Strike Back: Cinemax Season Three

This terrorist-themed U.S./U.K. action series—a Cinemax showpiece original drama—is derived from a titular 2007 novel by Chris Ryan, a British SAS vet turned writer. Strike Back plays like high-octane Tom Clancy with occasional bursts of steamy sex—straight, gay, lesbian—substituted for flag-waving patriotism (being around terrorism apparently builds great bodies, based on the evidence here). Section 20 is a secret British unit taking on an array of international villains, with top soldiers including brash American commando Michael (Philip Winchester), who has sex with various women as his combat-fatigue "therapy," and stalwart Brit Damian (Sullivan Stapleton). The third season winds through a clandestine war against (chiefly) an Al-Qaeda type Islamist group, while also exploring the question of whether terror chief Leo Kamali (Zubin Varla) is a treacherous murderer or a deep-deep-cover CIA agent as he claims. Guest intrigue is supplied by Columbian drug cartels, the Irish Republican Army, and the Russian mob. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2013 third season, extras include audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Likely to appeal to 24 fans, this is recommended. (C. Cassady)