Sleeper Cell: American Terror

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

Another edge-of-your-seat thriller.

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

The second season of “Sleeper Cell” burrows even deeper into the mind-set of Muslim extremists than the first and is all the better and more troubling for it.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

Powerful.

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

"Sleeper Cell" is a compelling, kinetic ride that matches "24" in its power and is far more realistic and topical.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

As exciting as the original.

Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray

If you can make the time in a season where most programmers think we're all too busy shopping to be watching anything heavier than "Miracle on 34th Street" (the Natalie Wood version, of course), then "Sleeper Cell" delivers.

Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

Ealy and Fehr give fierce performances that will keep fans hooked.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

The action is intense in "Sleeper Cell," and each episode includes at least one stunning moment of violence or betrayal. But character depth isn't sacrificed to keep the pace moving, and there are valuable calms between the storms.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

The quickened pulse is a plus: The violence registers as sharp, stinging slaps. [11 Dec 2006, p.41]

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

The acting, writing and directing are subtle and graceful.

NewsdayVerne Gay

"Sleeper Cell" is nicely acted, produced, written, directed, but is still so deeply rooted in the conventions of the medium, that no matter how hard it tries, or how hard it wants to be something else, this still ends up Just TV.

TV GuideMatt Roush

Reminiscent of 24 but about a dozen times more realistic (though dramatically more uneven).

Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

The series would fall apart if Al-Farik were a cardboard cutout villain. Who’d want to watch eight hours of this man’s journey if he were just a shallow action-movie bad guy? But thanks to Fehr’s brave, layered performance, it’s impossible to ignore Al-Farik or the ideas that motivate him.

Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall

The new edition delivers many of the same thrills and intelligent debate that made the original so exceptional. But the mere act of bringing it back creates problems the original never had to deal with.

Los Angeles TimesPaul Brownfield

The show isn't brilliant, but it is audaciously alive.

Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm

Violent and sometimes sexually tawdry, as only pay cable can be, Sleeper Cell is not for the faint of heart, but it provides well-constructed thrills with its tour of the morally ambiguous land of counter-terrorism.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

A significant improvement in the sequel is its keener sense of urgency and alarm, achieved by down-scaling the exposition and character development that bogged down the first hours of the original.

TimeJames Poniewozik

While not perfect, [it] manages to be both exciting and--if not exactly realistic--then at least reality-grounded.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

It hardly enlightens, and it never feels urgent. It feels like a decent cop drama pretending to be something more important.

Washington PostTom Shales

A dreary thing it is, and depressing, too.