As Jamal prepares to throw down the gauntlet on the thousands of citizens gathered in the Plaza to protest his reign, Barry scrambles to put together a summit in the hopes of avoiding violence and bloodshed.
[PREVIOUSLY_ON] Ihab: This act will be remembered as the first great act of defiance. (crowd chanting) Jamal: Ihab Rashid is behind all this. Samira: I'm done wishing for change. I am making it happen. Jamal: The wedding night is very special. It's important to be pure. Molly: It's not safe for you to be there. Barry: It's not safe for anyone there. (thumping) Jamal: Run them down! Leila: Go! Jamal: Tomorrow, there will be only pigeons in the square. Barry: What is it you want me to do? Fauzi: I want you to get your hands dirty, to go against your family. Barry: I asked Fauzi Nidal to set up a meeting with Ihab Rashid. Jamal: The man who would have all our heads? Barry: You can go down in history as one more brutal dictator, or you can be remembered as the leader who had the courage to listen to his people. Who do you want to be? Ihab: Jamal has asked me to gather you, the leaders of the various factions who fill the Plaza, to meet with his American brother. This is the second time the Palace has come to me. The agitation in the Plaza, the galvanizing of the people, ooh, has them running scared. It's poker. Right now we have the winning hand. Why negotiate? Hmm? Nobody negotiated with Mubarak. No, no, no, no, no, no. When this Amriki walks in, I'm going to tell him exactly what it will take for us to clear the Plaza: his brother's resignation. Jamal Al Fayeed... he can, uh, take his blood money, go to... go to Paris. (laughter) Or go to London. Spend the rest of his days writing his memoirs. Farah: But what if he's actually willing to offer us something? Ihab: No. His father betrayed my father. I'm not about to let him do the same thing to me. The only offer we will take is for Jamal Al Fayeed to leave Abbudin. Fauzi: You sure about this? Barry: I'm sure of one thing. A narcissist with a messiah complex is not about to negotiate with me. Look, I'm betting Ihab told everyone in earshot that an Al Fayeed asked to sit down with him. He said yes so quickly, 'cause he wants to tell me where to go in front of an audience, but now he's gonna have to explain why he's sitting at the table alone. For my plan to work, I have to take him down a notch. Make the call. Samira: Father, where are you? Everyone's here, and they're... Okay. Okay. It's my father. Ihab: You are late. What do you mean you are not coming?! That is bullshit! (chuckles) (engine stops) (Barry sighs) Barry: Thank you, my friend. Fauzi: You know, I'm worried for you, Bassam. Barry: (chuckles) Been a while since anyone called me that. Fauzi: You know this game you're playing, it's a dangerous game. Barry: I don't see another option. I have to clear the Plaza before Tariq does. John: The garage meet. Classic. This is insane. Why set a meet with Ihab so you can stand him up? Barry: Ihab's having his moment. He was never gonna bargain. So I had to take the wind out of his sails. Ihab's a boy. I want to see his father, the man who almost made peace with my father. I was here, Tucker, okay? I saw it. The people adored him. I need an hour with Sheik Rashid. John: So, you want to use Sheik Rashid to do an end run around Ihab? I mean, what... what happened to the nice family doctor from Pasadena? Barry: Don't screw me around, John. The U.S. brokered Sheik Rashid's asylum 20 years ago. I need to talk to him, and you know where he is. John: Does your brother even know you're here? Barry: I didn't say anything, because he'd never give me this much rope. John: Well, if you want to hang yourself with it, be my guest. Don't expect me to build the gallows. Barry: Tucker, I'm just trying to keep America's ass from landing on the wrong side of history. John: Uh-huh. Which doesn't involve turning you into another Daniel Pearl. My job is to protect American citizens, not serve them up. You end up dead in the desert in a trail that leads back to the U.S. Embassy... Barry: What do you want? In return, what do you want? An inside seat? A heads up on what's happening as it happens? (John sighs) John: Are you offering to spy on your brother? Barry: I have 24 hours. You have less. Tariq: I need to speak to the president. Secretary: Uh... But he-he isn't... Shall I leave him a, um, message? Leila: Who drowned your puppy? Tariq: Have you seen your husband? Leila: I'm not his keeper. Tariq: At least tell me why he ordered me to