The Looming Tower

Who could ever fathom that the main reason the terrorists of al-Qaeda lead by the independently wealthy Osama bin Laden would have cost so many lives to be lost in the air attacks that occurred on September 11th, 2001, could have been neutralized only if the American CIA and FBI intelligence agencies would have shared vital information between their respective and unfortunate independent intelligence operations.

This is a well acted ten (10) part mini-series that is based on actual events and many of the key American and foreign personnel who were actively involved in the gathering of intelligence on terrorists such as al-Qaeda.

Mrs. Shullivan and I were glad to see that much of the horrific events that occurred on September 11th, 2001, were not the focus of this mini-series, but rather how the events leading up to this tragic day in the history of mankind evolved over the preceding years and by the key players responsible for fighting the terrorists organizations such as al-Qaeda.

This is most definitely a must see. A 9 out of 10 rating

AND A little bit O'Neill but especially. Michael Scheuer (portrayed in the series as CIA analyst Schmidt). Brilliantly, smarmily, perfectly portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard. Encapsulates the smug insular arrogance of the real (horrible) Scheuer and so many like him (today it would include Stephen Miller).

As one critic so insightfully wrote: "this TV adaption is far more interested in American failure than in the terrorist's ingenuity and ideology. Specifically, it homes in on the homogeneous mix of meaty, thick-necked white men who wittily spar over cigars and whiskey while the Al Qaeda leader plots 9/11. Daniels plays O'Neill with the same sense of baby boomer superiority he brought to The Newsroom, and Alec Baldwin, as C. I. A. Director George Tenet, effectively appears as, well, himself. Bill Camp elevates sweaty dishevelment to an art form as agent Robert Chesney, but The Looming Tower otherwise presents a group of likeminded, larded, and complacent professionals. The series suggests the failure of American intelligence in the years before 9/11 was largely one of imagination."

No I'd say it shows the absolute ARROGANCE, stultifying groupthink, refusal to listen to anyone but their own small bull-headed privileged, effete and elite boys club. Although Condoleeza Rice was an acolyte without an original perspective or any critical thinking skills as well since she epitomizes the 'token' conservative of color who toes the line so she can be part of the club (although she never was and never will be in reality).

Those people never change. They just get worse and more entrenched. They are liars, hypocrites and hoarders of information in order to keep their power over and above anything else.

This is what this series excels at showing. And it is infuriating but so necessary and so enlightening. How can people forget these systems are the same, especially under conservative authoritarianism and the capitalist 1% plutocracy that now rules it all.

Must see. Now more than ever.

I had to watch the whole series twice, mainly to identify the "good" and "bad" players. It certainly doesn't speak well of the CIA. Amazing performances, by all players, but Jeff Daniels and Tahar Rahim were outstanding. Curious about Ali Soufan, I watched several interviews with him, and Tariq nailed his accent/speech totally. We all know how it ended, but this series adds to the human element, the frustration and ultimate sadness.

I started watching this show because Jeff Daniels always delivers. He continues to do so here.

The miniseries presents a thought provoking picture of how the CIA and the FBI had conflicting ideas about how best to oppose Al Qaeda in the late 1990s and 2000. It suggests that these agencies' inability to work together created opportunities for Jihadism to fester and grow. This part of the series is powerful and well realized.

Less interesting are its forays into the private lives of its main characters. I'm 4 episodes in and still don't get the point of these subplots. I see how these interludes show the softer and messier sides of these characters lives, but they don't seem to have anything at all to do with the larger story of Al Qaeda's rise. As a result, these parts feel like filler in what would otherwise be a very tight, well focused political drama.

That said, this show does a fine job of assessing where our country's intelligence agencies, media, and citizenry succeeded and where we failed when it came to Al Qaeda. It's a sobering and fascinating story. As I watch, I keep thinking, "How did our world manage to get so very screwed up!"

Fantastic show, great script and acting. Looses a point for the unnecessary sex scenes every episode with Jeff Daniels having sex with different woman. Shows the failures within the Government and complete lack of transparency between the FBI and the CIA and the Government's unwillingness to take the time to understand the implications and complexities of the Middle East which as we know the West is still in 2022 facing the repercussions of with terrorist attacks such as domestic and recently ISIS. Pacing is good but could have been better without so much for focus on Jeff Daniels sexual affairs.