[Citadel Review] Spy series with a dated storyline, but impressive production work (no spoilers).

Citadel Action series of 6 episodes, an Amazon Prime original production. The story revolves around Citadel, a global secret organization that is destroyed by a new association called Manticore. The memories of front-line operatives Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Singh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) are wiped out, nearly killing them. Eight years later, Bernard Orlik (Stanley Tucci), a former colleague of Mason, asks for his help to prevent Manticore from reorganizing the world.

Citadel Review Amazon Prime (No spoilers)

The mega-budget secret agent series, worth 300 million dollars, created by Amazon Prime, has Producer by the Russo brothers, the masterminds behind its production. However, it appears to bear similarities to Netflix’s blockbuster spy film, The Gray Man. Despite capturing the interest of many viewers, the critical reception has been rather poor, mainly due to the declining quality of the storyline.

The problem with Citadel is the same. The secret agent plot frequently utilizes the loss of memory trope. It makes viewers feel bored with the repetitiveness.Even though this story attempts to make it look modern., it can’t simply discard this central aspect, as it is present in almost every episode, emphasizing the protagonist and heroine’s flashback sequences. The attempt to create complexity by weaving together the true identities and allegiances within the organization becomes convoluted. The excessive reliance on past events hinders the progression of the present-day storyline. The ratio of past to present storytelling is about 70/30, resulting in a narrative that hardly moves forward. While this storytelling approach may suit a spy series, as it allows for more action sequences in each episode without requiring significant plot advancement, it can become tiresome when the story fails to progress significantly.

One more thing that appears outdated is the plot of undercover agents who have feelings for each other but cannot be together. This theme has been used in many movies. The storyline in the series doesn’t progress much, so the relationship that viewers get to see is mostly rooted in the past. It’s similar to old spy movies whePriyanka Chopra Jonasre the characters gradually establish a hostile relationship but secretly fall in love, making the story feel outdated once again. Even though actors Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas deliver charming performances and have great chemistry together, it’s still within the context of an outdated narrative.

However, if we set aside the outdated aspects and watch the series without bias, it can be considered a high-budget spy series that could easily be shown in theaters. Each episode always has intriguing secret missions, thrilling action scenes worth the 300 million-dollar price tag (6 episodes with a budget of 50 million dollars each), and the storytelling is concise and fast-paced, with each episode lasting only 30-40 minutes. This is a production made to genuinely entertain viewers and cater to their appetite. Even though there may be some people who don’t particularly enjoy this story, it’s not difficult to follow and watch this series until the end.

And importantly, when viewers watch until the end of the sixth episode of the first season, the final secret of the story is revealed in a logical manner, which justifies the entire plot of the previous five episodes. It makes the entire series feel purposeful, even though it may be outdated. It was compelled to do so in order to deliver an exciting conclusion and set the stage for Season 2 (with a new storyline). This decision was approved by Amazon from the beginning, including the expansion of the universe with additional spin-offs.

Overall, this is a blockbuster series that has been executed fittingly with its $300 million budget. Although some parts may seem a bit outdated and occasionally lack logical coherence, it excelled greatly in the final episodes. The conclusive resolution of the storylines was well-thought-out and rational, making it a series that you should definitely watch because it offers tremendous value that is rarely achievable. Moreover, in an era where streaming services are struggling with heavy financial losses, a production of this magnitude is worth watching, no matter what!

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