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Chronology
The Jackal is a tough assassin who makes a living by executing high-paying hits. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe. "The Day of the Jackal" novel is set in 1963 and involves an assassination attempt on then-French President Charles de Gaulle.
Lynch is wrong
The show moves the setting to the present day.. Reference 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. There’s no shade for Lynch, it’s just the 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 betrayal barometer is constantly on in the background
The character development kind of works, although some things are just left open in the main characters’ narratives, but that’s to be hoped for. The locations, the varied interactions, and Redmaynes delivery of languages and character switching really add a special layer to the story arc. I’m looking forward to seeing how Se01 ends and how the quality is maintained or improved in Se02.
If he does, Se02 could be quite promising
Hopefully Lynch eases into being less forced and gives a more nuanced performance in an attempt to meet Redmayne.
