Caliphate is a Swedish TV series by Netflix from 2020. As it's title suggests, it is about Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. It centers around Fatima, a cop from Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) who is currently investigating an ongoing planned terrorist attack; Pervin, the wife of an ISIS-terrorist stuck in Syria who becomes an informant for Fatima in exchange that she will move back to Sweden with her baby; Sulle, a young and misguided teenager who becomes manipulated into joining radical Islam by Ibbe who at first appears to be a
Cool Teacher, but in reality is a manipulative terrorist.
This series contains examples of:
- Alas, Poor Villain: Kerima was an insecure and abused teenager who was manipulated by the sociopathic Ibbe into joining radical Islam, and was eventually convinced by him into committing a suicide bombing. Calling Sulle before the bombing, she realizes too late that she was tricked all along and they have a final conversation before Ibbe activates the the bomb killing her while Sulle stands still and hears her friend die.
- Anyone Can Die: Nobody is truly safe in this show. Both good guys and bad guys die quite often.
- Asshole Victim: Early in the show, Pervin kills the terrorist Ahmed, who had just raped her before trying to kill her and was overall just an unpleasant ass.
- Big Bad: Ibbe is a terrorist mastermind who orchestrates several terror attacks at once and through his manipulative charm he recruits young people to join radical Islam. Among those are Emil and Jakob, and Sulle, Lisha and Kerima.
- Cool Teacher: Subverted with Ibbe. At first he appears to be laid back and likable student assistant but in reality, he is a Manipulative Bastard and terrorist mastermind who recruits several young people into joining radical Islam.
- Faux Affably Evil: Ibbe presents himself as an extremely charming fellow and Cool Teacher, when in reality, he is a sociopathic and manipulative terrorist.
- Good All Along: We're lead to believe that Nadir is secretly leaking info to ISIS, but he turns out to have actually been undermining them and manages to stop their planned terror attacks.
- Good Policing, Evil Policing: Deconstructed. Fatima believes that Nadir, a leading figure for Swedish Security Service, is secretly leaking information to ISIS and she works to investigate him once she gets fired from her job. It turns out that he was good all along and was just shadowing them and is the reason no innocents died during Ibbes terror attacks.
- Karma Houdini: Even though Ibbe is a national-wide wanted felon, he never gets arrested for his crimes.
- Middle Eastern Terrorists: The show is about Islamic fundamentalism and terrorists.
- Villain Takes an Interest: Ibbe manipulates Sulle, Kerima and Lisha to be fanatical Muslims and kidnapped and married away to other Muslims.
