Ep 2. Losing My Religion

In episode 2 of The Looming Tower, titled "Losing My Religion," tensions between the FBI and CIA continue to escalate as they struggle to work together to prevent a potential terrorist attack. The focus of this episode shifts primarily to the CIA, as viewers are introduced to a new character, Martin Schmidt, the chief of the agency's Pakistan-Afghanistan operations division.

Schmidt is portrayed as a driven and intelligent man who is fiercely loyal to his agency. He is frustrated with the lack of cooperation from the FBI, which he sees as a hindrance to their efforts to gather intelligence on Al-Qaeda. His frustration comes to a head when he discovers that the FBI has been withholding key information from the CIA.

Meanwhile, at the FBI, John O'Neill continues to clash with his superiors over how best to handle the threat posed by Al-Qaeda. He argues that the FBI needs to focus on preventing a terrorist attack rather than simply reacting to one once it happens. O'Neill's attitude puts him at odds with his boss, New York FBI Special Agent in Charge, Frank Follmer, who believes that O'Neill is being too aggressive.

As tensions between the two agencies continue to mount, viewers are introduced to a key player in the Al-Qaeda network. Ali Soufan, a young FBI agent of Lebanese descent, is tasked with interrogating a suspected Al-Qaeda member. Soufan's skills as an interrogator, which include speaking fluent Arabic, come to the fore as he slowly breaks down the detainee's defenses and gets him to reveal crucial information.

The episode ends with the CIA receiving a tip-off about a potential terrorist attack being planned by Al-Qaeda. The agency immediately alerts the FBI, but it quickly becomes clear that there is a lack of trust between the two agencies, which threatens to derail their efforts to prevent the attack.

Overall, episode 2 of The Looming Tower builds on the tension and sense of urgency established in the first episode. The series continues to deliver strong performances from its cast, especially Jeff Daniels as O'Neill and Tahar Rahim as Soufan. The focus on the CIA and their frustrations with the FBI adds an interesting and nuanced layer to the show, underscoring the difficulties faced by law enforcement agencies in preventing terrorism in the post-9/11 world.