History Series / SleeperCell

* GoodCopBadCop: Farik is incarcerated in Guantamano Bay and subjected to this from a pair of seasoned CIA interrogators. Patrick Erskine is the bad cop, [[EnhancedInterrogationTechniques hurling vicious insults and physical attacks at him]]; in turn, Farik meets this line of questioning with useless sarcastic answers. Good cop Robert "Bob" [=McNeil=], by contrast, treats him with respect and decency (in particular earning Farik's gratitude in that he armed Afghani mujahdeen against the Soviets), but he is not afraid to physically retaliate when Farik ends up intentionally scalding him with coffee (because Bob declared that there is no God, so Farik's cause must be meaningless). In the good cop role there is also an Islamic liason who helps to broker a meeting with Farik's wife Samia in exchange for the terrorist leader's emergency hideout location, but he is disgusted when it turns out the location was booby trapped to wound and kill several investigating SWAT team members. For this, Farik is extradited to Saudi Arabia, where Bob is joined by a new bad cop counterpart in the form of [[TortureTechnician Hajjaj) who can use interrogation techniques on terrorists which are forbidden even in Gitmo.

* GoodCopBadCop: Farik is incarcerated in Guantamano Bay and subjected to this from a pair of seasoned CIA interrogators. Patrick Erskine is the bad cop, [[EnhancedInterrogationTechniques hurling vicious insults and physical attacks at him]]; in turn, Farik meets this line of questioning with useless sarcastic answers. Good cop Robert "Bob" [=McNeil=], by contrast, treats him with respect and decency, but he is not afraid to physically retaliate when Farik ends up intentionally scalding him with coffee (because Bob declared that there is no God, so Farik's cause must be meaningless). In the good cop role there is also an Islamic liason who helps to broker a meeting with Farik's wife Samia in exchange for the terrorist leader's emergency hideout location, but he is disgusted when it turns out the location was booby trapped to wound and kill several investigating SWAT team members. For this, Farik is extradited to Saudi Arabia, where Bob is joined by a new bad cop counterpart in the form of [[TortureTechnician Hajjaj) who can use interrogation techniques on terrorists which are forbidden even in Gitmo.

** At the end of the first episode, Farik is still testing Darwyn. During the stoning to death of Bobby Habib, he orders Darwyn to throw one of the stones, but it misses. Next time round, he gestures to Darwyn to do it and hit Bobby this time. Darwyn feigns reaching for another rock, but he pulls Farik's ankle-holstered gun. Holding it on Farik for a second, he then shoots Bobby as a MercyKill. While the cell members are surprised by this turn of events (and Farik warns him not to do it again), this is convincing enough for them for Farik to officially induct Darwyn into the cell.

* GoodCopBadCop: Farik is incarcerated in Guantamano Bay and subjected to this from a pair of seasoned CIA interrogators. Patrick Erskine is the bad cop, [[EnhancedInterrogationTechniques hurling vicious insults and physical attacks at him]]; in turn, Farik meets this line of questioning with useless sarcastic answers. Good cop Robert "Bob" McNeil, by contrast, treats him with respect and decency, but he is not afraid to physically retaliate when Farik ends up intentionally scalding him with coffee (because Bob declared that there is no God, so Farik's cause must be meaningless). In the good cop role there is also an Islamic liason who helps to broker a meeting with Farik's wife Samia in exchange for the terrorist leader's emergency hideout location, but he is disgusted when it turns out the location was booby trapped to wound and kill several investigating SWAT team members. For this, Farik is extradited to Saudi Arabia, where Bob is joined by a new bad cop counterpart in the form of [[TortureTechnician Hajjaj) who can use interrogation techniques on terrorists which are forbidden even in Gitmo.

** Christian is a sore loser when Darwyn beats him in touch football, so he brutally tackles him from behind during celebration like a cowardly scumbag.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Farik has a wife and daughter while Christian has a pregnant wife (whom he's estranged from as she disagrees with his plans to commit terrorist acts).

* MistakenForTerrorist: As mentioned above, when Gail mistakenly thinks Darwyn is a real terrorist (justified as he's undercover ''pretending to be one).

* MsFanservice: Gail is shown topless in a couple scenes.

* ReassignedToAntartica: In retribution for LAPD Detective Walt Moss nearly compromising the case (by investigating Darwyn and having to be told that he was actually an undercover agent), the FBI offer him either protective custody for the remainder of the case or an enforced role as a surveillance operative in Sri Lanka. He begrudingly accepts the latter, but worries what his wife will think.

Showtime has suggested that it doesn't rule out the possibility of a third season in the future.

** Type III. White separatists also make an appearance, trading explosives to the cell for Afghan cocaine. They also appear to draw parallels between them and Al-Qaeda. Christian, an ex-skinhead, claims that he was once a lot like them. The leader of the white separatists answers that Christian is [[NotSoDifferent still like them]].

