Critic Reviews

Simon and Burns craft their story with remarkable texture, tracking the nation’s downward spiral from inside a besieged family’s living room. ... The final hour is one of the most breathtakingly tense episodes of television I’ve ever seen, carrying you on a dark journey through a country on fire.

Engrossing. ... Over the course of six propulsive episodes, we see how rising anti-semitism begins to encroach on each of their lives, even as some family members refuse to see the administration’s role in stoking hate.

The Plot Against America is a bleak watch, but full of spectacular performances and masterful craftsmanship.

Superb. ... To their credit, Simon and Burns, each of whom either wrote or co-wrote every episode, never get too heavy-handed in their attempts to make connections between the story they are telling and the Trump era. ... The cast of The Plot Against America does committed, convincing work across the board.

Simon and Burns have put a remarkable ensemble in front of the camera to breathe life into Roth’s characters.

An intense new six-part miniseries from David Simon and Ed Burns of “The Wire” that airs on Monday nights. I can’t remember seeing a period drama — it’s set from 1940 to 1942 — that speaks so directly and specifically to the present moment. ... “The Plot Against America” is indelible piece of work about how politics reaches into personal lives.

As deeply disturbing as it is brilliantly compelling. ... A top-to-bottom standout cast that makes the mesmerizing most of this potent material.

The Plot Against America is a gripping vision of the dangers of populism and bigotry, which avoids preachiness by focusing on domestic minutiae. This is not the extreme vision of The Man in the High Castle, with its seas of swastikas, but a more nuanced exploration of political upheaval.

An emotionally moving period drama that feels timely and recognizable in the present.

A stellar cast, fascinating characters and an engaging story line make “The Plot Against America” a must-watch limited series.