So, congrats, Sleeper Cell on a Year Two!

Year one was basic intrigue, a dash of “it’s a Moslem thing, you wouldn’t understand” and a bit of Moslem vs. Moslem discussion or, more cynically, “My invisible friend Allah is bigger than your invisible friend Allah, die die die!” In year two, we have a undercover agent (”UC”) rising up in the ranks from a Sleeper Cell member, to a Sleeper Cell leader. We have an actual atheist discussion in Ep 1, and probably the best ending ever. Every TV show has the inconsistent story plot that hieghtens tension but makes no sense - Buffy had her falling in love with Vampires, Heroes will have powers that sorta make sense but dont, and Sleeper Cell has will Darwyn ever have a handler outlive him?

Not trying to get into plot points, the reason why I follow this is that I believe Islam to be superior form of the Monotheist meme. To be a Christian, you don’t need to go to church (anymore). To be a Moslem, even the most liberal, is to subjugate. As Islam modernizes, and the the Arabic world has access to luxury, they too will “change” what a “devout” Moslem is.

Humans in harsh circumstances NEED reasons to live, despite the evidence before them. If you lived in Johannesburg, and were a black person during the times of Aparthied, you too would adhere to reasons to live. Currently, in the Islamic realm of earth, life is not as easy as it is… say in Cuba or Canada or Denmark. Having a religion that demands obeisance of the human will, much like a twelve step program, to spend calories on positioning your mind to continue against odds is a superior meme.

A more impressive part of Islam is the fact that obeisance requires public acknowledgment - they must bow to Mecca 5 times a day, wear head scarves, not drink alcohol. These public action steel a person’s insecurity about what others think of you - and if you’re inoculated against being different: you’re behavior sets you apart, defines you and more importantly, defines others that don’t behave as you as lesser than you.

Also, Episode 1 of Season 2 has a great ending.

Questions you may be asking:
WTF is Sleeper Cell?
A TV show. On Showtime.

Where do I get Sleeper Cell?
Honest people buy Showtime. Dishonest people download torrents.

Why is a stupidity-free website talking about a very religious show?
Because it’s a good show - while the scenarios are not completely realistic, the discussions/dialog appears genuine, and it’s got enough intrigue to keep me watching. Plus the romanticizing of Islam’s image that the show is doing (”religion of peace”), is interesting to watch.