Customer Reviews
Great Show, But Why No Subtitles? - By: Hodroulis, 31 May 2008 
If I were reviewing the show itself, I would give this 4 or 5 stars. However, what disappointed me was the absence of subtitles on this release of the show. Maybe it's just my TV, but sometimes the dialogue is diffiulct to hear, especiallyin scenes where there is a lot of background noise. This means I have to strain to capture all the words & nuances, rather than being able to sit back & enjoy the narrative as it develops. Moreover, the choice to release it withour subtitles obviously makes it pretty much impossible for anyone hearing-impaired to enjoy. A rather cheap, cost-cutting ommision from Showtime, whose boxsets are usually excellent...
A really good ground-breaker ! - By: Inmi Opinion, 20 Mar 2008 
I thought this series was really quite good, a good pace set from start to finish,convincing acting with actors you grew to love or hate depending on their respective characters; Michael Ealy excellent as one of the 2 leads Darwyn Al-Sayeed,the FBI agent who puts his life on the line daily having infiltrated the Muslim cell led by Oded Fehr the zealout Muslim terrorist & Blake Shields,Henri Lubatti & Alex Nesic play his followers whose goal is to create an act of terror to exceed 9/11.The musical score itself is rather catchy & you'll soon be tapping your feet to it.Nearly worth the 5th star & definitely better than 24.
Has an edge to it... - By: WM, 29 Jul 2007 Sleeper Cell Season 1 is very good. It is more realistic & smarter than your average "terrorist" drama/event programme. It often tries to give a clear distinction between extremism & true Islam, which was different & smarter than most shows. Characters & storyline are good, with some decent twists. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the gratuitous sex/nude scenes, which give very little added value to the storytelling.
High quality, thought provoking drama. - By: Mr. D. Bell, 16 Apr 2007 
Sleeper cell is a dramatic & tense series telling the story from inside a terrorist cell, rather than the usual angle of viewing solely through the eyes of the police.
The plot is simple; terrorists plan to cause death & destruction at various locationsin the US. Within the cell is an undercover police officer who is trying to gain the trust of the terrorists & pass on as much information as possible to prevent the attacks from taking place.
With a simple plot the series relies on its characters to drive it forwards & this is where sleeper cell excels. Instead of the gung-ho dramatics of, for example 24, there are very few action set pieces. When they happen they are very well done & are over quickly, rather than an endless set of ridiculous explosions & unbelievable stunt work. Characters are well rounded & believable & portrayed excellently by the cast.
As there is so little plot, the information on the attack that is given, arrives very slowly but each piece provides a significant contribution to the eventual conclusion. To say too much may spoil the ending as the targets are not known until towards the end of the penultimate episode. The final episode is genuinely one of the most tense & thrilling climaxes I have seen on film.
The religious side of the series is very cleverly written. With the terrorists being Muslim they are fast becoming easy scapegoats when writing villainsin American drama shows. For example, the latest series of 24 is again using Muslims as its main villains. Sleeper cell challenges these stereotypical views & we learn more about why they are driven to such appalling acts of terrorism. I don't believe this review section is the place to debate the rights & wrongs of religion but nevertheless I will say that there are some very challenging & thought provoking scenes throughout the series.
Sleeper cell takes you on an emotional journey which starts slowly & builds to a thrilling climax. I am a huge fan of 24 but to compare it to sleeper cell is wrong as they are vastly different shows. This is slower & more methodical compared to the break-neck pace of 24. Sleeper cell is thought provoking, challenging & at times genuinely shocking. Definitely a first class drama series.
Not better than 24. - By: Robert Appleby, 11 Nov 2006 
Well okay,
Sleeper Cell is alright, it has a good plot which is sustained throughout each episode. But its just boring, with not many twists, & it didn't really have me coming back for more. Unlike 24 whose plot lines are full of twists & turns & great character development which makes it so special. Sleeper Cell lacks this. Although Sleeper Cell is realistic, this doesn't work to its advantage as it becomes overly predictable.
It's up to you to decide for yourself, & your opinion may differ from mine, but if you want something thats incredibly better than Sleeper Cell, put 24in your amazon searches, & be amazed. There are better shows out there than this.
