What to Watch: Spymasters

I'm a podcast girl. Ever since I got a car, I've been really into listening to podcasts and Fresh Air is one of my go-tos. The interview with Chris Whipple and Jules Naudet creators of the new Showtime documentary, Spymasters, was so intriguing that I went home and watched it. It's incredibly interesting as a Homeland fan, an American, and someone who's really interested in the political science and history of the Middle East (though not at all well-versed in it). Basically, it interviews the 12 living CIA directors about one of the most controversial times in the CIA's history--some defend the tactics (including torture and drone strikes) and results, some are critical. I found it really engaging and thought provoking. 

At the beginning of the show they reference a young CIA operative who was killed in Afghanistan, Elizabeth Hanson. She was a senior at Colby when I was a freshman, so the story immediately hit close to home. I just added a book about the situation, The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA to my to-read list.

The documentary shows images that are really hard to watch--I turned away from the screen, but I feel much more informed now and for anyone interested in the history of what the CIA has been doing, this seems to be a good place to start.

Watch the trailer here: