‘Tehran’ Recap: ‘13,000’ & ‘Change of Plan’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘13,000’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘Tehran’. To revisit the season one finale, click here.
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Often times, television shows entering their second year… have specific expectations surrounding them. In that, the writing should be tighter, and the storylines should be cleaner. For the universe of the show is established now and there’s no need to dilly dally along. Plus, the characters should be fully fleshed out and moving into new phases of growth in their fictional lives and of course… the stories should challenge them and help in that process. And of course, the show has to maintain what made it a success in the first place, so all of these elements blend together nicely and create a wonderful viewing experience that the fans can enjoy through and through and truth be told… those are supremely manageable expectations that many shows follow to a tee.
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But while it is nice to know what we can expect from year two of most shows… sometimes, you run into a television show… that struggles in its sophomore year for one reason and one reason alone. In that, season one was so epic and incredible, that the only way the show can survive or succeed further is to match or top year one and that… often ends in failure for a great many shows. Because they in essence peaked and cannot give us anymore and anytime, we enjoy a first season that just blows us away… we are definitely left worried that year two might disappoint us and that concern definitely had to be in the back of the minds of every fan of the series, Tehran, on Apple TV+. Because season one was utter and brilliant perfection.

But the good news… is that season two of this show, which debuted on Apple TV+ today with a two-episode premiere, doesn’t fall into that particular trap. In fact, year two of Tamar’s adventures in Iran, actually manages to rise above season one courtesy of two key elements. Such as the fact that ‘13,000’ and ‘Change of Plan’, are stories that are mired in stunning tension through and through. For both episodes feature important cat and mouse games. The kind that ties season one and two together by way of a daring rescue mission of the lone pilot that didn’t escape the attack on the nuclear facility and through unfortunate reunions between Tamar and Faraz, and watching these moments play out and the chases that ensue because of them, really do engage you like never before and leave you breathless since these sequences are ten times more intense than anything season one sent our way.

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‘Change of Plan’

But while season two is indeed bigger and better in that regard, where it truly shines is by way of the characters. Because everything in season two is grounded in causality. As evidenced by what the IRGC does to punish Tamar and her family, by killing the kind aunt and uncle that took her in and offered her shelter. Because that in turn galvanizes Tamar to stick around Tehran and go after the new head of the IRGC out of notions of revenge and that is simply a brilliant twist to inject into season two. In part because it is going to force Tamar to grow in a manner she’s not used to. Because she has to now decide between duty and revenge and what that fine line looks like for a spy and that… is also how this series stays true to its roots.

For this show was always grounded in trope busting and revolutionizing the spy genre and while making it personal isn’t exactly anything new to the spy business, since we’ve seen fictional characters and famous spies work harder because there is a personal stake, they always find a way to perform such acts out of a sense of honor or nobility to ensure they remain the pure yet cold hero we’ve come to love. Whereas Tamar’s actions here, strip away the mystique surrounding the spy’s decisions and make her supremely human instead. For now, she is a wounded niece, one that cannot fathom the cruelty imparted upon her family, and she will have her revenge… honor and country be damned and that adds gravity and depth to this new season and incredible challenges for Tamar to overcome.

After all, we know the dangers of revenge and how it can consume and destroy us when it runs rampant and if Tamar cannot walk the fine line in question… we might be looking at a grand tragedy in season two. Which is a possibility that compels one to continue the journey and see where Tamar’s vendetta takes her and that also makes this, a brilliant season premiere. One that truly exceeds last season over the course of two hours all while reintroducing us to a world and spy we missed, and it also doesn’t hurt… that Glenn Close has now joined the cast. Since her incredible skill set as an actor only helps to elevate an already perfect story and it will be fascinating to learn more about Glenn’s mysterious new character and where Tamar’s dark journey will take us, in the days and weeks to come. Until next time.

To learn more about season two of this series, check out our interviews with Dana Eden (Creator/Executive Producer), Daniel Syrkin (Director/Executive Producer), and stars Glenn Close and Niv Sultan.  

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