Season 1
Baghdad, 1979. Deputy President Saddam and his allies intimidate President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr into resigning. Convening his first Ba'ath party congress, the new president exposes "detractors," who are forced to confess to an attempted coup and executed by party members in a test of loyalty. The personality of Saddam soon permeates Iraq. Meanwhile, Saddam finds solace in his mistress as he faces personal obstacles including the death of his mother; the erratic behavior of his first son and heir, Uday; and a deteriorating alliance with Barzan Ibrahim, a half-brother and former deputy. Later, Saddam's family and friends gather to celebrate daughter Raghad's marriage to Hussein Kamel, Saddam's cousin and close ally. Despite the festivities, a feeling of foreboding mounts--as jealousy, rivalry and paranoia will soon test loyalties to the limit.
