49/33
Check out our list of renewals and cancellations to see if your favorite show has been rerun
Line of Events
The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes a living by carrying out hit-and-runs for the highest fee. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer, who follows him on a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.. "The Day of the Jackal" the novel took place in 1963 and involved an assassination attempt on then-President of France Charles de Gaulle.
Lynch is miscast
The show moves the setting to the present day.. Referenced in Graham Norton and guests: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne/Blossoms (2024). TLDR: Redmayne gets it right.
Overall, the story is a viable adaptation
Unfortunately, the leads are not on par with each other, which detracts from an otherwise spectacular and high-quality production. No shade to Lynch, it’s just a high bar that Redmayne has set. A more experienced actor might have provided a more believable counterpart/opponent character needed to challenge the jackal.
The barometer of deceit is constantly on in the background
Some character development works, although some things are just left open in the main character narratives, but that could be desired. The locations, varied interactions, and Redmayne’s delivery of language and character shifts really add a special layer to the story arc. I can’t wait to see how Se01 ends and how the quality is maintained or improved in Se02.
If he does, Se02 could be quite promising
Hopefully Lynch will ease up on being less forced and give a more nuanced performance to try and match Redmayne.