Sleeper Cell: American Terror—The Complete Second Season

This absorbing, provocative Showtime-aired series provides the same kind of nail-biting suspense found in 24, only with less over-the-top melodrama and more realism. The eight hour-long episodes from the 2006 second season once again follow the dangerous exploits of undercover FBI agent Darwyn (Michael Ealy), whose Muslim background qualifies him to infiltrate Islamic terrorist organizations in Southern California. Here, Darwyn tries to thwart a potentially catastrophic attack, while a parallel storyline reveals that his nemesis Farik (Oded Fehr) has fled the country and is organizing another terrorist plot that could have enormous ramifications in the Middle East. Having a short season enables Sleeper Cell to tell its tension-filled stories concisely, without being dragged down by the constant side issues that occasionally derail the 24 locomotive. In addition, the dialogue is crisp, the situations plausible, and the terrorists aren't portrayed as two-dimensional figures. In fact, it's tough to resist the temptation to forego sleep and watch all eight episodes in one sitting. DVD extras include audio commentary on two episodes, production featurettes, and cast and crew bios. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)