Citadel: Honey Bunny, on Prime

India had 24: India, so it makes sense they would also get their own spinoff from Prime’s Citadel franchise. In this case, it is a prequel that tells the way-backstory of a major character of the anchor series. Going forward, spinoffs will probably be divided into two categories: pre-fall of Citadel and post. So far, post offers greater dramatic stakes, because survivors are so greatly outnumbered. Regardless, in this case, viewers do not even hear the name “Citadel” until about the fourth installment of creator Sita R. Menon’s six-episode Citadel: Honey Bunny, which starts streaming today on Prime Video.

In 1992, “Honey” was a struggling Bollywood starlet developing a romantic relationship Rahi “Bunny” Gambhir. Like Colt Seavers, he did not get paid much to help his stars look good on-screen, but he always has money, because he moonlights as a secret agent. For one fateful assignment, Bunny recruits Honey to act in a sting operation, but complications reveal Honey’s identity. Instead of accepting some kind of witness relocation, she joins Bunny’s super-secret agency, despite the misogynistic skepticism of his boss, “Guru.”

Of course, they work well together, but something goes awry during a mission in Serbia. Flashforward to the year 2000, at which point Honey vigilantly raises her daughter Nadia, hoping Guru still assumes she is dead. Apparently, he does not, judging from the hit squad he sends after her and Nadia. Now estranged from Guru, Bunny sets out to save her, despite his injured feelings. For backup, he recruits his former comrade Chacko and their old pal Ludo, who still works in Guru’s evil IT department.

Much like Citadel: Diana, Honey Bunny follows the pursuit of a vaguely defined “black box” item that would jeopardize the world order if it fell into the wrong hands. Throughout the early episodes, Menon and co-writers Raj & DK (the filmmaking team that also helmed all six episodes) try to be cagey about which hands would be the wrong ones. Of course, we can also expect a mole in Citadel, right?

Diana was the ultra-chic Citadel spinoff. Honey Bunny is its gritty counterpart. In fact, the Macguffins might be too similar, even though they take place during different time frames. However, Honey Bunny has some of the best action sequences, especially the climactic shootout. Instead of big set-piece spectacles, its fight scenes are down and dirty, executed on the mean streets.

Samantha [Ruth Prabhu] somehow finds the right balance between Honey’s vulnerability and butt-kicking action cred. She also has decent, but not extraordinary chemistry with Varun Dhawan’s Bunny. Kay Kay Menon is entertainingly ruthless as Guru, while Simran Bagga is intriguingly mysterious as his mastermind rival, Zooni.

Plus, Thalaivasal Vijay is a standout guest-star, greatly humanizing Dr. Raghu Rao, an academic Honey must charm (his work is important because Dr. Rao is a major catalyst for the series’ turning point). However, there are so many mid-level henchmen and field agents running in and out of the frame, it can be challenging to keep them all straight.

Frankly, Honey Bunny probably would have been better served by Diana’s shorter episode lengths. Yet, there is some sharply written dialogue, especially for its principal villain, who truly sounds like the most terrifyingly genuine collectivist any recent streaming series has dared to present. Recommended for the action and Samantha’s maternal fury, Citadel: Honey Bunny starts streaming today (11/7) on Prime Video.