The Old Man: Episode I-III Review

 The Old Man: Episode I-III Review

I'm a sucker for a good thriller, just as much as I'm a sucker for good mysteries. The storytelling elements of a television series with those two qualities are what usually drags me in, making me want to see the story through to the end. The Old Man is one of these series, having premiered last Thursday on FX and Hulu, with an additional episode having arrived yesterday.

The Old Man tells the story of Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), a man who is recovering from the death of his wife due to Huntington's disease and who is starting to notice similar paranoid behavior in himself, prompting him to go for regular mental health screenings. Accompanying him in his now-vacant home are his two dogs, Dave and Carol, loyal Rottweilers. After a regular day in the life--which appears to include paranoia on Dan's part and mourning over the loss of his wife--Chase's house is broken into by a robber. Only this robber doesn't seem to be an ordinary burglar, given the silencer attached to his pistol. Dan believes now that he's been "found" by someone, though who that is isn't clear at first. Meanwhile, the US government brings a retired CIA agent, Harold Harper (John Lithgow) in for a mission they don't tell him anything about. However, it appears that Harper knows what's going on, as he and Chase have some sort of connection that dates back 3 decades to when Chase worked for the US government on a mission few seem to know about. Thus begins a game of cat and mouse between Chase and Harper, as well as introspection into what led them to this point, and the cost of a past long forgotten.

I think what strikes me most about this series is just how un-TV-like the filming is. A lot of television series use rather simplistic, near-static shots to set their scenes up. There's nothing wrong with this, of course. Incredible shows like Better Call Saul, for instance, don't do a lot of fancy camera movements throughout every single episode. As for The Old Man, its staple appears to be one-take shots that alter camera angles throughout, giving us a breadth of long, medium, and close-up shots that are tightly-knit together. The decision to put longer takes in the show not only establishes when something of great importance is happening, but also gives the audience better perspective on the way Chase and Harper behave. In particular with Chase, many of the lengthier scenes are used to establish the three decades of rust under his belt as a former badass, with just enough tools in his toolbox left for him to do some damage.

In Chase's case, though, long shots almost always correspond with action scenes, many of which appear to have been done in a single take. Which is impressive given the number of moving parts in the few that have shown up in these first three episodes. There's a real weight to everything that happens onscreen, and I'm not just talking about emotional toll for the characters. Dan Chase is not in the same shape as he used to be when he was younger. His movements are shaky, his punches don't hit as well, and overall he's just not as power-packed as your typical action hero. But that's also what makes him unique and what makes these actions sequences different. It really feels like there are some stakes on the table, as you never know how much brutal injury Chase may or may not sustain in a given situation.

Though what accentuates these scenes isn't just the choreography and cinematography. The acting also sells it as well. Jeff Bridges does a great job playing Dan Chase, with every line of dialogue coming out off his mouth in such a casual way. He fits the character like a glove, and every scene does a fantastic job at indicating his age while also relaying the skills he had as a younger man. That's not to say he's not as action-packed as he needs to be, of course. But, as a character states in the first episode, "the game has changed since last time [he] played it." I think some of the little details the pilot episode does to illustrate Chase's lack of knowledge in how much espionage has changed since the 90's sell the premise and the characters even more.

And I don't think I can stop mentioning the acting without talking about John Lithgow's portrayal of Harold Harper. Lithgow does an incredible job at displaying a man who will do whatever it takes to get a job done, even if he doesn't really want to do it. There's more depth to his character that I don't want to spoil in this review, but upon introduction I already liked his character. A no-nonsense air hangs over him, but there's more than meets the eye as to why he's doing what he's doing and what he's driven by. But again, much of that involves plot details better left discovered for viewers going into this series. Which I do recommend going into as blind as possible.

That's not to say the show is without its faults, though. While I enjoy the slow-burn pacing of the first episode, the second episode grinds things to a halt in order to establish a few more characters and to give audiences a feel as to where our main duo is at mentally. But what irks me about this is that, for all of the interesting character building that transpires in the second episode, it really didn't need to be a whopping 64 minutes long. The show also uses some of said hour+ to initiate an exciting, but rather pointless "what if" scenario that not only tricks the audience into thinking something will happen in the episode, but also adds absolutely nothing to the story. It reinforces a few themes therein, but it's portrayed in a really clunky way to the point where, as it was happening, I could tell it was all in a character's head. This didn't happen in the third episode, thankfully, so I'm hoping jarring scenes like that don't happen too often again.

The second episode is a bit of a lull period for the series, but the third episode picks back up with the excitement and with more nuanced introspection for the characters. I do have to say, though, something I noticed with the third episode is that the dialogue feels a little more dramatized than it did in the first two. I think the writers room is full of writers who want to jot down really cool dialogue or speeches to put into the show. Now, don't get me wrong, I really like the dialogue in the show. There are some great lines in these first three episodes that are fantastic (sadly, none of which I can write down here for fear of spoiling some fantastic delivery). It just sometimes feels more scripted at some points, while at other points there's more realism than there is dramatization. Overall, though, the show has an artistic whim to it. The creators behind the series clearly have a vision, and that vision doesn't feel at all profit-driven. No, instead I get the same vibe from The Old Man as I do a series like Mr. Robot. The driving force behind the series is to tell a story with well-developed characters bolstering a good theme. And The Old Man does that incredibly well.

While there are some imperfections to the show, many of these only appear in the second episode and aren't present at all in the first or third. The series looks like it could be one of the better ones to air in the early summer. And, sitting at just 7 episodes in total--with only 4 more to go--I'm expecting a tight, satisfying story over the next month that leaves me thinking about it long after I've watched it. The Old Man gets my highest recommendation. While it can be slow at times, the acting, cinematography, and story all make up for the minor flaws that show through the cracks. Not only am I looking forward to seeing how the story progresses, but I'm also looking forward to reviewing future episodes here on Frayed Branches within a day of airing. The Old Man is a great thriller with a riveting story that gives you just enough while leaving you waiting, anticipatory of the next chapter.

***

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