Tyrant is subtle. It’s not a show that hits you over the head with overt action sequences. It doesn’t involve itself with long, drawn out melodramatic story arcs. It hasn’t been concerned with the minute details. Instead, Tyrant is lulling viewers into a sense of security with Adam Rayner’s character at the helm, struggling with his inner-demons to make a difference in a country, and family, desperately in need of a change in leadership.
Bassam uses the greatest weapon at his disposal in “Hail Mary,” his perspective as an outsider. This is really the key to his character being able to stand out in a regime of like-minded individuals. In this episode, in particular, he uses his western perception of the situation to justify going behind his brother’s back in the interest of establishing peace talks with someone who actually has the power to make it happen. Ihab (Alexander Karim) talks a great game. There’s no mistaking that. He’s obviously an influential figure head in the fight for liberation in Abbudin, but it seems like he’s more interested in peacocking, meaning showing off, than advocating for actual change.
The moment he decided that his life was more valuable than the other people in the plaza, is the moment that he gave up his clout in the eyes of viewers, and Samira (Mor Polanuer). Although he is pegged as one of the show’s antagonists, there was a certain sensibility to his actions. Even Bassam isn’t under the false impression that his family has been conducting themselves in the best interest of the common citizen. However justified Ihab’s gripe with the countries political hierarchy may be, there’s still a tactful way to go about things. And, realistically, his issue with how the country is ran stems from the leadership of a man who is no longer in control, not based on the actions of Jamal (Ashraf Barhom), or at least in terms of his role as the head of a country (personal matters not withstanding).