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Tale
The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living carrying out assassinations for the highest fee. He soon meets his worthy rival in a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe. The novel “The Day of the Jackal” is set in 1963 and concerns an assassination attempt on the then President of France Charles de Gaulle.
Lynch was poorly cast
The show shifts the setting to the present day. Referenced in Graham Norton The Gossips: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne/Blossoms (2024). TLDR: Redmayne is spot on.
Overall the story is a viable adaptation
Unfortunately the leads are not on par with each other, which detracts from the otherwise spectacular and high-quality production. No shade to Lynch, it’s just a high bar that Redmayne has set. A more experienced actor could have provided a more believable foil/adversary character needed to challenge The Jackal.
The barometer of deception is always on in the background
The character development works to a certain extent, although some things are left open in the main character’s narratives, but that may be intended. The locations, the various interactions and the distribution of languages and switching of characters by Redmayne really add a special layer to the story arc. I can’t wait to see how season 1 ends and how the quality is maintained or improved in season 2.
If he does, season 2 could be quite promising
I hope Lynch relaxes to be less forced and gives a more nuanced performance to try to meet Redmayne.