The Jackal is still an elite British assassin, but instead of a shadowy man of mystery, viewers learn his entire backstory over the course of the series. It kicks off with his complex assassination of a German anti-immigration political leader. Of course, the hit goes off smoothly, but things turn messy when the client refuses to pay the balance. The whole scandal attracts MI6’s attention, where Bianca Pullman, an intelligence officer out of synch with the interim director, believes she can track down the elite gunsmith who crafted the Jackal’s special rifle.
Not surprising to anyone, Norman Stoke came up through the ranks of the IRA. Tracking him down will be almost as tricky as finding the Jackal, but Pullman once handled his sister-in-law as a reluctant informer in Northern Ireland. The clock really starts ticking when MI6 determines the Jackal’s next target will be Ulle Dag Charles (UDC), a leftist tech titan, whose soon to launch “River” application will bring “transparency to financial markets,” which will somehow redistribute wealth to the needy. Nobody bothers explaining how that might work, because they just expect viewers to treasure the dream. If you don’t, you must be a villainous capitalist, who looks like Charles Dance.
That is about where one could expect Forsyth, and probably most everyone else, to check out. It is a shame, because the early episodes represent an entertainingly brisk ride. Unfortunately, it veers southward when the focus turns towards ruthless captains of finance. The unflattering depiction of the British military’s conduct in Afghanistan during the Jackal’s service as a sniper also casts unpleasant shade the service. It also makes no commercial sense. Most potential viewers for a thriller following the hunt for a globe-trotting assassin, ostensibly based on a Forsyth novel, will have positive associations with the British military.
Regardless, thriller fans of any strip will be disappointed by the final two episodes, which string along a parade of contrived accidents, as Bennett searches for an exit strategy. Still, the Thommas Crown-ish opening titles are stylish, in an appealingly retro way.
It is a shame, because the first five episodes or so serve up solid procedural business and several nicely produced action sequences. Although not an obvious casting choice, Eddie Redmayne has the right cerebral Edward Fox vibes as the Jackal. He also has an appropriately pliable face for all the Jackal’s disguises.
Lashana Lynch is convincingly driven, perhaps to a fault, as Pullman. She also has decent action chemistry with Nick Blood, playing her protection agent, Vincent Pyne. Lynch also spars nicely with Chukwudi Iwuji and Lia Williams, in the roles of her escalating chain of command. However, the UDC subplot is utterly silly and Khalid Abdalla portrayal is just as much a caricature as Dance chewing the boardroom scenery as Timothy Winthrop, the chairman of the cabal.
There is no reason to call this series Day of the Jackal. Frankly, it probably would be better off entering the world with its own original identity. (Imagine some clueless viewer out there buying the tie-in edition, only to find themselves reading about a plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.) Nevertheless, its cartoonish understanding of financial systems and its awkward hostility to the military and intelligence services would still be its undoing. Not recommended, Day of the Jackal starts streaming tomorrow (11/6) on Peacock.
