I didn't watch this series to be entertained. I watched it to learn more about how radical Islam grows and functions. In that respect, it succeeded, personalizing and putting into context all of the bits and pieces and stories we know about through the media.
As an American non-Muslim, I don't pretend to be able to follow all of the internal struggles in the Muslim world. But one only has to look back at the passion for freedom and self-determination of the colonists in the American Revolution against England to understand the vehemence and fire that drove the four young British Muslims to leave their homes to fight for the formation of the Islamic State. Inspired by their commitment to their faith and further fueled by the claims of glory by duplicitous internet recruiters, they came, pure of purpose, willing to make contributions up to and including martyrdom. But their biggest struggle wound up to be fighting their disillusionment on discovering the truth and reality on arrival. For a good dramatic piece to make its point, it needs to draw the viewer into the characters and their personalities, so I had no objection to some artistic license in their behaviors: if these realities caused repentance or resistance in some situations, that was okay with me. We can acknowledge that some humanity may exist in these individuals without agreeing with them, liking or forgiving them. In fact, I found it made me much more wary of how strongly-principled people can become dangerous when poisonously influenced by a fanatical philosophy. And that was my takeaway, courtesy of a brilliantly acted and engrossing piece.
As an American non-Muslim, I don't pretend to be able to follow all of the internal struggles in the Muslim world. But one only has to look back at the passion for freedom and self-determination of the colonists in the American Revolution against England to understand the vehemence and fire that drove the four young British Muslims to leave their homes to fight for the formation of the Islamic State. Inspired by their commitment to their faith and further fueled by the claims of glory by duplicitous internet recruiters, they came, pure of purpose, willing to make contributions up to and including martyrdom. But their biggest struggle wound up to be fighting their disillusionment on discovering the truth and reality on arrival. For a good dramatic piece to make its point, it needs to draw the viewer into the characters and their personalities, so I had no objection to some artistic license in their behaviors: if these realities caused repentance or resistance in some situations, that was okay with me. We can acknowledge that some humanity may exist in these individuals without agreeing with them, liking or forgiving them. In fact, I found it made me much more wary of how strongly-principled people can become dangerous when poisonously influenced by a fanatical philosophy. And that was my takeaway, courtesy of a brilliantly acted and engrossing piece.