'Tehran' Episode 1 Review: Murder, switched identities and a failed mission make for a tense watch
A world of disguises, secrets, codes, an unplanned murder and a woman in distress. The first three episodes of the Israeli political thriller 'Tehran' are out on Apple TV+ and it promises not to be an easy watch. A Mossad agent is on a dangerous mission and one wrong move can get her as well as the people around her killed. She needs to play her cards carefully before the Intelligence forces uncover her identity. Unfortunately, things do not pan out the way it's planned and she needs to scramble to plan her next move before it's too late.
In the first episode titled 'Emergency landing in Tehran', everything is going swell for around five minutes. A plane has to stop in Tehran for an emergency landing as there is a problem with the engines. Two Israeli passengers panic as the full meaning of this sinks in. They know that they will be arrested in the 'enemy' country, and sure enough, they are taken for interrogation.
Just as the woman Shira heads to the washroom as she is feeling sick, she runs into Mossad agent Tamar (Niv Sultan) and recognizes her from their time of serving at the base in Gillot. Tamar pretends not to know her and quickly escapes. Interspersed with these interrogation scenes, we see Tamar has begun her mission and has managed to switch identities with Zhila for her dangerous mission and is on the clock. What unfolds in the episode is a case of cellphones, computers, collaborators and possible traitors.
However, Tamar's task of cutting electric power to the Iranian radar system, in order to facilitate an ongoing Israeli Air Force attack, fails spectacularly at that crucial moment as her boss, who thinks she is Zhila, attempts to rape her. In her attempt to escape, she makes a fatal mistake that could cost her life or freedom. As the episode ends, we see a glimpse of Tamar's frightened face as she worries about what can unfold. There's going to be only one solution for her: to go into hiding.
For the first episode, 'Tehran' does not hold back on the suspense and appears to be slick as well as pacey. No breath is wasted in extra exposition or rather than what's necessary and the tension is chilling and the background score enhances it. 'Tehran' carefully crafts the world of lies and deceit as intended and portrays the political and nerve-wracking tensions between two countries. It appears to be tight with its storyline, and we hope that it continues on this path in the next few episodes as well.
'Tehran' is streaming on AppleTV+.