The Screen Scribe

Here we are, the finale of what is now the first season of The Day of the Jackal. I won’t lie, it was a struggle at times to finish this series. It was an incredibly frustrating show to watch at times, as anything good or great it achieved would quickly be overshadowed by poor writing, dull character moments and/or poor acting. In the beginning I applauded the attempt to make the story of the Jackal relevant and update it for modern audiences by not following the source material to the letter. However, in hindsight, I think it may have been a mistake to stray as far as they did from Frederick Forsyth’s celebrated novel.

All of that aside, the first season ended with almost all of its plot threads resolved, while sowing the seeds for the now greenlit second season. While the final episode delivered some fine acting from Eddie Redmayne, layering the Jackal with depth, humanity and self-loathing following his murder of an innocent elderly couple, it all felt quite perfunctory, even anti-climactic. Throughout his escape from Croatia, it never felt as though he was ever going to be caught because you just knew he had to make it back to Cadiz, to the final confrontation with Bianca. His escape was thoroughly messy and unplanned, which did not fit with his previously established character as being a meticously organised and detailed operator. And while the final two episodes portray him unravelling emotionally, it would make greater sense for him to lean back into his training during his mission to avoid his feelings. Again, poor writing.

The long-awaited confrontation between the Jackal and Bianca was short-lived and without much substance as a brief gunfight ensued throughout the Jackal’s Spanish villa. The Jackal, then in pursuit of his wayward wife, is ambushed by (presumably) the hired guns of the New York group, only to mysteriously survive with some cuts and bruises as he rendezvous with his old handler from the New York group, herself also on the run. This sets the stage for the story of season 2, thin though it may be, for the Jackal to make good on his promise to never allow a client to renege on a contract.

 Overall, it was a frustrating first season that had the potential to be brilliant, but was hampered time and again by poor writing, subpar acting and uneven pacing that overshadowed the truly fascinating aspects that were never truly given the time to shine. Eddie Redmayne delivers a solid performance that could become great with better material to work with. I live in the hope that season 2 can deliver a more focused narrative that allows Redmayne to shine.

2.5 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

The Day of the Jackal is available to watch now on Sky and Now TV.