Unraveling the Conspiracy in 'American Odyssey'

NBC launches the new 12-episode series American Odyssey this Sunday at 10pm ET/PT. It's a sprawling, ambitious tale that begins with a special forces unit tasked with taking out an al-Qaeda unit in Mali. We've got a slideshow of images from the premiere episode.

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At the show's opening, the soldiers make an alarming discovery about corporate connections to terrorism and are soon ambushed by a shadowy private military contractor. Everyone in the unit dies, except for translator Sgt. Odelle Ballard (played by Anna Friel). Ballard's attempt to survive, return home and reunite with her family is interwoven with the stories of a young Occupy-style activist (Jake Robinson) and a corporate attorney (Peter Facinelli) who are both circling the conspiracy.

The first five episodes play like a cross between Traffic and Homeland. There's a conspiracy run by a bunch of old guys in suits and the pace is relentless. The show runs in the slot after NBC's big event series A.D. The Bible Continues, so it should have a real shot a finding an audience.