Sleeper Cell

I happened to catch the first episode of the drama Sleeper Cell, while flipping through the channels and got hooked in 15 minutes. Its the story of an American Muslim working for the FBI going undercover and joining a Muslim terrorist organization that is hell bent on bringing chaos and terror to America.

What makes a drama tick is making the viewers involved with the characters. One must feel for the people in the story or else it just becomes a bunch of people on TV. The show gives adequate information about the main character, Darwyn Al-Hakim and his reason for going undercover. Oded, who plays the leader of the cell, gives a very chilling ice-down-the-spine performance. the rest of the team members are all non-Arabs and they have a reason to be here, or at least one of them have. They make you feel for these people at the same time make you feel bad that you are actually feeling sorry for the bad guys. THats what is called drama.

I'll have to now soon get this on DVD for my collection because i feel that this is going to be one of those really good TV series that are too short but worth it, like Band of Brothers.

This is an extremely involving series that is well casted and portraits a sensitive subject with great splendor. We follow Michael Ealy as the undercover FBI agent Darwyn, set to infiltrate a terror cell lead by Farik (Oder Fehr). The series is very well written, and has enough plot twists to keep you sitting at the edge of your seat waiting for whatever happens next.

Michael Ealy is by my definition one of the best actors I've seen portraying an undercover agent. Icey cold on the outside, but still a good human being underneath trying his best to keep his head afloat in a highly emotional roller-coaster ride that FBI has had him embark on. Oder Fehr on the other hand comes off a guy that pretty much could fit into any social scenario. Big and strong, but yet able to disappear into the gray mass if so needed. Highly authoritative and extremely cunning. The way the two communicate on screen is nothing short of spectacular.

The way the story develops, and the level of detail that the script offers makes the whole story extremely believable, and also very true to life I would imagine. It is of such magnitude that you're left with the feeling of being insecure, not knowing what might happen next in real life. We read about terror every day, and here we are given a good sneak peak into an underworld which most of us know very little about.

It's a series that will for sure have you coming back for more, sitting there at the edge of your seat just waiting for next weeks episode to come on. It's a sure winner in my eyes, and I have no problems stating that this series is on my list of all time best.

I saw episode one by accident while channel surfing Sunday night. After about 5 minutes, I was hooked. I can still say the same after episode three last night.

The show has the feel and look of a first-class feature film. In fact, this type of cable series should make feature film producers start looking over their shoulders. With shows like this and others like The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, HBO and Showtime have given the industry something to be very worried about - and deservedly so. I go to the movies about once a week and all I can say is Hollywood better get its act together.

The cast is superb, notably Michael Ealy and Oded Fehr. Ealy portrays his character, an undercover FBI agent, with just the right amount of passion, conflict, and boiling rage. Fehr is evil incarnate, although you can say that Dylan's line, "Sympathy for the Devil" is right on the nose here – more on that in a second. What a coup (and how ironic) to have an Israeli actor play an Arab terrorist. In an interview, this gifted actor expressed his revulsion and loathing for what "Farik", his character, represents. It made the part the most challenging thing he's done so far. Knowing that, as you watch him execute his nefarious plans, makes him even more compelling. Casting non-Arabs to play the other terrorists was a stroke of genius on the part of the creators of the show, Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff. These people are like us and live among us…a disturbing thought and a very real possibility that cranks the fear factor way up.

The interesting thing about the way that these Islamic extremists are presented to us is that you can't help feeling sympathy for them. They are likable and, in their own warped way, virtuous. That's another aspect of the show that pulls at the heart-strings and adds to the biting conflict that is the mark of a brilliant drama.

You can bet that I'll be watching the rest of the series being broadcast back to back (there is a God!) for the next two weeks. They are replaying most of the episodes throughout this week, so if you missed the first ones, you'll have the opportunity to catch up. I suggest you start with Ep. 1 if you can although each one stands very well on its own.

I love the show. The acting is great and I think Alex Nesic will be one of our sexiest men in the future. Now I must note that the first show had an error that was quite blatant to me. The penitentiary in Lompoc, California is where I used to live. It is not pronounced "Lompak", but is pronounced "Lompoke". I was surprised that was not noticed and corrected. Also I wonder how Darwin gets by with carrying and using his cell phone w/o question? That I find confusing. I would think the leader would get that phone and check the calls just to keep a good check on the members. Other than that, I look forward to the episodes. Can someone tell me what nights this will be on and what channel? thanks.

The conversation of extremist attacks and ideologies hasn't left our society since this show was made and tragically canceled. The exploration of what compels even ordinary men and women to pursue something so violent in the name of religious ideology is fascinating to watch.

Sleeper Cell did a fine job of showing a balanced viewpoint with balanced characters. The series follows a secret agent who infiltrates a sleeper cell group of unlikely militants planning a big attack. The tense situations our protagonist gets himself into is gripping but also endearing as you see what a more moderate believer is like. Definitely worth watching!