The Day of the Jackal - Peacock & Sky Atlantic

crushproof

Can't get over how bad it's become since the first couple of episodes. Such a weak storyline, terribly writing and poor poor acting.

NIMAN

Tend to agree with most of the comments.

Will see it out as I've gone so far now, but finding the acting and writing all a bit ropey. Some parts getting ridiculous too, like shooting dead a cop and another driver on a feeder road to a major motorway that seemingly no one else uses. The horse too!

The female lead pretty terrible too. Poor acting.

Peter Dragon

Tonight’s episode was considerably better than the last few to be fair, but still not on a par with the first. It was good to see some fleshing out of the back story, but I think they’ve over-stretched it. Part of why the movie works because it’s so tight; this feels like they’re padding it big time to stretch to 10 episodes - I’d rather an excellent 6-8 episodes than a meandering 10 myself. I’ve come this far so I’ll stay until the end but Lynch is annoying me more and more with episode.

NIMAN

The modern curse of the streaming channels, padding out of shows.

Henry Ford III

I'm enjoying it.

It's far from perfect but still quite entertaining. Lynch is poorly cast and her caboose is too big for someone doing her job.

jj880

Completely ridiculous episode in parts today BUT excellent watch at the same time.

Spoiler Warning

Agent Pullman's story is just daft / lazy. She wakes up and happens to see a news story about a skillful hit in Spain and instantly knew it was the Jackal. The stuff with her family is boring also. She would need to have some big part to play in the finale or its just bizarre.

ejmaztec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122924481#Comment_122924481

I was thinking that but her caboose isn't a patch on the one in The Equaliser. 😛

CalamariFritti

This episode was just bonkers. Lynch is getting worse - at this stage I'm hoping he kills her so we wont have to endure her in S2 - and the script goes crazy altogether. This would be ok if the production wouldnt take itself so seriously, was a bit of tongue in cheek, but the way it presents itself this is getting a bit laughable.

Spoiler Warning

I mean from the open water surely is the very worst assassination spot ever? One helicopter or a speed boat and you're done never mind radar whatever. This is completely nuts.

thegreengoblin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122932281#Comment_122932281

Not a chance she won't be back. There are boxes to be ticked, don't you know.

The swimming assassination scene was laugh out loud stuff. Total amateur hour. Not sure when I passed into 'hate watch' mode but I'm definitely in it now! This UDC fella and his boyfriend are unspeakably bad.

Agent Coulson

The Day of the Jackal is a simple cat and mouse story of an assassin who is hired to kill a prominent person being chased by a determined agent trying to catch them.

There is no need for back stories or seeing the family life of the cat and mouse and we don't really even need to know who hired or why the assassin was hired.

This has fallen into the problem with what they want to call event series these days they are padding the story out with so much junk that they have taken away from the core storyline.

Instead of 10 episodes this story could and should have been slimmed down to a soild 6 episodes.

Buddy Bubs

Im enjoying it but it's another in the long list of shows I've watched where I thought this could have been a really good movie 2.5 hrs or so

CalamariFritti

Well that ended as wonky as it was at any time during this series. Not terrible but not very convincing either. MI6 remains looking like clown show and the least convincing bit in all of this. Needs better writing, really does.

Spoiler Warning

But there are positives too. One of them being Bianca gone and they can basically start from scratch for season 2.

Butson

Not sure how they are going to drag a season 2 out of this.

Enjoyable overall, if a bit silly.

thegreengoblin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122935947#Comment_122935947

Happy to be proved wrong!

An absolute shambles of a finale. Devoid of any wit, intelligence or tension. That 'showdown' at the Jackal's house was so bad and such an anti-climax that I'm actually left wondering what was the point of it? It seemed as if the only reason they did it was for that shot of Bianca and the Jackal staring at each other through the one way mirror.

And then his car being rammed off the road. Presumably that's what happened, seeing as we never actually got to see it.

I'm really disappointed in this series as it started off very well. I thought we were in for a smart, well constructed conspiracy drama. We might have got something like that had it been a four-episode mini-series but there was no way they could make a 10-episode show without loads of dreadful filler shite.

Add in one-dimensional 'characters' like the insufferable Bianca, the Jackal's annoying wife and his contact who tipped him off at the end, and it all adds up to a terrible show. Redmayne was decent but even he seemed tired of the nonsense by the end of it.

Henry Ford III

Still enjoyed it.

p.s. There is now fresh hope for season 2.

EoinMcLovin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949871#Comment_122949871

Season 2 was already confirmed

https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/eddie-redmayne-day-of-the-jackal-renewed-season-2-1236217902/

cena

First 4 episodes were great, I couldn't concentrate on the show after that

jj880

Yeah a shame as it started well. At least the most annoying character is gone and won't be clogging up season 2.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950854#Comment_122950854

Agree she was a b the Jackel seemed more human

NIMAN

Can't disagree with anything that's been said.

Too long.

Glad to see the back of Bianca, she ruined it anytime she was on screen.

I'd have to seriously consider not watching another series if it's as padded as this one.

CalamariFritti

Ye what was that him being rammed off the road thing about? Made no sense. Just happens as he rushes to the airport and you may think all sorts of connections obviously. And then it just gets brushed over as if it didnt happen. So he was just driving too fast or missed a stop sign or what? Really poor stuff tbh.

This obviously cost a lot of money to make. How would you have so much amateurish looking stuff going on then in the script and with the cast and everything? Very strange.

giseva

Bianca and her family drama didn't add much. Found her quite irritating, the same for his missus and her brother. Also don't get why he killed at will, then goes rogue with the lad working at the theater just to gain access, though he does end up killing him.

Did anyone cop the unique chess pieces in Isabel's office? Wasn't Eddie into that sort of thing in earlier episodes?

Not the best thing I've ever seen but good to see there's a season 2 en route.

Pentecost

It was pure nonsense. But nonsense has its place at the same time. Didn't warm to that person who won't be in season 2 though, so not going to miss them. But what was the point of that last crash as others have said? It makes no sense.

Peter Dragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122951078#Comment_122951078

he doesn’t go rogue with the guy in the theatre. He seduces him to get a place to stay and the police door stepping and unhindered access to the venue, he doesn’t need to kill him at that point. He does need to kill him when he recognises him after, and doesn’t hesitate.

there’s many faults with this show, that wasn’t one of them.

yes on the chess pieces…..a relative or an associate perhaps?

Peter Dragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122951071#Comment_122951071

Charles Dance’s crew trying to take him out obviously, one from the rear (you see it approaching in the mirror) and one side on. He clearly survives, you don’t really need to see how. It’s to show how capable he is in these situations, it’s up to your imagination to figure out the how. It’s not an usual technique to play a scene this way. No major issue with that scene in itself.

where it falls down is his struggle to get out of the BMW 1 series earlier in the same episode when it crashed.

Former Former Former

I enjoyed it, in a sort of 'disengage your brain and press play' sort of way.

The two leads are shocking actors though

Peter Dragon

A bit of a mess after a promising start. Maybe I’m biased because I love both the book and the original movie (don’t anyone mention the Gere/Willis version) and it’s a very bad adaptation/remake of those.

In summation it was a good idea, poorly executed.

giseva

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122951728#Comment_122951728

An air BNB maybe? Plus, given his skills in the area of disguise, wtf does he use his actual face so often?

Henry Ford III

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950736#Comment_122950736

You completely misunderstood me. Bianca's demise means there is hope for season 2.

She was the weakest part of season 1.

Sono

Started off well but totally lost the plot after a couple of episodes, the last episode was ridiculous stuff altogether.