stand down. I was about to send two brigades to the Plaza, and all of a sudden, he changes his mind with no explanation. He won't take my calls. He's cancelled his meetings for the day. Leila: The president isn't required to consult with his wife on every decision he makes. Tariq: But as his wife, you should know. If Jamal isn't prepared to defend the regime, there are others who will. Leila: I hope, for your sake, you're not threatening my husband. Tariq: On the contrary, I'm trying to protect him. (crowd clamoring over video) (rapid gunfire over video) Ihab: Now these Al Fayeeds, they want to give us platitudes. Leila: He's a parrot. His mouth moves, but other people's words come out. La Boétie, Guevara and his father, the Sheik. Ihab: As men and women of... Leila: But you, you are in the position to make your own history. Jamal: Start with a compliment, end with an ask. What do you want? Leila: Yesterday in the Plaza, they nearly killed you. Jamal: You exaggerate. Leila: No, I was there, Jamal. Three weeks, and the people are already questioning your leadership. Now is the time to be firm, to show them that you are in control. Why are you holding back Tariq? Jamal: Why? For you. Leila: For me? Jamal: If I move against the Plaza, ten times as many will rise up against me, against my family. This is certain, Leila. So what do I do? I wait until tomorrow. Maybe these clouds will bring a storm. Or maybe something will happen to clear them. Leila: Is this you talking? Or is it Bassam? Maybe Ihab is not the only parrot in this country. Jamal: Don't make the mistake of getting between me and my brother. Molly: Reema, what are you doing? Reema: I was just straightening up. Molly: Hold on. Let me see what's in your pocket. Reema: I'll be in the servants' quarters until the police arrive. Molly: Just wait. First tell me why you need Vicodin. Reema: Not me. My brother Salam. Molly: What's wrong with him? Reema... Reema: He broke his arm. He was fixing the roof and he fell. Molly: Well, if his arm is broken, he needs a doctor to set it. You have to take him to the hospital. Reema: No hospital. Molly: Why not? Reema: Please, ma'am. Molly: Okay, tell you what... You take me to see your brother, and this stays between us. Reema: You will tell no one? Molly: No. Ahmed: Where's the fire? Nusrat: You smell like tequila. I have to help your grandma with seating arrangements, okay? Ahmed: Baby, it's been a month and we still haven't... I didn't get married to take care of my own needs! (door slams) Jamal: Mother, this is really beautiful. Amira: Not nearly as beautiful as your daughter-in-law. Jamal: Yes, Ahmed is a lucky man. Is this my grandson I feel in there? Bassam is waiting for me. Amira: Your father would be so happy to see his two sons working together like this. Jamal: He would have been. Amira: Are you all right, Nusrat? The ambassador is deaf in his left ear, so I'm going to put you on his right side. Jamal: So... when am I sitting down with this asshole? Barry: I'm still working out the details. Jamal: What details? He shows up when and where we say! Barry: Yeah, it's not... it's not quite as simple as that. Jamal: It is simple. Who's the president, me or him? (groans) What aren't you telling me? Barry: Nothing. He's just, uh... the guy's playing hard to get. Jamal: Hard to get? Maybe he will play nicer with electrodes on his balls. Barry: Can you please just give me a little more time? Jamal: How much time do you think I have? I've already got Leila crawling up my ass. While you are out buying flowers for this shitball, I'm starting to look like some pussy who can't pull the trigger. Barry: Jamal, I'm working on it. Jamal: Working on it? Well, stop working on it and get it done. (crowd clamoring) Ihab: Abbudin! Crowd: Abbudin! Ihab: He humiliated me. Mohammed: Relax, relax. Ihab: No, no, no, no, no! I'm not going to relax. He can't do this. It makes me look like a fool. That was the point, wasn't it? Mohammed: Take the mic, paint him as the liar he is! Ihab: Oh, and look like a child who dropped his ice cream, huh? