Deep State Plot Summary:
Max Easton (Mark Strong) is a family man living in the French countryside. That is until MI-6 pulls him back in for one “final” mission — killed a former protege of his that has gone rogue in Iran.
Another day, another overcomplicated spy series.
Deep State, which premiered Sunday night on EPIX, is a tired entry into a tired genre — the tangled web of spy drama.
You know the drill — former spy brought back into the game against their will for a mission, but they quickly figure nothing is what it seems. Or is it? Or maybe it is exactly what it seems? Or maybe it’s six of one, half dozen of the other? Or…you get the point.
From Homeland and The Night Manager to every spy movie you’ve ever seen — this sub-genre has become more predictable than a romantic comedy or a Z-grade monster movie. And sadly, Deep State hits every one of these notes with little emotion, excitement, or consequence.
The one thing it does have going for it is the inimitable Mark Strong. Strong has been a wonderful character actor throughout his career. His booming voice, his steely glare, and his immense range have made him the most beloved parts of terrific movies, and the best part of the worst films. As Max Easton, despite his lack of dialogue, he is able to speak volumes through his eyes alone. Strong carries every single scene he’s in, and one day I hope he gets the excellent series he deserves.
Outside of Strong, the only other actor whose performance registers is Joe Dempsie aka Gendry Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Dempsie has a natural likability, and his character shows flashes of being somewhat interesting.
Outside of these two, there’s nothing to grab onto, or care about in this premiere.
We have the paint-by-numbers twists and turns and betrayals. We have the expected (but toothless) “OMG” moment at the end of the episode. We’ve got characters that are either straight-up caricatures, or so undercooked that their “emotional” scenes mean nothing. (The subplot of Max’s new wife discovering his identity is literally painful to watch). The action sequences that are retreads from betters movies and televisions shows.
EPIX took a step in the right direction for content creation with the critically-acclaimed Berlin Station. However, with Deep State the channel has produced a ho-hum spy game that is disappointingly forgettable.
Rating: 3 out of 10
