I’m cheating this week on The Television Balcony. The State Within wasn’t a movie, but a miniseries, and it aired on BBC America. But I can’t believe I missed it considering the cast.
There’s Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood). Sharon Gless (Burn Notice). Ben Daniels (Law & Order: UK). Lennie James (Human Target). All in the same project.
Plus, you know, that fact that the British consistently turn out great dramatic product.
The six-part miniseries revolves around Mark Brydon, the British Ambassador to the US (Isaacs), who faces a major diplomatic incident that proves to be just the beginning of a political conspiracy. Political/conspiracy thrillers are, of course, not a new genre; but when they’re done well, they are excellent (see: State of Play – the UK miniseries with John Simm, David Morrissey, and Philip Glenister, not the American film). The State Within is stacked with people who may not be “names,” but have proven themselves to be outstanding. Sharon Gless, of course, is a near-legend with a recent Emmy nomination. Ben Daniels is nothing short of a revelation as senior prosecutor James Steel on Law & Order: UK, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite crime dramas ever.
Which again begs the question: why had I not watched this yet? For that matter, where were the rest of us?
The State Within is a thriller in a very much post-September 11 world; a passenger jet goes down and everyone assumes the US is under attack. It takes hold of the paranoia that exists in the general consciousness, the belief that anyone and anything could be a terrorist. The inciting incident is chilling, as Mark and his team are leaving the airport when the plane crashes to Earth literally almost on top of them. The result is shot better than some big-budget disaster movies, and it’s honestly gut-wrenching. Just try to imagine what it would be like for you, if you knew someone was about to be burned alive and you could hear them screaming. It’d probably traumatize you for the rest of your life. That’s in the first fifteen minutes. And while the rest of us might curl up into a ball and cry about it, Mark still has to go to work and deal with the aftereffects.
Once it has you by the throat, The State Within keeps pressing, playing with our perceptions of reality and safety. An innocuous thirty-second meeting between Brydon and an old friend isn’t innocuous nor private when someone with a cameraphone decides to get it on video, for example. Furthermore, it does what all good thrillers do: introduce scenes and plotlines that seem completely unrelated, but that you know will somehow factor in later down the line. There are no coincidences. That random group of mercenaries dumping a body into a river seems out of left field at first, but it matters. I love a piece of work that actively engages me and forces me to think along with it. I enjoy putting pieces together. The State Within is that kind of program.
Jason Isaacs is in the lead here, and he carries it well. He’s both physically imposing and yet diplomatic when required, a combination that makes us believe he’s been a political player for years. Mark is very much the audience’s window into everything, and Isaacs makes sure he shares our confusion, our grief, our apprehension. Yet when it comes time for him to get his hands dirty, he’s got the size and presence to do that as well. You believe him when he’s giving direction, and you believe him when he’s punching someone in the face. He’s less about the job and more about who Mark is as a man; in turn, he helps make the whole series not so much about two governments in turmoil, but about this handful of people caught up in the same thing and all wondering what to do in order to get through it.
In watching him on Law & Order: UK, I’ve said a few times that Ben Daniels is capable of great intensity, and I’d love to see him completely cut loose. I got that with this miniseries. The State Within is like watching Daniels do Spooks (that’s MI-5 for the American viewing audience), and he’s just as good playing the embedded intelligence operative as he is being the tough as nails crown prosecutor. Even when it’s clear that he’s not exactly on the level, I can’t stop watching him; he has that kind of personality which demands attention. There’s a great quote somewhere about how it’s easy to find an actor who can turn over a table, but very hard to find one who can imply malice. Ben Daniels doesn’t need to have a demonstrative meltdown to get your attention; he gets it just by being in the room. Watching this, I completely understand how he was cast on Law & Order: UK. In my eyes, he stole the entire miniseries.
If you’re too young to remember Cagney & Lacey, and your sole knowledge of Sharon Gless is as chain-smoking Madeline Westen, you’re going to be shocked by The State Within. Her Lynne Warner reminds us that Gless is capable of playing ruthless and relentless. It’s the kind of role that could have been given to a man, in that her Lynne Warner isn’t softer or second-guessed or anything like that because she’s a woman. The fact that she’s a woman has nothing to do with who she is or how she’s treated, either by the characters or by the script itself. And Lennie James, so great as actual killer Baptiste on Human Target, brings that same arrogance and yet, bewilderment to the character of Luke Gardner, who may or may not be a murderer but certainly knows someone who is.
If I cringe at one thing in the miniseries, it’s Mark’s fling with human rights lawyer Jane Lavery (Eva Birthistle). I will never figure out how people in the movies or TV find the time to jump into bed together in the middle of chaos. Or why shows almost seem to require it. I found myself utterly disinterested, just wanting to get past that part and back to the more pressing action. Still, it’s one negative element in the midst of many positives.
I hate to make another Law & Order: UK reference, but The State Within reminds me of that series in a sense: yes, the material is good, but what takes it from just good to great and furthermore, memorable, is that the cast is so strong that they elevate the entire project.
If you’re a fan of 24, of conspiracy thrillers, political intrigue, or just really great acting, this miniseries is worth the watch. It’s also worth the $17.99 Amazon currently has it for. You can purchase it there using this link: The State Within
Brittany Frederick
Digital Airwaves
