The third season of Tehran treats viewers to the usual dose of thrills, spills and chills against the backdrop of Israel’s existential conflict with Iran.
It has been available on Apple TV in North America since January, but I belatedly caught up with the eight-part series several days ago. Tehran plays out amid bursts of intrigue, mayhem and violence in the streets and alleys of Iran’s sprawling capital, Tehran.
Characters have come and gone since season one in 2020, but three still remain at its center: Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), an Iranian-born Mossad agent; Yulia Magen (Sara von Schwarze), her Mossad handler, and Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub), an Iranian counter-intelligence agent and Tamar’s nemesis.
As per real events, Tehran is essentially about Iran’s highly controversial and suspect nuclear program and Israel’s ongoing efforts to sabotage it before the Iranian regime produces an atomic bomb that can threaten its very existence.
This crucial issue is at the heart of Tehran, which unfolds in Farsi, Hebrew and English. And while it is timely, the current war in Iran, which broke out on February 28, has taken the wind out of its sails to some degree. In several scenes, the camera pans on a framed photograph of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by U.S. and Israeli missile and air strikes on the opening day of the war.
With U.S. and Israeli forces jointly degrading or destroying Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, Tamar’s quest to cripple or stop Iran’s nuclear project almost seems irrelevant.
That being said, Tehran — a joint Israeli and Apple production shot on location in Athens — is nonetheless compelling. It is propped up by a plausible script, convincing performances by a competent cast, vivid cinematography, a heart-pounding Middle Eastern musical score, and Daniel Syrkin’s able direction.
As might be expected, Tehran casts the Iranian theocratic regime in a negative light. Its supporters shout “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” A government official speaks of “vicious Zionists.” And there is a passing reference to police repression, which may remind viewers of Iran’s brutal crackdown on street protests in January. Yet not every Iranian comes off badly, judging by the dissidents that Tamar encounters during her attempts to learn more about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Episode one establishes the framework of its story line as Tamar photographs two key pieces of equipment that Iran needs to build a nuclear arsenal. In the ensuing episodes, she finds yet more incontrovertible evidence that Iran is racing to join the nuclear club.
Tamar, as portrayed by Sultan, an Israeli actress, is a quiet bundle of energy and resourcefulness. She is adept at physical combat and proficient in computer hacking. These are skills that Yulia implicitly appreciates, yet Yulia’s relationship with Tamar is contentious.
Tamar’s older, more seasoned colleague, Nissan (Sasson Gabay), is introduced as a new character. Known as the Owl, he benevolently watches over Tamar as if she is his daughter.
Eric Peterson (Hugh Laurie) is yet another fresh face. He plays a South African inspector from the Atomic Energy Association (modelled after the International Atomic Energy Commission) charged with determining whether Iran is in full compliance with its obligations under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Peterson, a man who loves Persian culture, is difficult to categorize in terms of his loyalties. Viewers may initially think he has a dim opinion of the Iranian regime, but this may not necessarily be true.
Faraz, too, is hard to pin down. An ardent nationalist, he seems like a fervent supporter of the mullahs, but he and his wife, Naahid (Shila Ommni), appear eager to assume new identities and start their lives anew in Norway. Acting in Israel’s national interests, Tamar is prepared to help them.
Although Tehran is generally satisfying from an entertainment perspective, it bogs down occasionally, weighed down by dull and aimless subplots. On balance, though, it should please most viewers.
Not surprisingly, production has commenced on a fourth season.