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Threat Matrix review
Sep. 18th, 2003 09:12 pmI just watched the premiere of Threat Matrix.
This show makes me *very* uncomfortable. Because to the extent that it's a good action show, it's simultaneously serving as propaganda for the Department of Homeland Security.
The show was ok. But the agents were "too good". Too many skills and skills at both "desk" work and field work.
Likewise, the show has a *bad* case of "magic technology". They referred to Echelon (a real *project*) as if it was a device or program. And had it work *way* too well. They had a handheld scanner that could image thru the side of Cargo containers[1]. And so on.
As well as a "super explosive". Not only was it unreasonably powerful, but they had the stupid idea that doubling the amount would *more* than double the blast radius (in reality the blast radius goes up as the cube root of the amount. So to get double the effect radius, you need *8* times as much explosive).
Then they had the suicide bomber, whom they were afraid might have enough to demolish a building get tossed into one of those bomb squad blast containment vehicles and the blast be contained. Sorry folks, those might contain a few pounds of TNT, but *not* the sort of blast they were worried about.
At least they *did* have someone arguing about holding some terrorists without lawyers.
Still, this show's basic premise pretty much ensures that it's going to make the moral and ethical problems *inherent* in the Homeland Security Dept "go away".
And unless they get and listen to a few technical advisors, the episodes are going to suck for anyone who knows anything about intelligence ops, or various sorts of technology.
[1] There *are* sensors that can do that sort of imaging thru normal house walls. Millimeter wave radar. But not thru metal. Not even thru house walls if you've got foil backed insulation in the walls.
This show makes me *very* uncomfortable. Because to the extent that it's a good action show, it's simultaneously serving as propaganda for the Department of Homeland Security.
The show was ok. But the agents were "too good". Too many skills and skills at both "desk" work and field work.
Likewise, the show has a *bad* case of "magic technology". They referred to Echelon (a real *project*) as if it was a device or program. And had it work *way* too well. They had a handheld scanner that could image thru the side of Cargo containers[1]. And so on.
As well as a "super explosive". Not only was it unreasonably powerful, but they had the stupid idea that doubling the amount would *more* than double the blast radius (in reality the blast radius goes up as the cube root of the amount. So to get double the effect radius, you need *8* times as much explosive).
Then they had the suicide bomber, whom they were afraid might have enough to demolish a building get tossed into one of those bomb squad blast containment vehicles and the blast be contained. Sorry folks, those might contain a few pounds of TNT, but *not* the sort of blast they were worried about.
At least they *did* have someone arguing about holding some terrorists without lawyers.
Still, this show's basic premise pretty much ensures that it's going to make the moral and ethical problems *inherent* in the Homeland Security Dept "go away".
And unless they get and listen to a few technical advisors, the episodes are going to suck for anyone who knows anything about intelligence ops, or various sorts of technology.
[1] There *are* sensors that can do that sort of imaging thru normal house walls. Millimeter wave radar. But not thru metal. Not even thru house walls if you've got foil backed insulation in the walls.
