While I wait for more episodes of The Count of Monte Cristo to be released I have to fill my time up with something so when a friend recommended Day of the Jackal I decided to give it a go. They say that starting out strong is extremely important in series and I definitely agree with this notion. DOJ managed to do this perfectly while they keep the tempo fast yet introduce you to most of the major characters in a timely, yet relevant fashion.
They don't go over the top with this because if they had done so it would have made the rest of the season seem comparatively slow. It does step down a notch after the first episode but not in enough of a way to chase you off.
If you ever watched the Bruce Willis movie years ago, you can probably already kind of guess what this series is about. The Jackal is an elite assassin for hire that is meticulous in his tactics and one of the few people in the world that can be depended on to get the job done, regardless of how impossible it seems. Sure, a lot of the things that he has to go through can seem impractical, as you will experience later on, but for the most part they keep the entire thing quite believable as his targets become more and more difficult to isolate and eliminate.
Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal which at first I thought was a strange choice for the role seeing as how he is actually quite a small person and it wouldn't be believable for him to come out on top in a physical situation. However, in the show they don't try to "Tom Cruise" their way through this and actually show that he isn't actually capable of taking on multiple opponents in hand-to-hand combat specifically because of his size. They don't come right out and say this, but it is implied that he needs to resort to his intelligence and patience for his methods to be effective.
I think that for most people this will prove to be an interesting show because it showcases exactly how difficult or impossible it would be to actually have this job as a profession and how there is a lot more to it than just knowing how to use a weapon. You have to be extremely patient, very skilled (of course), but also be willing to do anything including seducing people that you are not at all attracted to in order to gain an advantageous position somewhere that you normally would not have access to. I have made this intentionally vague but trust me, when you see it, you'll know what I am talking about.
If I was to criticize this show for anything it would probably be how much they focus on Mi6 agent "Bianca." Her portion of the story and how they involve her personal life into the mix is pretty irrelevant to the story and these were the times that I found myself going to the other room because what happens there isn't important and it is clear to me that they were using this side of things to fill up the 50 minute episodes with just whatever they had to in order to fill up the time.
Also, when they throw her out there on her own to go and take on the most dangerous person in the world by herself it was impossible to me to not conjure up thoughts of how this is the modern entertainment world where they feel compelled to show how a "marginalized group" (or so they say, in the real world) is perfectly capable of taking on a man with their girl-boss powers. They don't keep at it for too long but the way in which Bianca is always right about everything and is constantly fighting the system to get what she wants and always coming out on top gets to be a bit annoying. I feel this way at least in part because this show is "Day of the Jackal" not "Day of Bianca: Girl Power!"
Thankfully, this doesn't happen too often but when it did I found myself tuning out. I honestly don't feel as though I missed much of the overall theme by picking up my phone and doing something else almost anytime that she was on the screen.
Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of the Jackal is absolutely perfect though and I think that he is just one of those actors that is going to nail anything that he is in. It was an odd choice to have a person who also played Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything play an international world-class assassin. It just works though because he is that good of an actor. I can't say the same for Lashana Lynch as Bianca though, you could substitute a wide variety of actors and actresses into her role and the show would be the same, perhaps better. This is evidenced in the fact that this show, and Eddie, are being nominated for just about any awards that there are in the TV world, whereas Lahana hasn't even been mentioned and rightfully so.
Should I watch it?
This appeals to so many different cinematic preferences that I believe that this will be well-received by almost anyone. It's got action, drama, and a level of mystery that will keep you guessing about what will happen next. The first season just wrapped up for me and I now I find myself in the all-too-familiar situation of needing to wait for a very long time to get my fix on what could possibly happen in season 2. I am ALMOST reminded of the level of enthusiasm that I used to feel for Breaking Bad when I watch this as each new episode builds wonderfully on the one before it. Oh and this show has a "Skylar" as well, and I'll just leave it at that so as to not spoil things.
Most people are going to enjoy this and it actually can be casual viewing as well which is based on the fact that I barely paid any attention to the scenes involving Bianca but still knew the entire story. I think this one is a real winner and if you are searching for a new series to enjoy that this one will almost certainly scratch that itch.
Globally this can only be streamed legally on Peacock, but it also broadcasts on Sky in the UK and JioCinema in India. It is available in Australia and New Zealand as well on some minor services that I have never heard of
