The series premiere sets the stage for the political crucible of 1979, detailing how America and Iran went from deeply enmeshed allies to global adversaries. As the U.S.-backed Shah flees his country's revolution against the excess and repression of his regime, the religious cleric Ayatollah Khomeini rises to power and an Islamic theocracy is put in place. The U.S. embassy, a symbol of American imperialism and political interference to many in the region, falls under grave threat.