* ArmouredClosetGay: Salim, an Al-Qaeda terrorist from Season 2, is very devout and very violent. He is revealed to be a closeted homosexual. [[spoiler:In the finale, as he prepares to attack the Rose Bowl, he invites along a man he'd been having an affair with, intending to take him along in the blast.]]

* BecomingTheMask: Darwyn shows shades of this, particularly in season 2 when he assumes leadership of the new cell. Partly to "ensure operational security" so that his incompetent new case agent won't ruin his efforts to put a good front up for his comrades. But also partly to further agendas which have nothing to do with defending the nation.
* BigBad: Faris al-Farik aka Saad Bin Safwan.

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyCliffhanger: The series ends with Darwyn lying in the street shot in a shoulder and suffering from other wounds sustained in a brutal fight with Farik, but not quite dead.]]
* CallingTheOldManOut: Tommy Emerson's video from before the big terrorist attack, calling his mom and dad "failures as parents" which drove him to become a Muslim extremist.

* TheDragon: Ilija Korjenić. He rarely crosses Darwyn, but he's still a definite threat.

* IBangedYourMom: Christian did it with Tommy's mom. And bragged about it to his face, causing them to get into a fight. Then claimed it was a joke when Farik intervened.

* MeaningfulName: Faris al-Farik = "The deadly knight".

* {{Flopsy}}: Done not for money but to delay the terrorists.

A miniseries showing between 2005-2006, starring Michael Ealy, Creator/OdedFehr and Henri Lubatti.

* AllArabsAreMuslims: Completely averted, with the terrorists weaponizing this stereotype to their benefit. They purposefully use people of other backgrounds to escape detection. Only two of the original cell's members are Arabs. In the second season, only one is.

* BlofeldPloy: In the first episode, Farik claims that a member of his cell is a traitor, possibly referring to FBI++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ agent Darwyn. However, he was actually accusing Bobby Habib.

* BlofeldPloy: In the first episode, Farik claims that a member of his cell is a traitor, possibly referring to FBI spy Darwyn. However, he was actually accusing Bobby Habib.

** Type V. Only one of the terrorists in the Season 1 cell is Arab. The others are a white Frenchman, a white Bosnian, and a white American. The Season 2 cell includes a Hispanic American and a white Dutchwoman ([[TruthInTelevision all those examples were [[{{Expy}} based on real terrorists]]]]).
** White separatists also make an appearance, trading explosives to the cell for Afghan cocaine. They also appear to draw parallels between them and Al-Qaeda. Christian, an ex-skinhead, claims that he was once a lot like them. The leader of the white separatists answers that Christian is [[NotSoDifferent still like them]].

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: InUniverse, on a train some thugs start harassing a Sikh man thinking he's a Muslim. Darwyn beats them up and then delivers a lecture pointing out that traditionally Muslims have actually been the ''enemies'' of Sikhs, with conflict going back centuries. He also notes multiple times that Islamic terrorists' twist real Islamic teachings to justify themselves, which disgusts him.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: One for both Darwyn and Farik on their first meeting in a synagogue. Farik maintains a cover as "Yossi", a proud and kind member of the LA Jewish community. He verbally confronts Darwyn and asks if he's here to see the Judaic swine which Allah has condemned. This sets the precedent for Farik's use of subterfuge to hide his identity as the leader of an Islamic extremist cell, and his misunderstanding of Islam. In response, Darwyn tells him that the Quran only states that ''some'' of the Jews and Christians were turned into pigs, i.e. only the evil ones. This insistence on quoting and defending the holy text correctly underlines Darwyn's righteous beliefs in the law and the fact that he's the only true believer in the ways of his religion, unlike his fellow cell members. It also allows him to maintain the cover of a righteous terrorist.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Darwyn invokes this on Farik to turn the cell's talents to justice for a change. Morally disgusted by their financier's use of child prostitutes, he flat out states to Farik that "this is ''not'' Islam!". With initial reluctance, the Saudi bossman leads an assault on the Mexican cartel. He tells the second in command that he can take leadership and a bigger cut of earnings from their [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking prostitution, gambling, drug dealing and pirated DVD sales]]. Just no children anymore.

* IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten: At the end of the first episode, Farik is still testing Darwyn. During the stoning to death of Bobby Habib, he orders Darwyn to throw one of the stones, but it misses. Next time round, he gestures to Darwyn to do it and hit Bobby this time. Darwyn feigns reaching for another rock, but he pulls Farik's ankle-holstered gun. Holding it on Farik for a second, he then shoots Bobby as a MercyKill. While the cell members are surprised by this turn of events (and Farik warns him not to do it again), this is convincing enough for them for Farik to officially induct Darwyn into the cell.