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. What is the game he's playing? Samira: Same game as you are. You were only there to tell him off to his face. Ihab: You... you knew all along Bassam was going to blow me off. Samira: What?! No! No! Ihab: You set the location, set the time. Samira: Ihab, stop! You're letting your anger get the best of you at a time when the people need your leadership. People are trusting you with their lives. People I know! My friends! Ihab: You don't think I know that, little girl? Hmm? I am not here by accident. Crowd (chanting): Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! Ihab: Abbudin! Barry: Jamal's given me 24 hours to see if I can clear the Plaza peacefully. Molly: What are you gonna do? Barry: Tucker is reaching out to Ihab's father, the Sheik, to try and arrange a meeting. Before my father launched the attack on Ma'an, he and the Sheik sat down for peace talks. Rashid was prepared to negotiate a peaceful solution. Molly: Yeah, and then he bombed the Palace. Barry: An army barracks. And it was his followers, not him. Look, 20 years ago, Rashid was prepared to negotiate with my father. Despite what happened, me sitting down with him now is the only hope we have to stop this blowing up in our faces. Molly: Who's going with you? Barry: I don't know all the details yet, okay? Tucker's gonna call me back. Until then, I'm going to go for a run, okay? Molly: So it's a suicide mission. Barry: That's blowing it out of proportion. And Molly, really, I don't have another choice here. Molly: Of course you have another choice. You also have two kids and a wife. I mean... you're gonna get yourself killed, Barry. Barry: Honey, we're not at home listening to this on NPR, we're in it. And I can do something my father couldn't... I can end this peacefully. Molly: That's Jamal's job, not yours. Why are you putting your life on this line for this? Barry: 'Cause my name's not Smith or Jones! (Molly scoffs) Molly: If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were starting to get off on this. Ahmed: Hakim, I know Nusrat is here. Hakim: Now is not a good time. She's upset. Ahmed: Which is why she should be with her husband and not run to her parents like a child! We had a thing this morning, now she's not returning my calls. Hakim: I swear I'll talk sense into her. You have my word. Do have any idea what position you are putting our family in? Everything we have, it's all from Al Fayeeds! Nusrat: I want a divorce. Hakim: Don't be stupid. Why did you agree to marry Ahmed if you don't love him? Sofia: Tell him. Hakim: Tell me what? Tell me what? Nusrat: It's not Ahmed. It's Jamal. (phone vibrating) Barry: Yeah. John: Barry, it's Tucker. The person you wanted me to reach out to agreed to meet. Barry: Okay. I'll go back and tell Molly... John: You can call Molly from the road. I'm about to jump in the car. Meet me outside the gate. Barry: I'm on my way. All right, guys, that's it for the day. [SCENE_BREAK] John: Thank you for arranging this meeting with your father. Namir Rashid... Bassam Al Fayeed. Namir: Okay, come with me. Oh, no, no... you stay here. John: No, no, no, no, that wasn't the arrangement. Namir: I told my father we should kill him right here, but this is his wish. Turn around, Al Fayeed. Barry: It's okay. Namir: Do it. Ihab (recorded): When this, uh, Amriki walks in here, I'm going to tell him exactly what it will take for us to clear the Plaza: his brother's resignation. Tariq: Our security forces track Ihab Rashid's movements. Imagine their surprise and my embarrassment upon learning he was meeting with your brother. Jamal: Bassam is working for me. He is meeting Ihab Rashid on my orders. Tariq: Bassam's been nowhere near Ihab in the last 24 hours. Jamal: That is wrong. That is wrong! I spoke to Bassam right after their meeting. He looked me in the eyes and told me they are ironing out details. Tariq: Then he lied to you! He's had no contact with Ihab. As a matter of fact, Bassam ditched his security. He is nowhere to be found. Leila: This is why you refuse to clear the Plaza? Bassam... doesn't keep his promises. Jamal: How the hell would you know? Barry (recorded): Hi, you've reached Barry Al Fayeed. Please leave your name and... Tariq: Sir, at least allow me to move my forces into position. (Jamal sighs) Jamal: Fine. But they stand down until I give the order. (coughing) Sheik Rashid: My lungs... (clears throat) A souvenir of the day your father gassed Ma'an. You met my son, Namir. Barry: Yeah, he, uh... he drove me from the border. The hood kind of limited the conversation. Sheik Rashid: You understand our precautions. Barry: Yes. Sheik Rashid: I have always been curious about Khaled's American son. (gunshot) Man: Death to the Al Fayeed! (grunts) Death to the Al Fayeed! Death to the Al Fayeeds! Sheik Rashid: I apologize for his actions, but his anger is understandable. His family was wiped out by yours. Bassam Al Fayeed, yesterday you were my enemy, but