The Old Man: II

June 24, 2022 6:13 PM - Season 1, Episode 2

Chase finds a temporary hideout, but Harold Harper and the authorities are still after him.

This episode aired right after the premiere.

posted by kitten kaboodle (8 comments total)

The big surprise here for me is Alia Shawkat--I don't think I've ever seen her in a straight dramatic role before and I'm really liking her. Amy Brenneman, too. While there are definitely differences in the actors playing the young Dan and Harold, the casting really is pretty great (it's not like everyone has kids who are dead ringers for them who get into acting, a la Kurt and Wyatt Russell). I love the dogs, too, even though I once had a rottweiler come at me trying to kill me.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 6:24 PM on June 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

I haven't read the book this series is adapted from so I don't know who to attribute the impressive dialogue and character development, but both are excellent.
Also, do they give emmies to dogs for "best canine performance?"
posted by Fupped Duck at 9:45 PM on June 24, 2022 [2 favorites]

Alia Shawkat was great, as was the guy playing young John Lithgow who has his speech cadence and default nervous demeanor nailed.

I kind of like the easy-alternating-with-insane pace this show has, so far.

There was a moment in this episode where I hit Pause and ALMOST closed the window and stopped watching the show for good. Then it turned out to be a dream sequence. But I'm still worried about the show going somewhere like that...
posted by mmoncur at 10:40 PM on June 24, 2022 [5 favorites]

Yeah, I know what you mean—I actually blurted out “no!” at that.

I’ll get part III up tomorrow.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 12:29 AM on June 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'm glad everyone's liking this, but sadly I got off the bus here. The show is shot beautifully and I can't criticise any of the performances, but it's far too slow for me. Worse, I find the endless soliloquies unconvincing.

When John Lithgow calls up the assassin at the end of the episode, he goes into this reverie about how he never thought he'd call a number like this, in fact he worked very hard not to do so, etc etc, and all I'm thinking is – no-one would ever speak like this in real life. Yes, this is a TV show, except it keeps happening and in a way that keeps breaking me out of the moment. I assume this is at least partly because it's a book adaption, but it's not working for me.
posted by adrianhon at 9:49 AM on June 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

I totally fell for the 'dream sequence' too. ('planning out all near future options and their consequences before it (can) happen' being a lot clumsier way of saying it). What a great bit of character building.

Framed the scenes afterward for me for all its tenderness; it's all (mostly) an act and Zoe's life hangs on merely a moment's hesitation at any time.

Has it been explicitly stated that Angela Adams (Shawkamp) is Dan Chase's (Bridges') real kid and Harper (Lithgow) really doesn't know?
posted by porpoise at 7:50 PM on June 25, 2022

Yeah no, don't blame the soliloquies on the book. This adaptation shares the title and that's about it. Despite that, I enjoyed the first episode a lot but this episode dragged except for the fast developing relationship with Zoe and that was too fast. Girl put the brakes on, have some self preservation. For all you know, this guy could be an ax murderer.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:33 PM on July 5, 2022

The actor playing young Harold, Christopher Redman, does a brilliant and subtly perfect Lithgow accent.
posted by Lookinguppy at 2:46 PM on July 15, 2022