* InsistentTerminology: They are ''not'' terrorists. They are '''holy warriors.'''

* MistakenForTerrorist: As mentioned above, when Gail mistakenly thinks Darwyn is a real terrorist.

* OnlyTheKnowledgableMayPass: The secret password between terrorists goes-

* PreClimaxClimax: Farik meets his wife in Las Vegas and they have an argument about his plot to martyr himself in two days' time. But believing he cannot be dissuaded, he ends it and seduces her for the first time in years (due to their enstrangment). [[spoiler: Unfortunately for him, he neither got to blow himself up nor ever have sex with her again.]]
* PretendPrejudice: One of Farik's interrogators makes bigoted comments while questioning him. But when he meets Darwyn, he treats him courteously and knows not to offer a Muslim alcohol.

* TranslationConvention: It can be assumed that this is in play largely during scenes with Arabic speakers conversing in privacy, especially in countries such as Yemen and Saudi Arabia. After all, one wouldn't expect senior Al Queda members to be using English with each other.

* WesternTerrorists: Type V. Only one of the terrorists in the Season 1 cell is Arab. The others are a white Frenchman, a white Bosnian, and a white American. The Season 2 cell includes a Hispanic American and a white Dutchwoman.
** TruthInTelevision: all those examples were [[{{Expy}} based on real terrorists]].

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: One for both Darwyn and Farik on their first meeting in a synagogue. Farik maintains a cover as "Yossi", a proud and kind member of the LA Jewish community. He verbally confronts Darwyn and asks if he's here to see the Judaic swine which Allah has condemned. This sets the precedent for Farik's use of subterfuge to hide his identity as the leader of an Islamic extremist cell, and his misunderstanding of Islam. In response, Darwyn tells him that the Quraan only states that only some of the Jews and Christians were turned into wine, i.e. only the evil ones. This insistence on quoting and defending the holy text correctly underlines Darwyn's righteous beliefs in the law and the fact that he's the only true believer in the ways of his religion, unlike his fellow cell members. It also allows him to maintain the cover of a righteous terrorist.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Darwyn invokes this on Farik to turn the cell's talents to justice for a change. Morally disgusted by their financier's use of child prostitution, he flat out states to Farik that "this is ''not'' Islam!". With initial reluctance, the Saudi bossman leads an assault on the Mexican cartel. He tells the second in command that he can take leadership and a bigger cut of earnings from their [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking prostitution, gambling, drug dealing and pirated DVD sales]]. Just no children anymore.

* IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten: At the end of the first episode, Farik is still testing Darwyn. During the stoning to death of Bobby Habib, he orders Darwyn to throw one of the stones, but it misses. Next time round, he guestures to Darwyn to do it and hit Bobby this time. Darwyn feigns reaching for another rock, but he pulls Farik's ankle holstered gun. Holding it on Farik for a second, he then shoots Bobby as a MercyKill. While the cell members are surprised by this turn of events (and Farik warns him not to do it again), this is convincing enough for them for Farik to officially induct Darwyn into the cell.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: One for both Darwyn and Farik on their first meeting in a synagogue. Farik maintains a cover as "Yossi", a proud and kind member of the LA Jewish community. He verbally confronts Darwyn and asks if he's here to see the Judaic swine which Allah has condemned. This sets the precedent for Farik's use of subterfuge to hide his identity as the leader of an Islamic extremist cell, and his misunderstanding of Islam. In response, Darwyn tells him that the Quraan only states that only some of the Jews and Christians were turned into wine, i.e. only the evil ones. This insistence on quoting the holy text correctly underlines Darwyn's righteous beliefs in the law and the fact that he's the only true believer in the ways of his religion, unlike his fellow cell members. It also allows him to maintain the cover of a righteous terrorist.

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyCliffhanger: The series ends with Darwyn lying in the street riddled with bullets but not quite dead.]]

A miniseries showing between 2005-2006, starring Michael Ealy, Oded Fehr and Henri Lubatti.

* HollywoodAtheist: Bob, Farik's interrogator in Season 2, is a mild example (assuming his story is true and not just an interrogation tactic to shake Farik). Raised a devout Christian as a child, Bob died for twenty minutes after a drowning accident and saw no afterlife. After that experience, he became an atheist. Farik is not swayed in the least by hearing this.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Farik has a wife and daughter while Christian has a pregnant girlfriend.

* HollywoodAtheist: Bob, Farik's interrogator in Season 2, is sort of a Hollywood Atheist. Raised a devout Christian as a child, Bob died for twenty minutes after a drowning accident and saw no afterlife. After that experience, he became an atheist. Farik is not swayed in the least by hearing this.