The first season of The Old Man contains aspects I enjoyed. It's also uneven and introduces a number of arcs that aren't followed-up on during this season. This series begins as a project that appears to put effort into appearing grounded only to evolve into a vehicle more akin to a space shuttle. It closes with a widely telegraphed reveal that serves as a catalyst for, I kid thee not, an open cliffhanger (one that results in the story being that much less believable).
All this typed, The Old Man remains a better-than-average production and I'm not upset that I invested my time in it. On an associated tangent, I am irked at reviews that don't address basic production considerations (which isn't new, but remains disappointing). The less you think about the show, the more you may enjoy it (especially via hindsight theater).
Jeff Bridges gives an interesting and sometimes distracting mannered performance. John Lithgow is the show's glue. Some of the side characters like the titular Old Man (spoiler: per the show, it's not the protagonist), Julian and others are interesting. Aside: Again, much of the acting is good. Some of the uses of time and memory are nice. They kept me engaged when used well.
There were elements of the show I didn't expect and I appreciate that. Early on, a moment surprised me and piqued my interest, until it revealed itself to be a trope daydream cliché. The arc this events evolves into has interesting aspects, but wasn't executed well. This seems to be a turning point in the show. I hope future writing does it and other loose ends justice. Much of the production is nice, although the quality varies. The series would've been better served had it lost an episode or two, managed some of the content differently and possessed a better ending.
Hopefully, the story is concluded satisfactorily in a second season, although I can't imagine what content will be introduced to warrant a full season. Edit: I just thought of where the show may logically flow. It still seems like a stretch. As always, I hope the showrunners pull a healthy rabbit out of the hat. I always want projects to turn out good. Fingers crossed.
Shout by ErebosBlockedParent2022-07-23T17:05:58Z
The first two episodes were amazing. Unfortunately, after that point it became a completely different show.
Massive disappointment.