9/11 changed the world. In the weeks, months, and years after the greatest terror attacks on US soil, our culture shifted drastically to a dark place. We became Islamophobic as country, to an extent today we still are. As a country we rejected Islam, while there are millions of Muslims living in this country today our fears and emotions took control and we listened to our hearts instead of our brains. In the weeks after 9/11 a television show called "24" premiered. The premise was very simple. Each season of the show occurs within the time span of 24 hours, one entire day for the hero (Jack Bauer) to stop a terrorist attack some place in the United States.
A large debate has circulated in recent years over the impact of "24". In the early seasons we witnessed Jack Bauer torture terrorists. This posed the question, did "24" normalize and make us buy into the idea torture could be justifiable? Water boarding?could that be considered legal if it meant protecting American lives? The obvious answer is, NO. NEVER. However our emotions, or fears of having another terrorist attack the size of 9/11 feed into this narrative that it is somehow justified. "24" is a fantasy, a complete fiction, yet we are lead to believe the attacks that occur in the show such as a nuclear bomb or bio chemical warfare attack are in the total realm of possibility for happening in America.
In 2011 a new counter terrorism show from the Creators of "24" came out, called "Homeland". "Homeland" is short for the title of Homeland Security, protecting our homeland. "Homeland" held up this same narrative, that we could be attacked in our country by Islamic fundamental terrorists, that jihad could be waged here. In the first few season's we deal with a Prisoner of war turned against his country to try and carry out an attack on US soil. The show transforms and later gets very political in later seasons. In season 5 Homeland deals with a very real threat Europe faces today. Terrorism in the EU. Berlin is the stage where a bomb is supposedly carried out and set to explode unless they stop the attack.
"Homeland" in season 6 focuses on Islamophobia in the United States. How our justice system and legal surveillance of police target the Islamic community in New York City. It breaks away from terrorism and reflects the mirror back on us making the audience question why our country takes the unlawful actions we do against the Islamic community and if it's right.
"24" was brought back this past week with a new season and completely new cast. "24 Legacy" focuses on terrorism in the United States, but aims to bring light to the struggle of American soldiers. The political message it carries to the viewers is we have failed our Veterans, soldiers who have PTSD have no help from our government once they get back from fighting. They're left to fend for themselves in a cruel America and we see this unfold in "24 Legacy". "24" and "Homeland" have played with our terror fantasies over the past decade. Yet at the end of the day, a mosque getting fire bombed or Muslims getting shot by white supremacists seems to be the new form of terrorism we now face.
