Repercussions of hate

Zeeko Zaki

Megaproducer Dick Wolf, the man behind “Law & Order” and the “Chicago” series, is no stranger to shows that merge edge-of-your-seat action and relevant themes that make newspaper headlines scorch and sizzle.

The crime series “FBI,” Wednesdays at 9:45 p.m. on Blue Ant Entertainment, revolves around the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its 1,300 agents as it aims to pay tribute to the “overwhelming majority of good law-enforcement operatives” who put their lives at risk on a daily basis.

And while Wolf says that the show, which is telecast on CBS in the United States, wasn’t created to “politicize” controversial issues, its compelling treatment of each theme encourages viewers to talk about the whys and wherefores of the subject matter. The sophomore season of the crime procedural “FBI” is no different.

Last week, the series’ Season 2 debut “Little Egypt” began with a bang—literally.

Missy Peregrym

While agent Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) tries to wrap her head around what appears to be a racially charged bombing of a 32-year-old Egyptian restaurant in New York City, the “terrorist” attack becomes personal for her colleague OA Zidan (Zeeko Zaki), who has been going to the place since he was 5 years old.

As it turns out, the elusive culprit behind the bombing has revenge in mind, more than ideology.

After a couple of false leads, OA and Maggie cross paths with Michael Moosa (Ethan Hova), a Muslim with an ax to grind; an undercover agent, Joseph Nassar (Jared Ward); a new FBI operative, Stuart Scola (John Boyd); and Rhami Maroun (Paul Karmiryan) and Karim Gamal (Nik Sadhnani), impressionable young Muslims who bite off more than they can chew.

The show examines the situations that lead to the “terrorists’” life-and-death decisions as much as the repercussions of hate.

But when the dust finally settles, it’s hard to tell the perpetrators apart from their victims.