The State Within

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This 2006 miniseries on The BBC centers on Sir Mark Brydon (Jason Isaacs), the British ambassador to the United States. He witnesses a plane bombing and soon has to deal with the fallout when a British Muslim is responsible for this tragedy, which results in the deaths of many U.S. citizens. As he attempts to find out who’s behind the bombing, Mark must simultaneously deal with the return of an old friend that he once betrayed and who now wants his help with a Central Asian coup. Also, he tries to help feisty human rights lawyer save a former British soldier from death row… naturally, he’s a piece of the political puzzle as well.

Despite his Dark and Troubled Past, Mark seems to be the Only Sane Diplomat stuck among three war-bent countries. All of them want to use him as their pawn.

Tropes used in The State Within include:

• Bad Dreams: Luke Garner has the thrashing, screaming kind.
• British Conspiracy Thriller
• Bury Your Gays: Christopher Styles is shot to death at the end while his partner, Nicholas, is in the next room trying to figure out what he overdosed on.
• Diplomatic Impunity: In this case, the ambassador is the good guy, so he doesn’t use this too often. But it does keep the FBI away from him briefly as he’s running around solving the mystery.
• Divided We Fall: Mark tries to convince US Secretary of Defense Lynne Warner that their two countries are in danger of this.
• Godwin's Law: Mark reminds a Jew that discrimination is wrong by invoking this.
• Good Lawyers, Good Clients: Jane Lavery and Luke Gardner, respectively.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Mark’s excuse for his Greatest Failure, seen below. Also, Christopher tells Warner he did everything for her, attempting to justify his actions.
• Iron Lady: Lynne Warner, naturally sporting Power Hair.
• Intrepid Reporter: Matthew Weiss
• My Greatest Failure: Mark can’t get over the fact that he had an affair with his best friend’s wife and the fact that he helped a dictator into power. Naturally, this period in his life comes back to haunt him.
• Patriotic Fervor: Lynn Warner, due to her dead son.
• Private Military Contractors: CMC
• Properly Paranoid: Mark goes from being spied on by just about everyone to being targeted for assassination. Is it any wonder he doesn’t trust anyone?
• Suicide Attack: The only problem was that the suicide bomber was unaware of his purpose.
• The War on Terror: Terror Level Alert Red
• With Friends Like These...: When Mark finds out that Nicholas, his Counselor for External Affairs, has been tracking him and bugging his office, he reacts poorly.