode, titled “Preventative Medicine.” Last week, viewers watched as Jamal, in an sudden act of rage, attempted to murder Shiek Rashid (Mohammad Bakri), or at the very least, shut him up. Clearly, the scene in the bathroom was already tense before the Shiek started to unman Jamal with his words, expressing a strong opinion about the role that Barry was playing in the future election process and his significance within Jamal’s small council.

As the main representative of the opposition, replacing his son as the spearhead of the campaign against the ruling family, the Shiek being eliminated from the show means that Jamal is once again the most powerful man at the table. However, it also opens the door for the voice of extremists who will smell a conspiracy miles away. The one bright spot of this event is that it has allowed the writers to showcase a more likeable version of Ihab (Alexander Karim). After his father was sent into exile, Ihab took over where he left off more or less. He’s also been one of the main antagonists on the initial season of Tyrant. Going forward, the writers have the opportunity to make him an ally of Barry’s, instead of remaining an obstacle, which could be the climax viewers have been waiting for.

The fact that Barry played such an integral role in the Shiek’s death isn’t altogether surprising, but it did serve to cement his fate with Jamal’s. Barry has went from the voice of reason to an accomplice in a plan to change the state of the government that has went astray. The motivation behind his actions originally seemed to stem from a place of loyalty for his brother, but in actuality they probably lay more under the umbrella of self-preservation.

Barry has suffered from a deep-seated hatred for his father since he was young, after he felt forced to defend his brother by way of murdering a man, and now that his mother has enlightened him to the true nature of his father’s more incredulous actions, all of his misgivings have transferred to his brother.