today you are my guest. Barry: Sheik Rashid, I need to talk to you about... Sheik Rashid: That's not the way it's done. First, we eat. Hakim: Mr. President, you are too kind, taking time away from important issues of state to deal with a personal matter. Leila: To what do we owe this pleasure? Hakim: Marriage... it's a complicated proposition, and Nusrat has always been... fragile. Overly emotional. My wife and I are to blame. We coddled her. Jamal: Cut to the chase. Hakim: We ask for nothing, just a quick and quiet dissolution of the marriage. Leila: Divorce? On what grounds? Tell me, Hakim. We have welcomed your daughter to this family as one of our own. Ahmed is my son. I demand to know what this is about. Hakim: Please, ma'am, are the details really important? (Jamal groans) Jamal: Will you wait for me outside? Hakim: Sure. (door closes) Jamal: I will fix this. Leila: You'd better. We can't afford another humiliation. Jamal: I said I will fix this. (gunshot) Your turn. Hakim: I'm no match for you. Jamal (chuckles): Yeah. That's true. So, tell me, Hakim, what is this nonsense about a divorce? Your daughter has everything a woman could want. Why you don't talk sense to her? Hakim: Believe me, Mr. President, I have tried. Jamal: "Tried." Well, not hard enough. My father gave you the telecommunication franchise in this country. Now, your family has everything it has because my family gave it to you. Hakim: And I'm forever in your debt. Jamal: Then act like it. Hakim: Please, I beg you. There is no talking sense with a sleepwalker. She's in a doctor's care. He prescribes therapy, medication. My daughter is weak, and your son did his best. Jamal: "Did his best"? Are you saying this is Ahmed's fault? Hakim: No, of course not. Jamal: Then what are you saying? What reason did she give? (chuckles) Hakim: I swear, she will go to the grave with her secret. Jamal: Tell me what she told you. Hakim: Uh, it doesn't matter. Jamal: You know what, you are right. It doesn't matter. (muffled screaming) There will be no divorce, Hakim. (Hakim groaning) Your whore of a daughter is going to crawl back into my son's bed! She will bear him children. As many as he wants. Hakim: Mr. President, please! Please, sir! (gunshot) (screaming) Molly: It's not just his arm. He fractured multiple ribs when he fell. His pulse is racing and weak. He's anxious. (sighs) Reema, with this kind of injury, he could be bleeding on the inside. It's okay, it's okay. We're gonna get you to a hospital. Reema: I said no hospital. Molly: He wasn't fixing a roof, was he? Reema: He was in the Plaza. When the president's motorcade came, people, they start pushing. He is innocent, but the camera, they saw him. If he seeks help now, they'll arrest him. Molly: He'll die if he doesn't. Reema: Better to die here than live through what they will do to him. His friends in the Plaza, they tagged a street sign with "free Abbudin" and were arrested. When their father went to the police, begged for his children, he was told to make new ones. Salam is my only family. Please, help us. Emt: What's his name? (indistinct radio transmission) Reema: Salam. Salam Halabi. Molly: Radial fracture, multiple broken ribs, suspected hemothorax from intercostal hemorrhaging. We need to throw in a chest tube. Emt: I'm sorry, but you can't take this man. He is wanted by the authorities. We have to alert the police... Molly: He'll die if you wait. Emt: Before we admit him to the hospital. Then he'll die. Molly: No, he won't. I won't let him. Emt: And who are you? Molly: Dr. Molly Al Fayeed. Emt: We were just following the law. A thousand pardons. Molly: You don't... you don't need to apologize to me. Just get him to the hospital. You know what, why don't I come with you and make sure no one else makes the same mistake. Namir: Bless Allah for protecting us and for all that we have. Sheik Rashid: Alhamdulillah. All: Alhamdulillah. Sheik Rashid: I see you are anxious to talk. Barry: Yes. Sheik Rashid: Walk with me. (Sheik Rashid coughs) You made a long trip to avoid the more obvious choice. Barry: Ihab doesn't want to talk. He wants his turn, and that's not going to happen. (Sheik Rashid laughs) Sheik Rashid: You must be worried. Otherwise, you are not here. Barry: I'm worried about the price we'll have to pay for either side to win. There's a book I-I read about apartheid in South Africa. A white man says about the blacks, "my greatest fear" "is that by the time we have come to love," "they will have come to hate." Sheik Rashid: Have you come to