Will Tut's Crown Be Taken Away?

Spike TV has entered the limited series event ring with their new three-night special program Tut , starring Ben Kingsley and Avan Jogia from the short-lived ABC Family series Twisted. The miniseries follows Tutankhamun as he is crowned pharaoh at the young age of 9 and rules for 10 years before realizing his actual potential as king. Unfortunately, when he does attempt to truly take the power, his most trusted advisors seem to be not only resisting the move, but plotting against it. In night one, Tut takes over as the commander of his army from General Horemheb, despite Horemheb proving himself to be a great leader. Tut demands to fight in a battle against the Thebes' enemies the Mitanni. During the scuffle, Tut is wounded and General Horemheb leaves him for dead rather than rescuing him and bringing him back to safety. We also see the Grand Vizier Ay speaking to his son about gaining opportunities to take the crown for themselves. Could Horemheb and the Grand Vizier usurp Tut's power?

Tut fortunately survives his wounds from war thanks to the kindness of a young woman named Suhad, a half-Thebes, half-Mitanni girl living far from the palace and the palace life. Despite being married to his sister, Tut and Suhad fall for one another and attempt to get Tut back to his throne where he belongs. But they must defeat General Horemheb's army and the directions he gives his men to not let Tut back into the palace alive.

After learning that her husband/brother is dead, Queen Ankhe wastes no time agreeing to marry her real love, Tut's best friend Ka, despite almost being talked into marrying the Grand Vizier Ay who states that marrying him will quell any tension between the General and the throne. So who is trying to gain power away from the man who isn't actually dead? I can't bring myself to trust anyone on this show, to be honest. Being pharaoh comes with lots of danger and betrayal from those who wish to wield the power of a nation. Trusted advisors are almost never truly to be trusted, no matter their years of service. It's likely that Ay is playing a much more subtle, long-lasting game to win power. He and his son have multiple conversations about their desire to be more than just "common blood," and despite his son deeming himself deserving of the power, Ay knows better. He knows that opportunity must strike organically. The power never lasts if it's taken by force too quickly.

General Horemheb, on the other hand, is an army man, so taking things by force is basically his code. However, he also uses the opportunity of seeing the seemingly dying pharaoh to his advantage by leaving him for dead and moving on with his plans. At present, General Horemheb doesn't seem to want the throne, but he could be playing a smart game of gaining the people's trust and then using that popularity and favor to keep the throne once he makes the move for it. Or perhaps he is working with someone who wants the power and is willing to share, or at least allow the General to do whatever he wants with the army. In that case, the Grand Vizier, Tut's best friend Ka, and even the Queen could be in cahoots together. See? No one can be trusted on Tut.

Image: Spike TV