This isn’t The Jackal I was hoping for. Honestly, they could have called it anything else, and I wouldn’t mind, but this—The Jackal?
The show boasts good production values, a solid cast, and a decent script—though the writing can be hit-or-miss. Unfortunately, by episode 2, the negative aspects start to dominate. The lead character’s overwhelming clumsiness, soap-opera elements and annoying personalities are becoming too much to bear.
First off, The Jackal is supposed to be a faceless assassin—someone unknown to all but a few. Here, he’s a family man! And to top it off, his wife “catches” him by the second episode. A few episodes later, his client is waiting in his room! How is this showing him as the ruthless, meticulous professional he’s supposed to be?
Then there's Nuria. She’s portrayed as annoying and, frankly, not too bright. We get it—Ursula Corbero is sexy, but she is also a talented actress. Give her something substantial to work with! Bianca from MI6 comes off as too much of a “girl-boss” caricature, which also grates after a while. On the plus side, Eddie Redmayne is fantastic, though that’s no surprise.
And what’s with all the overly-involved relatives? They’re constantly poking their noses into the main characters’ business. This is supposed to be an action thriller, not "All My Children".
Another gripe: what’s up with the show’s intro? I’m not saying it’s bad, but it feels strikingly similar to a James Bond opening. Was that really the best choice? The soundtrack is good though.
The pilot was strong, and it had me hooked from the start. But by episode 5, I find myself fast-forwarding through more and more scenes.
Review by Miroslav Petrov
VIP11BlockedParentSpoilers2024-11-13T00:00:00Z
This isn’t The Jackal I was hoping for. Honestly, they could have called it anything else, and I wouldn’t mind, but this—The Jackal?
The show boasts good production values, a solid cast, and a decent script—though the writing can be hit-or-miss. Unfortunately, by episode 2, the negative aspects start to dominate. The lead character’s overwhelming clumsiness, soap-opera elements and annoying personalities are becoming too much to bear.
First off, The Jackal is supposed to be a faceless assassin—someone unknown to all but a few. Here, he’s a family man! And to top it off, his wife “catches” him by the second episode. A few episodes later, his client is waiting in his room! How is this showing him as the ruthless, meticulous professional he’s supposed to be?
Then there's Nuria. She’s portrayed as annoying and, frankly, not too bright. We get it—Ursula Corbero is sexy, but she is also a talented actress. Give her something substantial to work with! Bianca from MI6 comes off as too much of a “girl-boss” caricature, which also grates after a while. On the plus side, Eddie Redmayne is fantastic, though that’s no surprise.
And what’s with all the overly-involved relatives? They’re constantly poking their noses into the main characters’ business. This is supposed to be an action thriller, not "All My Children".
Another gripe: what’s up with the show’s intro? I’m not saying it’s bad, but it feels strikingly similar to a James Bond opening. Was that really the best choice? The soundtrack is good though.
The pilot was strong, and it had me hooked from the start. But by episode 5, I find myself fast-forwarding through more and more scenes.