Series brings war to cable

The 10-hour drama will air over two weeks.
ORLANDO SENTINEL
The terrorists work in a high school, a bowling alley, a tourism business and a security firm. They're plotting a strike that would be far deadlier than those on Sept. 11, 2001. These conspirators are operating freely in Los Angeles, usually the backdrop for small-screen escapism.
Showtime's "Sleeper Cell" pushes viewers to think again about the war on terror in nightmarish terms. No wonder this disturbing 10-hour drama, which starts Sunday, has landed on premium cable rather than on a commercial-supported network. "Sleeper Cell" starts at 10 p.m. and runs Sunday-Wednesday for the next two weeks. It will conclude from 8 to 10 p.m. Dec. 18.
Plot
"Sleeper Cell" starts slowly, but it gains the force and depth of a good novel. Darwyn Al-Sayeed (Michael Ealy), an undercover FBI agent, infiltrates the cell and wins the trust of leader Faris Al-Farik (Oded Fehr).
Series creators Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris heighten the psychological tension by plunging Darwyn, a devout Muslim, into morally murky waters. The series contrasts his faith with the terrorists' opportunism. When that approach threatens to turn preachy and simplistic, subtle acting compensates.
The series doesn't overcome another misstep: The writers give Darwyn a clingy lover named Gayle (Melissa Sagemiller). Their rocky romance pushes the show off on a distracting, soapy tangent.
Yet "Sleeper Cell" moves with more sophistication than most crime dramas. Turf battles between U.S. agencies unfold with documentary-style realism. Darwyn's strained relations with his FBI handlers yield potent twists. Darwyn blunders in profound ways that television crime-fighters rarely do.
The heart of "Sleeper Cell" remains life inside the terrorist group. In chilling scenes, these conspirators look for targets, punish a perceived traitor, acquire weapons, experiment on animals and prepare their big attack against a landmark.
Their pasts
The writers establish believable pasts for the terrorists to explain their motivations and resentments. Blond, blue-eyed Tommy Emerson (Blake Shields) calls himself "the perfect weapon" and despises his parents, both university professors.
Ilija Korjenic (Henri Lubatti), a Bosnian, draws his vengeful style from witnessing his family's slaughter by Serbs. Christian Aumont (Alex Nesic), a misogynistic Frenchman, has moved his allegiance from skinheads to terrorists.
"Sleeper Cell" shrewdly keeps leader Farik's past shrouded, and Fehr delivers an eerie, enigmatic performance. He is matched by Ealy, whose brooding elevates the many scenes in which Darwyn is tested.
Other standouts in the large cast include Tonya Pinkins as Darwyn's loving mother, Ally Walker as Tommy's indulgent mother and James LeGros and Sonya Walger as determined FBI handlers.