'Tehran' Episode 5 Review: Will the Mossad agents kill Faraz's wife, now that Massoud's fate is sealed?
O, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive! The latest episode of 'Tehran' was a breathless ride from the start. Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub) realized that the game wasn't in his hands currently, as his wife, who had just recovered from brain surgery, was now kidnapped by Israeli agents. The condition was simple: She would be free if he let Massoud Tabrizi return to Istanbul, unharmed. A frantic Faraz is faced with a Sophie's Choice -- betray his country and let Massoud leave, or continue to keep him in custody and never see his wife again.
At first, in his wild and desperate state, Faraz decides on the first option. Holding the gun to Massoud's head, he tells him to leave the country and never return, else he would pay a bloodied visit to his family. However, things are a lot more complicated than that, and Faraz realizes that cannot make this decision on his own and retracts his statements. Later, he changes mind just as Massoud is about to leave, holding the lives of his family above his head. Massoud is torn and is furious with the Mossad agents as well as Faraz, and feels unduly helpless. A new game every day, he says. He cannot distinguish between truth, lies, reality and fiction anymore. At the end of the episode, much to Faraz's shock, Massoud's fate appears sealed. And...if that's the case, then Faraz might never get to see his wife again, either. Family before country, or the other way around? It's a precarious game.
Meanwhile, Tamar (Niv Sultan) continues to play the cards close to her heart, though an unintentional fumble almost lands her in the cross-hairs of Iranian police officers. She is taken to a rave party with Milad and his suspicious friend Karim, only to realize that they make money off from selling Ecstasy. Karim puts her loyalty to the test, which makes her rather annoyed with Milad for a while -- but only for a while. She cannot stay upset with him for too long as she needs to deploy her romantic equation with him for the best use and get her mission back on track. However, Karim is keeping a close watch on Tamar, and he just might have found out what she's up to.
Episode 5 proves that 'Tehran' isn't holding back on the slick action, espionage thrills and entertainment, even if it's portrayal of political tensions have been appearing a tad simplistic and almost dumbed down. The show is engrossing for sure, but doesn't go quite deep into cultural identity and the loss of a home as it promised at the outset. The makers know what grabs attention for their viewers, and to be fair, it works. Though, you cannot help but want a little more digging into such complexities.
'Tehran' is currently streaming on Apple TV+.