Tyrant recap: Cockroach

If there’s one thing to know about Tyrant’s third season, it’s that upheaval — both of the political and emotional sort — will be a central thread in the complex, crazy, and completely unpredictable story lines ahead. And while we’re on the subject of threads — bad joke? okay, bear with me — let’s dive into this recap’s dual treatment of story line and stunning fashion, shall we?

Leila looked a-m-a-z-i-n-g in this fuchsia crepe suit set, its rich purple undertones a neat twist on her ambition this episode. Yup, she wants to run for president. First Hillary, now Leila? 2016 is a year for the books, my friends. That said, Leila is fully aware that realizing her goals in a male-dominated world will be difficult. But take note: Just as with her fashion choices, Leila is never one to play entirely by the rules.

Is that Sammy looking cozy with his new college prof? Yup, it is! Now, what’s interesting here is that they’re both wearing preppy Western clothes — blue button-downs and pants — even though Sammy there under the pretext of wanting to educate himself on the complexities of the Middle Eastern culture. And oh, don’t you think the clothes add a little extra hint of the forbidden when it comes to the electric spark that’s so clearly between them?

Molly and Emma wore complementary cream-colored outfits on their excursion to visit a military hospital. Cute, but we all know there’s actually more to it than that. Since white signals innocence, it’s a stark contrast to the events that lie ahead: Molly’s driver gave itinerary details to Ihab’s camp, which leads to an ambush en route. It was a scary affair, the end result was that Emma was kidnapped shortly after having made sure her unconscious mother was covered with a blanket and out of view.

NEXT: What Molly does next…

Once Molly stirs to consciousness, she realizes what you and I as viewers have known since the sequence started: Getting Emma back is going to be really hard. As in, Ihab wants “an eye for an eye” vengeance and is demanding nothing short of Molly herself in exchange for her daughter. So, what’s a mother to do? Welp, if you’re Molly, you head straight to Nafisa & co’s place to work with what’s the so-called opposition to get your daughter back. Way to get some dirt on those luxe-looking cream clothes, girlfriend.

While we’re on the subject of Nafisa, how fab is this scarlet hijab and embroidered tunic? It’s her way of showing respect and deference to her culture, while highlighting her fiery sensibility and opinionated nature. Snap snap!

The “from desk to drinks” concept is something women’s magazines have been touting forever (for the uninformed: It’s the notion that with a quick swipe of lipstick or a change in shoes, you can transform your work-appropriate outfit into an after-hours look). Here, Leila exhibits this perfectly: By taking off her jacket to reveal the sexy, come-hither dress beneath, she’s perfectly irresistible. Just ask General Cogswell, whom she smooches at the end of the episode following their wine-fueled tête-à-tête. Tyrant writers have heard my prayer — they knew I didn’t want to wait TOO long to see how the chemistry between these two played out!

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What did you think of this episode, both in terms of fashion and plot? I love how women are playing a bigger part in the show then ever before and how their clothing is really boosting character development. That said, what’s your take on how Molly’s rescue attempt will play out? Will Bassam have a total freakout over his wife going rogue? And what about his little late-night kinda-sorta-almost snuggle with Daliyah? Oh, and that moment where Jamal was totally up and conscious? O-M-G.