Terror Among Us
A realistic thriller of homeland insecurity
With
Prison Break on hiatus and
24 still a month away, those who like to watch TV on the edge of their seats can fill the void with Showtime's 10-hour
Sleeper Cell (premiering Sunday, Dec. 4 at 10 pm/ET). This engrossing and unnerving nail-biter is a rare treat: a thriller with a brain and a soul.
Airing in a concentrated pattern over two weeks (through Dec. 18) for maximum impact, Sleeper Cell plunges us into a dark underworld of corruption and religious zealotry.
"This isn't just a war on terror. It's a war within Islam," says undercover FBI agent Darwyn (the charismatic Michael Ealy), who has infiltrated a small band of sociopathic Muslim extremists living behind a facade of normalcy in Los Angeles. Darwyn is a devout Muslim whose own faith is tested by the actions he must perform in order not to blow his cover as an ex-con.
Reminiscent of the classic Wiseguy series, the suspense tightens hour by hour as Darwyn plays a dangerous game: following the enigmatic orders of his cunning leader (Oded Fehr), who masquerades as a Jew; tipping off his FBI handlers, an often bumbling lot; and romancing a non-Muslim single mom whose suspicions of Darwyn lead to hair-raising complications.
Because no one in the terror cell knows what the end game is or when it will occur, even an innocent scene like a youth group blowing bubbles at a ball game takes on an ominous tone. Putting it mildly, Sleeper Cell isn't for those who want to sleep easy.
Mysteries of the Holidays
As a between-seasons yuletide bonus, USA Network is reviving two of its signature series for new lighthearted holiday episodes. It's especially fun to have Monk back (Dec. 2, 10 pm/ET), with Tony Shalhoub solving the murder of a detective who drinks from a gift bottle of poisoned wine addressed to Monk's boss. There's a decent twist, but the real delight comes from Monk dealing with the season's dubious greetings: fussily hanging tinsel and suffering in department-store Santa drag — yes, the kids are given Handi Wipes before sitting on his lap.
An offbeat Santa also figures into a sentimental The Dead Zone (Dec. 4, 10 pm/ET), as psychics Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) and Alex (guest star Jennifer Finnigan of Close to Home) give comfort to an amnesiac in a Santa hat and three street urchins, all in time for holiday dinner.
Both episodes end on a white-Christmas note, setting the stage for the schmaltzy TV month ahead.
