Plot Synopsis

Based on extensive research and firsthand accounts, THE STATE is a four-episode fictional drama series that follows four British men and women who leave their lives behind to join ISIS in Raqqah, Syria. The series takes a bold, unflinching approach to telling the dramatic, fact-based stories of young ISIS recruits and offers an authentic and nuanced look inside one of the most serious global threats we face today. The series opens with four young British Isis recruits excited to begin their new lives in Syria, but they are soon confronted with the harsh realities of life in The State. Soon after arriving, the recruits are forced to reflect on their new life in The State, faced with frontline battle, a barrel bomb attack, and severe restrictions on women. Then, as Ziyaad and Ushna are drawn deeper into ISIS's hold, a brutal beating and a Yazidi slave market force Shakira and Jalal to question their beliefs. Finally, Jalal and Shakira's disillusionment with the brutality of life under Isis is complete and they decide to risk their own lives to help others get out. Nat Geo aired the U.S. premiere of THE STATE with back-to-back episodes on Monday, September 18, 2017 from 9-11pm ET/PT, concluding the following night on Tuesday, September 19 from 9-11pm, as Nat Geo debuted the final two episodes.