love? Barry: I've come to talk. You and I have more in common than anyone else in this. We're both exiled... for different reasons... by force or by choice. But we both have the advantage of an outsider's perspective. Sheik Rashid: You came back. Why? Barry: To try and keep my brother from making my father's mistakes. Finish with my brother what you started with my father. Negotiate a political solution. Sheik Rashid: This is a young man's fight. Barry: And I need an old man to be my partner. Someone who wants nothing for himself. Sheik Rashid: You think that's me? Barry: Well, I think we both have a second chance here to make this right. You and I both know history. If we don't try, then your son or my brother and so many people along with them will be consumed by this. Imprisoned, exiled... or dead within a year. Sheik Rashid: Death doesn't scare me... Bassam Al Fayeed. I've seen too much of it. (Sheik Rashid coughs) Barry: I don't believe you. w After 20 years, you're still alive. I'm a doctor. I believe that life itself is hope. And I think that you do, too. [SCENE_BREAK] John: You didn't close the deal. Barry: Thought it was going in the right direction. He... just said he needed to sleep on it. But when he woke up... John: Well, you may have failed, but, uh, the reach... It was impressive. Get in. I'll take you back to the Palace. (crowd clamoring over video) (rapid gunfire over video) Jamal: General... (sighs) Clear the Plaza. (crowd clamoring) (whistle blowing) Ihab: They're moving into the Plaza. Mohammed: After your speech, there's a van waiting for you. Samira: Ihab. So, when they start shooting, you won't be standing with the people? (whistle blowing) Crowd (chanting): Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! (chanting, clamoring continues) (helicopter hovering overhead) Fauzi: Samira. Let's go before it's too late. Samira: I'm not leaving. Fauzi: You would die for him? Samira: Ihab may be trying to replace one tyranny with another. But the people... they won't let him. And I'm standing here with them. Fauzi: I'll stand with you. Leila: Thank you for coming. Sofia: How can you do this? You're feeding her to the wolves. Hakim: It's not like we have a choice. Sofia: She's our daughter. Amira: Hakim. What happened to you? Hakim: It's nothing. A hunting accident. Amira: And yet you're here. What one does for family. Nusrat. Leila: Beautiful as ever. It's all for you. Everything here... Is all for you. Ahmed: Nusrat. Nusrat: Everything's going to be okay. Ahmed: Come. Let's greet everyone. Nusrat: Okay. Leila: Enjoy the party. (Jamal sighs) Jamal: Look at the newlyweds. Leila: What a persuasive man. (both sighing) Barry: You were right. Why did I think I could come here and do something my father couldn't? Thank you... for putting your life on hold for me. Being here with me. Molly: I think I really needed to hear that. Crowd (chanting): Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! Ihab: Raise your phones! Record this moment in history! As long as we have a camera, the revolution continues! (crowd cheering) And if... if we are the first martyrs to liberate Abbudin, then so be it! (crowd cheering) I stand with you, my brothers and sisters. Crowd (chanting): Free Abbudin! Ihab: I stand with you, united... united... unite... (crowd quiets) [SCENE_BREAK] (applause) Sheik Rashid: Brothers... and sisters. 20 years in exile, but I have come home. (crowd cheering) Tariq: Your brother is back. Jamal: Excuse me. Liar. You told me you were going to meet Ihab Rashid. I trusted you. You are my blood, and you betrayed me. Molly: Jamal. Jamal: No, Molly. If your husband is a traitor, I need to know. Molly: He's not a traitor. Tariq: He deceived the president. Threatened our national security. John: Mr. President. General. Uh, you need to see something. Sheik Rashid: Willing to put aside the atrocities of the past, to join our cause. I demand to sit down with president Jamal Al Fayeed. (crowd cheering) Jamal: He demands? Sheik Rashid: Free Abbudin! Crowd: Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! Free Abbudin! (chanting continues) Barry: This is it. You can finish something our father couldn't. Pardon the Sheik and sit down with him. Tariq: This is insane. Our soldiers are in place, awaiting your order. Barry: Then stand them down. Jamal, you can end this without firing a shot. This is what you wanted. Jamal: Is it? (breathes deeply) (chanting continues over TV) General, tell your men to stand down. Tariq: But, Mr. President...
Hail Mary