Spy and espionage thrillers have been a mainstay in pop culture for a while, but the end of Daniel Craig’s James Bond trilogy in 2021 left the industry in a ominous situation. TV shows such as “Lioness” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” have brought back the spy thriller shows, but two newer shows are the vanguard: “The Night Agent,” which appears on Netflix, and the “Day of the Jackal” on Peacock. These two series have truly revived the genre.
“The Day of the Jackal” is based off the 1973 political thriller film adapted from the classic novel by Frederick Forsyth, which was released in 1971. The show’s adaption follows the Jackal, who is pursued across Europe by British intelligence as he attempts to complete his assassinations as a hired arm.
Starring Eddie Redmayne as “The Jackal,” an internationally distinguished assassin who takes on the name ‘Jackal’ becuase of his variety of unique disguises and aliases, making him nearly impossible to find or identify. The show also features Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman, an MI6 arms specialist. Lynch is not new to the genre, as she stared alongside Daniel Craig in his final installment of the 007 series, “No Time to Die.”
“The Jackal” achieved the highest viewership on both Sky and Peacock, en route to becoming Sky’s biggest original series ever. Before Season 1 even finished, the networks announced that a Season 2 would be in the works. This led to viewers’ to question how the show would end, given that in the original film (spoilers), The Jackal dies in the end. However the outlook for Season 2 is extremely promising after the profound success of Season 1, which also ends on a cliffhanger as The Jackal is looking for his family along with his next mission.
Currently, the show is nominated for seven awards, including two Golden Globe nominations for the “Best Television Series, Drama” and “Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series, Drama” for Redmayne.
Similarly, “The Night Agent” also announced a second season would be released only a week after the Season 1 premiere on March 29, 2023. The show follows FBI and Night Action agent Peter Sutherland, played by Gabriel Basso, in an action-thriller as Sutherland attempts to uncover betrayals and threats in the White House.
Season 1 was a success, and based on the reviews and the ending of Season 2, a third season seems likely.
While there has been success on TV since the Craig’s finale in the Bond franchise, the spy movie genre has stalled. Amazon seems to have recognized the resounding success of the recent espionage shows and have announced their recent acquisition of the James Bond character and films, presumably to create a new series.
Meanwhile, John Krasinski will return as Jack Ryan in the upcoming Amazon movie based on Tom Clancy’s story. While the movies have taken a step back, the resounding support and reviews for “The Day of the Jackal” and “The Night Agent” proves that the renaissance has only just begun.
