The Screen Scribe

So, we’ve passed the halfway mark. Let’s do a brief recap. The Day of the Jackal follows the exploits of the assassin known as the Jackal, as he is hired to kill one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, tech mogul Ulle Dag Charles. His employers, some mysterious group of New York based executives, wish to eliminate UDC before he unveils his revolutionary software that will give the public access to the spending habits of the worlds elite 1%. But unfortunately for the Jackal, this assignment is proving to be far more challenging than first anticipated, as he walks a fine line between being caught by MI6, seeing his marriage disintegrate due to his ever growing lies, and the New York group tightening the leash they’ve placed around his neck.

So, are we all up to date? Yes? Excellent.

Episode 6 is perhaps the slowest episode so far, but it’s by no means boring. We pick up from the end of the previous episode where the Jackal finds himself waylaid by a pair of Hungarian brothers and their farmhand. Thankfully, this is not drawn out and the remainder of the episode is a slow but deliberate game of cat and mouse between the assassin and MI6 / Hungarian authorities. Nuria finally gets on board with her husbands mysterious job and decides to trust him, which shifts their dynamic to a new, and thankfully more interesting, direction. The raid on the compound in the previous episode was a massive action piece, and this episode rightfully takes it slow and moves its pieces around the board in preparation for the big event: the hit on Ulle Dag Charles.

Redmayne is given license to showcase a layered, nuanced and more vulnerable side to the Jackal in this episode, which stands in sharp contract to the cool, collected and calculating assassin we’ve become accustomed to and see again by the episodes end. But a glaring issue I had with this episode was the sheer amount of coincidences that just kept stacking up. Granted, it could be argued that they were plotted this way for dramatic effect and suspense, after all this is an assassin thriller series. But for me it was an attempt at being clever that just fell flat. However, there are some nice little scenes sprinkled throughout this episode that add a little depth to each character and relationship dynamic. For example, the awkward goodnight between Bianca and Vince at their hotel. Did it further the story? No. But it did give us more insight into their relationship, their history, and highlights the issues with Bianca’s husband far more effectively than the family drama we’ve seen with them up until now.

Overall, a slow but deliberate episode that fundamentally shifts the players around the board and into position for the big set piece we’ve all been waiting for: the assassination of Ulle Dag Charles. Let’s hope it’s been worth the wait.

3.5 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

The Day of the Jackal is available to watch on Sky Atlantic every Thursday.

The first 6 episodes are available to watch now.