**Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Tehran’ Season 3 On Apple TV**
The highly anticipated third season of the Israeli-produced thriller "Tehran" has finally arrived on Apple TV, with a star-studded cast that includes Hugh Laurie joining the mix. But will audiences remember enough about the show to be interested? Let's dive in and find out.
**Opening Shot: "NUCLEAR SITE, NANTAZ, IRAN."**
The episode opens with a group of inspectors, led by Eric Peterson (Hugh Laurie), being escorted down a hallway by soldiers at a nuclear facility in Iran. As they walk, we see a glimpse of the tension between the Iranians and the inspectors. But things take a turn when Peterson tries to install a camera in a fire alarm box, only to drop it and have his fellow inspector catch him.
**The Gist:**
We quickly learn that Peterson has another mission in mind, one that involves going back to the nuclear facility. Meanwhile, we're introduced to Mossad agent Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), who's embedded in Tehran trying to hack into the Iranian government's nuclear operations. But she's not the only one with a secret: IGRC captain Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub) is hiding something from his superiors, and it involves the death of therapist Marjan Montazeri (Glenn Close).
**What's Changed Since Season 1**
One of the notable changes since the first season is the addition of big-name stars like Glenn Close and now Hugh Laurie. While this may be an attempt to connect the show to a wider audience, given that most of the first season was in Farsi and Hebrew, we're not convinced that it adds much to the story.
At its core, "Tehran" is still about Tamar's internal conflict as a Persian Jew infiltrating her hometown while dealing with family members on both sides of the Israel-Iran divide. Faraz's storyline is also more about playing the political game than being loyal to any particular ideology. While the show's espionage thrills are standard-grade, it's the subtleties of Tamar and Faraz's stories that make it worth watching.
**Performance Worth Watching:**
Niv Sultan shines as Tamar, who's still a burned asset for Mossad despite her loyalty to Israel. Her character's struggles with identity and belonging make her a compelling watch.
**Parting Shot:**
The episode ends with a cliffhanger, as Nahid (Shila Ommi) is taken hostage by Tamar in Faraz's house. The tension builds as we're left wondering what will happen next.
**Sleeper Star:**
Shaun Toub gives Faraz a world-weary air that's authentic, making him a standout in the cast.
**Most Pilot-y Line:**
One line that stands out is Peterson's description of the inspection protocol at the nuclear facility. While it may be a clever play on words, it feels like something a writer would come up with rather than an actual quote from someone in real life.
**Our Call: STREAM IT**
Despite Laurie's addition to the cast, we're still intrigued by the subtleties of Tamar and Faraz's stories, especially now that their paths are starting to converge. If you're a fan of espionage thrillers like "Homeland" or "Fauda," then "Tehran" is definitely worth checking out.
**Joel Keller**
TV junkie Joel Keller writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but let's be real: he's all about the TV. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.