Ben Affleck’s “Argo” was a decently entertaining thriller. But as with most Hollywood takes on history, it played fast and loose with the facts, particularly when it came to the daring escape of six American diplomats from revolutionary Iran. CNN’s “How It Really Happened” sets the record straight with “Iran Hostages: The Dangerous Journey Home,” an in-depth look at the ordeal faced by those trapped in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis.
Forget the Hollywood gloss. This episode isn’t about movie stars or manufactured suspense. It’s about the raw, unfiltered experiences of the individuals who lived through 444 days of captivity, a period of immense political tension and personal fear. While the fate of the 52 Americans held in the US embassy became a global news story, six other diplomats managed to evade capture, finding refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Their story, while partially dramatized in “Argo,” is here told by the actual participants, the “Tehran Six” themselves.
Three members of this group recount their harrowing experience, shedding light on the constant threat of discovery and the intricate planning involved in their eventual extraction. While “Argo” focused on the fake movie plot devised by the CIA, “How It Really Happened” digs deeper, examining the human element often overshadowed by the cinematic portrayal. It’s one thing to see a fictionalized version of events unfold on screen; it’s quite another to hear the fear and uncertainty in the voices of those who faced an unknown future, trapped in a hostile nation during a volatile political standoff.
For those who only know the story through the lens of Hollywood, this episode offers a necessary corrective, a sobering reminder that behind every simplified narrative lies a complicated tapestry of human experience.
“How It Really Happened: Iran Hostages: The Dangerous Journey Home” airs Sunday, November 24 at 9:00 PM on CNN.
