Smoke and thriller
THE world of secret agents is wonderfully depicted in offerings like The Blacklist, Taken and Deception. But for a different Enemy of the State-esque take, Condor, on M-Net, is the show to watch. English-Irish actor Max Irons (Dorian Gray, Bitter Harvest, Crooked
House), plays Joe Turner, a computer genius mastermind-turned-CIA analyst.
The series is based on James Grady’s novel, Six Days of the
Condor, which was later adapted for the big screen in the 1975 release of Three Days of the Condor.
The movie was directed by Sydney Pollack with Robert Redford as the lead.
The first episode of the series introduces the key players. Joe is enjoying a night on the town with “friends” Sam Barber (Kristoffer Polaha) and his wife Mae (Kristen Hager).
They laugh, have a few drinks and even help him land a Tinder date. But this insouciant mood is short lived. It isn’t long before Joe finds himself being hunted by trained assassins Gabrielle Joubert (Leem Lubany) and Deacon Mailer (Angel Bonanni), who also took out all his co-workers.
By the end of episode one, several things are apparent. Joe is an idealist. He is brilliant at writing code and analysing data.
So much so that an algorithm he created has become a sought-after holy grail (and cash cow) for some influential people.
Sam, who is led by his greed, has sold Joe out.
And so, in the same way that Will Smith had to go on the run to clear his name in Enemy of the State,
Joe has to do the same with one objective – staying alive and getting to the bottom of why he’s being targeted.
He has an ally or two, but the enemy is closer than he realises.
Condor is a wonderfully layered spy thriller.
The characters are compelling and enigmatic. In this world of smoke and mirrors, deception is around every corner.
Lies become the shield for the villains and they use their power to ensure the truth doesn’t become a chink their armour.
The director maintains the fastpace and, after episode one, the storytelling intensifies to nail-biting levels.
If you have favoured The Bourne
Identity franchise, you will love the high-octane thrills found in Condor.