![]() ![]() This is a show that actually considers the trauma and distress Alex goes through in his new life as an unwitting pawn of MI6, and he’s competent enough to be exciting to watch while still being a vulnerable teenager. Here, the situation is treated as believably controversial amongst its own characters, particularly Alex’s best friend, Tom ( Brenock O’Connor), who gracefully transitions from out-of-the-loop goofball to the show’s heart. One of the most welcome additions to the show’s themes is an emphasis on Alex’s absurd position as a teenager being illegally roped into deadly spy games, an element the previous stories have been content to mostly downplay. The show is sometimes predictable in its plotting (especially if you’re already familiar with the books), but the flourishes in production design and cliffhangers are where Alex Rider shines. Rather than feel like a dragged-out distraction, you might find yourself paining to watch what happens next. It eschews the episodic “villain-of-the-week” structure more typical of spy thriller shows in favor of an ongoing narrative, which further adapts this aging story to the times. It’s no exaggeration to call the first season of Alex Rider one of the most binge-able spy shows in the last year, and considering its early release in the UK this past summer, the States are fortunate to finally get their eyes on these eight episodes. The result is a satisfying fusion of what made those books work with very little of what would otherwise age those stories all these years later. The story elements are almost evenly split between the first two books in the series, focusing primarily on the plot of the second book ( Point Blanc) while working in characters, villains, and other introductory elements from the first entry ( Stormbreaker). It turns out Uncle Ian works for a subdivision of MI6, and after a botched mission, Alex is forced to help this shady agency infiltrate a boarding school in the French Alps known as Point Blanc. As such, he has a wide array of skills, such as combat training, tactical knowledge, and even resistance to interrogation. Otto Farrant plays the eponymous character, a seemingly ordinary London teen who, without realizing it, has been secretly trained all his life by his Uncle Ian ( Andrew Buchan). ![]() ![]() This new take on Alex Rider is sleeker, edgier, and far more mature than the 2006 movie adaptation without losing any of the charm audiences should reasonably expect. The catch this time around is that show creator Guy Burt and his creative team have taken a somewhat slight and obvious reaction to the James Bond mythos and allowed it to grow up exponentially. Kids come of age in exciting worlds of intrigue, thrills, and even a little violence. Based on a series of teen spy novels from the early 2000s by Anthony Horowitz, the wonderful new show Alex Rider adds a sensible twist to a tried-and-true formula. ![]()
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