12/41
After recovering, the series returned to production
Plot
A retired CIA agent is hunted by both the agency he once worked for and his own nightmares when an unknown man suddenly visits him after nearly three decades. Production was shut down in March 2020 due to government restrictions. During that time, Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with and treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Appeared at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024)
Bridges described the return as a “long weekend” return in a podcast in July 2022. The Old Man has a lot going for it. Namely Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and the intrigue of a spy story with problems on all sides.
It looks good and starts off well
The heavy story, however, taxes the viewer for both understanding and patience. I think this series went too far in trying to be deeply mysterious and complicated. Sophisticated storytelling doesn’t have to be that complex.
I’ll try to keep watching but it’s not very compelling
It takes away a lot of the realism from what The Old Man is selling. For some this might be a plus, but the bottom line is I’m 6 episodes in and have no idea what’s going on. The calculated slowness has worn my patience down rather than hooked me fondly.