The Old Man

I was really looking forward to watching The Old Man ever since I saw the first trailer trailer. I'm a fan of spy thrillers and Jeff Bridges so I had high expectations going in. Well, it not only met those expectations but exceeded them in every way. The acting, writing, directing, etc. Are all as good as it gets, FX always puts out great content and this show is no different. The only bad thing about this show is we have to wait a week between episodes, I wish they released all them at once like they do on Netflix but since it's on Network tv I get it. Binge watching has ruined me because I just hate waiting a week between episodes now. I'm definitely looking forward to season two of this and just hope it continues to be as good as this season was.

The Old Man is a spy thriller that is absolutely worth watching! Jeff Bridges is as terrific as always and does an incredible job making you believe he's still a bad ass at 72! His dogs steal every scene they're in and remind me of the dogs from John Wick. The rest of the cast all are at the top of their game here too, especially John Lithgow (who rarely disappoints). I know there are a lot of really good spy shows out there to choose from but this has everything you want from a spy thriller and should definitely be seen. I'm really looking forward to more and recommend this to anyone who's a fan of spy thrillers.

In 6 months, Jeff Bridges will turn 73 years old. Indeed, he is an old man. His character makes those grunting noises from the effort of arising in the morning, and you also overhear a very sporadic urine stream in the middle of the night. Starting in Peter Bogdanovich's seminal "The Last Picture Show," Bridges continued to build an enviable career out of numerous carefully drawn roles, each one truly unique and most of them more memorable than the last. He was finally awarded his long overdue Best Actor Oscar for "Crazy Heart" a few years ago, and then last year we almost lost him because of CoVID-19. But he's back as a beat-up old ex-spy and is perfect for and in this latest complex part.

In 4 months, John Lithgow will be 77 years old. Also by most narrow definitions, an old man. Is he the obvious villain of this story, or might he actually be the hero? You are never quite sure with a Lithgow character, and this one's no exception.

Supporting roles for such long-time pros as Amy Brenneman and Joel Gray are also well written and, of course, superbly well performed. But no mistake: this miniseries totally belongs to the one and only Jeff Bridges. And by extension, to all of us who remain his long-time fans more than a half century later. Not to be missed. 9/10.

Had high hopes, but 65% is overdrawn dialogue and reaction shots. We get the point, they're scared/concerned/angry. No need for the oversell. Episode 1-2 showed promise, but it seems they didn't discard any edits to help string the series out.

They should play this to insomniacs that don't respond to standard medication.

This show starts super strong with great actions and a slow roll out of backstory that leaves you very intrigued. Once you are caught up by episode 4, things aren't going so well. Lithgow and Bridges are excellent. Shawcat is kind of a boat anchor, delivering every line almost in monotone. None of the characters are particularly endearing. As the plot development and action slows down after a few episodes, a lot of awkward dialogue fills its place. It seems clear that the writers were trying to recreate the style of The Counselor, screenplay written by Cormac McCarthy, but not doing such a great job. The more literary style of the The Counselor left a lot of viewers confused. How much more so will a bad copy.

I'll keep watching, hoping things get better.