Tyrant Review: “Meet The New Boss” (Season 1, Episode 8)

Leila (Moran Atias), on the other hand, has been a somewhat mysterious character all season. Her underlying motives are still wholly unknown, which makes her a wild card. Although she has voiced her overwhelming displeasure with Jamal’s choice to follow his brother’s advice on most matters of state as of late, there is always a subtle hint of something lying in wait just under the surface. For the first time, viewers experienced a frank conversation between her and Barry, and it was worth the wait – even though it lacked some of the more explicit personal details some fans may have been hoping for.

Her actions, particularly reclaiming her spot in Jamal’s bed once he became president, have verged on suspicious. She is taking the information about Barry’s part in the Sheik’s death in stride and clearly using it to her advantage. This is something that she can hold over both him and Jamal. Leila has inferred to a certain extent that she is on board with any plans to overthrow the current ruling body. At least to a point, she is jumping on the bandwagon. This recent change in opinion makes it look like perhaps Jamal being removed from office was what she wanted all along. The real question is why, and to what extent.

It looks like viewers will definitely be getting what they’ve been waiting for, regardless of Leila’s angle, and that’s a chance to see Barry take on his brother. Although it won’t be done overtly, as Jamal might deserve, it will be done using the appropriate channels. As much as this coup d’eta was inevitable, it’s still somewhat troubling as the narrative continues to construct an increasing dimension of trust on Jamal’s part for his brother.

Tyrant may not know exactly where they’re going when it comes to some of the more peripheral plot points, but the writers are definitely making an attempt to rectify any lingering storylines in the meantime. In the pilot episode, Jamal violated his daughter-in-law, the finer points of which have been bandied about in the narrative ever since. On tonight’s episode, the characters finally move slightly forward. Watching Nusrat (Sibylla Deen) confront Jamal about his true intentions and desires was one of the most intense scenes that Tyrant has pulled off this season, and fit in nicely with the overall urgency of the episode.

Barry is at the cusp of betraying his brother in the absolute sense, not just theoretically. Do you think he is going to be able to go through with it, or will he pull out at the last minute? Let us know in the comment section below what you think Tyrant is going to try to accomplish in the next two episodes!