Everyone seems to think this is some sort of timely drama about the Middle East. Don't be silly! This show has as much to do with the Middle East as Outsiders has to do with the Appalachians or Deadwood has to do with South Dakota. You know Friends was filmed in LA, right?
Nope, this show is yet another in a long line of shows seeking to replicate the magic of The Sopranos: the loving, dysfunctional family as a romantic, outlaw enterprise. Sons of Anarchy did a good job. Outsiders did a fairly poor job. This one is somewhere in between.
We have the family, obviously, containing the (at least) one requisite nut job. Can't actually have arrive psychopath on television (or in a movie) because then you wouldn't have any drama. No emotion = no drama. We have the (semi-) honorable family member trying to impose morality on the wealthy and privileged family living on its ill-gotten gains. We have at least one old curmudgeon trying to remind everyone of the "good old days." The good imitations have strong female characters trying to influence the men, who think it's a man's business. The poorer imitations have supposedly strong women, who are just paper tigers. It's all there in Tyrant.
Why ask more of the show? It's not going to tell you anything about the Middle East. That story has been going on for 5,000 years and no one has figured it out yet. Read a book or watch PBS if you want to learn something about it. This is simply a moderately good television show.
Enjoy it for what it is.
Nope, this show is yet another in a long line of shows seeking to replicate the magic of The Sopranos: the loving, dysfunctional family as a romantic, outlaw enterprise. Sons of Anarchy did a good job. Outsiders did a fairly poor job. This one is somewhere in between.
We have the family, obviously, containing the (at least) one requisite nut job. Can't actually have arrive psychopath on television (or in a movie) because then you wouldn't have any drama. No emotion = no drama. We have the (semi-) honorable family member trying to impose morality on the wealthy and privileged family living on its ill-gotten gains. We have at least one old curmudgeon trying to remind everyone of the "good old days." The good imitations have strong female characters trying to influence the men, who think it's a man's business. The poorer imitations have supposedly strong women, who are just paper tigers. It's all there in Tyrant.
Why ask more of the show? It's not going to tell you anything about the Middle East. That story has been going on for 5,000 years and no one has figured it out yet. Read a book or watch PBS if you want to learn something about it. This is simply a moderately good television show.
Enjoy it for what it is.