The Old Man: III

June 25, 2022 10:58 AM - Season 1, Episode 3

Forced to flee, Chase finally tells Zoe the truth about his past, but it might be too late.
posted by kitten kaboodle (14 comments total)

It's super rare that anything surprises me in fictional works any more; I've just been editing and teaching it too long and I feel like I can always see what's coming. I was totally surprised by the reveal of who Dan's daughter was when she was having that long monologue in the car. I get the complaint from last time that people don't talk like that, because that's something which usually throws me out, too, but it's not bothering me in this series and I loved that reveal so much for giving me an actual surprise right now I'm willing to forgive a lot. The fights remind me some of Deadwood--they are just brutal and ugly, and even though I tend to look away a bit, I still admire the choreography. I really hope doggo who got thrown through the glass will be okay! Glass has no dangerous properties on film and conveniently shatters into thousands of delicate fragments and never, like, cuts throats or stabs limbs, but still...

Poor Zoe. Men are just the worst.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:07 AM on June 25, 2022 [3 favorites]

I called it on the daughter. But I was wrong about that scene — I was sure the camera would pull back further to show someone in the passenger seat.
posted by emelenjr at 12:38 PM on June 25, 2022 [4 favorites]

It really looked like Jeff Bridges was getting the shit beat out of him in that scene. He's either in great shape for his age or there's some very good editing to blend in professional stunt work.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:53 PM on June 25, 2022 [3 favorites]

I loved the daughter reveal - I actually recognized Alia Shawkat's voice before they showed it, but only in this episode. I was clueless before. And I'm enjoying the mystery - does Harper know she's his daughter, who is she loyal to, and so on.

I'm hoping Zoe is alive but this is two episodes in a row where they've done the Shroedinger's Zoe thing and I'm not really here for it.

After they played Jon Lithgow's speech to the assassin on the phone a second time, I was really expecting him to be an amazing assassin, but it seemed like Chase knocked him down pretty fast.
posted by mmoncur at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2022 [3 favorites]

I think Harper must not know, given the way his characterization of her mother was visibly upsetting her in the background as he spoke. Her interruption of him after that took him by surprise, and she had to quickly cover for it.
posted by Pryde at 10:41 PM on June 25, 2022 [5 favorites]

Jeff Bridges is the man, dude.
posted by oldnumberseven at 1:51 AM on June 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

The assassin had him in a pretty bad spot until Zoe opened the door for the dog(s) to come to the rescue. which I would expect if he had the drop on Chase. all things being equal the advantage goes to the surprise attack. I assume the nameless assassin is in better physical shape than Chase as well, despite his slightly soft appearance. all in all I've been pretty impressed with this series so far... the daughter reveal totally caught me by surprise and the fight choreography is gritty and brutal and messy - like no one is pulling off perfect moves from the textbook, it's all slightly off and adapted to the circumstances, the environment, and tempo of the encounter.
posted by some loser at 6:40 AM on June 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

I think Harper must not know, given the way his characterization of her mother was visibly upsetting her in the background as he spoke. Her interruption of him after that took him by surprise, and she had to quickly cover for it.

That was a beautiful moment. Her quickly covering for it didn't quite make sense to me. Might need to watch that scene again- what she was saying about not bending to the warlords wishes didn't quite track for me.
posted by ishmael at 7:35 AM on June 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

After they played Jon Lithgow's speech to the assassin on the phone a second time, I was really expecting him to be an amazing assassin, but it seemed like Chase knocked him down pretty fast.

He eventually got the better of Chase, until Zoe let the dogs out.

Also, what was Chase looking at in the trunk in the last scene? Was it Zoe? Or the dog that went through the glass?
posted by ishmael at 7:38 AM on June 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

jinx, some loser.
posted by ishmael at 7:39 AM on June 26, 2022

I also wonder if Chase is her biological father, or if the warlord is, and she's actually the "answer" he's pursuing. It seems likely her mom was prompted to get to America to give her child the hopeful future she'd dreamed of for herself when she was young.
posted by Pryde at 12:02 PM on June 26, 2022 [3 favorites]

I'd definitely guess that part of what prompted Chase's betrayal and Balour coming with him has to do with her telling him about her hopes as a child of a new life before the coup. Which is part of what makes it so tense that they've placed Emily/Angela at the center of the pursuit. She's an adult who's going to learn (like it or not) the full truth about her parents beyond the beliefs she has from childhood/what her parents told her on her 18th birthday. Especially when Chase already told her that she doesn't know everything he did, including the bloody terrible things*. I'd be willing to bet that Hamzad/the Warlord thinks that he's her biological father & that's tied up in the betrayal/pursuit. It's likely not all of it, why else would Harper want to murder Chase to keep him quiet?
posted by gov_moonbeam at 4:29 PM on June 26, 2022

This show feels like it's just a push away from being bad, or maybe it's sort of pointing that direction right now. I like spy and assassin shit and so far it's doing that all right but I don't really give a shit about the chupacabra's exploits in Afghanistan or whatever. Though I do like that the future missus chupacabra is a plotter herself. Right now I think I'm still cruising on the first episode and not entirely sure I will like the show when that high is gone. And the Zoey entanglement is bleh.

Jeff Bridges contributing huge points though. So fucking watchable. I mean I love Lithgow and Shawkat too so I'm firmly in.
posted by fleacircus at 5:57 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

What tipped me off was that Shawkat gets third billing after Bridges and Lithgow. I figured that meant she had to be more than just someone for Harper to explain things to for our benefit. And the rest followed from there.

I assume Zoe’s in the trunk, alive and very, very pissed off. I had been assuming she’d be around for an episode and then be left behind, but now it’s looking like Chase is stuck with her for the long term. That’s going to make things difficult…
posted by Naberius at 8:44 PM on July 29, 2022