SERIES REVIEW – Jeff Bridges’ CIA saga is often so unintentionally comical it’s hard to take seriously. Most of the characters seem utterly clueless about what’s going on—and the audience is even more lost. The entire production feels overblown, awkward, and reeks of desperation. Yet, the action sequences remain incredibly dynamic, and Jeff Bridges still delivers the magnetic performance that makes him such a compelling presence.
The first season’s finale offered a mix of car chases, shootouts, and highly improbable fistfights, as former CIA operative Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) did everything possible to stay off the grid while evading U.S. authorities. Since his return from Afghanistan in the late 1980s, he’s been in hiding, but the show ultimately takes us back to present-day Afghanistan. His daughter Emily (Alia Shawkat), an FBI agent whose entire career hinges on concealing her true identity from her beloved boss Harold Harper (John Lithgow), finds herself kidnapped by rebel leader Faraz Hamzad. Why? Because Emily is actually Hamzad’s daughter, Parwana. Dazed and oblivious to her real heritage, she exits a car near Hamzad’s compound—and that’s where it ends. A cliffhanger at its most dramatic.
The desperation of cliffhanger storytelling
There’s a certain arrogant confidence—and a touch of desperation—in shows that rely on season-ending cliffhangers. The creators assume that there will be more to come and that audiences will willingly wait, possibly years, for the big reveal. But this approach also reeks of creative insecurity, as if the promise of answers is the only thing keeping viewers engaged. In this case, it’s the question of what Hamzad plans to do with Emily and how she’ll react upon learning the truth about her father.
Unfortunately, The Old Man doesn’t just rely on desperate cliffhangers. Its clunky, over-explanatory script, loaded with convoluted exposition, and implausible plot twists make it clear that the show depends entirely on withholding information. Rather than building intrigue, this approach results in a confusing mess. The overly complex premise doesn’t help either. From the outset, viewers are left trying to untangle a 30-year web of professional relationships, covert foreign policies, and a geopolitical conflict involving the U.S., Russia, the Taliban, and a lithium mine. Even characters who’ve been part of the backstory don’t seem to understand what’s happening. “What are we missing here?!” Harper exclaims midway through Season 2—a sentiment shared by nearly every character in nearly every scene.
A man, two dogs, and a trail of confusion
To its credit, The Old Man started off strong. Dan Chase—a gruff, solitary old operative with two Rottweilers that are alternately terrifying and heartwarmingly loyal—spends much of his time haunted by memories of his late wife’s mental decline. His pained gait suggests the toll of years, yet his physical combat skills remain shockingly sharp. And his paranoia? Not unfounded—someone really is out to get him.
But this is where the story starts to unravel. Soon, it’s revealed that U.S. intelligence agencies are hunting Chase at Hamzad’s request, though they have no idea why. Neither do we, the viewers. The question of why the U.S. is bending over backward to comply with a warlord’s demands remains baffling.
Harper, meanwhile, is still reeling from the mysterious deaths of his son and daughter-in-law. Tasked with tracking Chase due to their shared professional history—Harper once aided Chase’s illegal support of Hamzad during the Soviet–Afghan War—it’s unclear how much Harper or anyone else truly knows about the situation. Emily, known to Harper as Angela Adams, is also involved, secretly feeding information to her father to aid his escape.
A finale that leads to nowhere
The murky plot and frustrating drip-feed of information—like Emily’s cryptic response to a question about having children (“No… not really”)—only amplify the show’s biggest problem: the total lack of stakes. In Season 1, it was clear we were rooting for Chase while empathizing with Harper’s grief. Now, every character seems irredeemably flawed—even Emily—and the body count is so high that worrying about any character’s survival feels almost quaint.
The Old Man is overflowing with secret alliances and long-buried mysteries, but the biggest mystery of all is why any of it should matter. And the fact that the show has been canceled only makes investing time in it more questionable. The second season ends on yet another cliffhanger, leaving audiences without closure. Think carefully before diving into this maze.
-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-
The Old Man Season 2
Direction - 6.1
Actors - 7.1
Story - 5.4
Visuals/Music/Sounds - 7.2
Ambience - 6.5
6.5
FAIR
The second season of The Old Man dives too deep into convoluted twists and confusing mysteries. While Jeff Bridges’ charisma and the performances of the cast remain high points, the chaotic storytelling and absence of meaningful stakes seriously undermine the show’s appeal. The action scenes continue to inject energy into the series, but with the cliffhanger ending and the series now canceled, it’s hard to recommend stepping into this labyrinth.
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