The Old Man: Episode VI Review

 The Old Man: Episode VI Review

[This review contains spoilers for The Old Man Episode 1-5]

After much anticipation, the penultimate episode of The Old Man arrives with intrigue, suspense, and some good, short action sequences to prepare audiences for next week's season finale. Not only did this episode begin to set up the raised stakes set to appear during the finale, but it also bolstered the storytelling from what we already knew about Dan Chase's journey. The audience was taken more into his mind and his world with this entry in the series, a better understanding as to what he is trying to accomplish and what resources he has coming to light.

For Chase's side of the episode, him and his prisoner-turned-accomplice Zoe attend a dinner party of sorts on a private island. While there, Chase is determined to enlist the help of a Russian operative whose life he saved in Afghanistan during his Hamzad business three decades prior. The events of the dinner party are not only interesting but intense, as it appears there is more to every character involved in this plot than the audience knows. Even characters whose motivations thus far have been unclear. I enjoyed seeing this get-together play out, especially when Chase is reunited with his old friend. There appears to be an undercurrent to the overall story that we aren't privy to just yet, and, given the developments set to transpire during the finale, it seems we'll have to wait for Season 2 to get definitive answers on the larger plot. It's a little disappointing, seeing as Hamzad and the mystery surrounding him and Chase's relationship has been the focus of the show thus far. But I also believe the setup for the grand finale was done in an interesting enough way that it will at least hold my attention for the better part of an hour. Though it does make me hope the low episode counts mean for a quicker release for the second season. Wishful thinking, but I really do just want to see more of Chase and everything he's about to face.

As for the setup of the finale, much of that transpires in the Harold Harper segments of the episode. Harper is on his way to Hamzad alongside Angela/Emily, who he is still having trouble trusting. During their journey, Harper gets a call from former colleague and mentor Morgan Bote, a recurring presence throughout the season who appears determined to capture both Chase and his daughter. He offers Harold a chance at redemption, saying that if he leaves the mission, Bote can ensure no wrongdoing is traced to him, instead putting everything at Angela's feet. Harold is forced to grapple with this throughout the episode, as well as Angela's own introductions into the mission without his permission. I think this problem helped to strengthen the dynamic between Harper and Angela now that he knows her secret. It served the episode well to have a quiet conflict present between them while underscoring that something larger is at play here--something neither of them truly know the context of. It made for intense television near the end, especially once things start to come together and the main ideas of what the finale will be come into play.

This episode made me consider how the series will be progressing from here, as many of the events herein were unpredictable from the outset. That may be due to the mystery surrounding so many of the show's characters still, something that keeps me coming back week after week for more information. I love how, even though we're almost finished with the first season, there still isn't anything concrete about what's going on. And yet, still, I feel like I understand the characters and can use context clues to garner what sort of game is being played. I still don't entirely understand how Bote fits in, though it appears the finale will do much to remedy this confusion. As it should, since that's really the one weakness of the series overall thus far: Not knowing character motivations can make what's going on feel confusing. It still adds layers to the intrigue overall, sure. But I do wish I knew what Bote's goals were so I could understand clearer the context of what may or may not end up transpiring in the finale.

Overall, Episode 6 of The Old Man acts as a good penultimate for the show's first season. While the episode gives me the impression that things won't be wrapped up the way I thought in the finale, I do hope to at least get more answers about the many mysteries the show has introduced to its audience thus far. I would like to see more of the puzzle pieces get connected before this season is over, but I can already tell that there will be a feeling of want as the show progresses into its second season. Here's to an engaging final episode and to a maintained quality, style, and storyline in the first season's final hour.

***

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