The Old Man (2022)
TV show · 2022 · Action & Adventure, Drama · English
Curator score: 6.2/10 (63.1K ratings)
Tagline: The lines are blurred, the mission is clear.
Dan Chase absconded from the CIA decades ago and now lives off the grid. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 6.2/10
- IMDb: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Metacritic: 70
- TMDB: 7.2/10
Production: The Littlefield Company, Quaker Moving Pictures, 20th Television
Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, Navid Negahban, Jacqueline Antaramian, Amy Brenneman
Where to watch: Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict: A sturdy, adult-skewing spy thriller with a strong Jeff Bridges presence, sharp atmosphere, and enough intrigue to reward patient viewers. It’s at its best when it leans into character, memory, and the cost of a life spent in covert service, though the plotting can feel uneven and the second season is less consistently taut than the first.
Best for: Viewers who like slow-burn espionage dramas; Fans of grizzled, character-first action stories; People who enjoy aging-hero narratives with emotional baggage; Audiences looking for a compact, prestige-adjacent thriller
Skip if: You want fast, twist-heavy plotting every episode; You prefer lighter spy entertainment over melancholy drama; You’re looking for a fully resolved series ending; You dislike shows that can feel repetitive in the middle
Overview: The Old Man is built around a great premise and an even better lead performance. Jeff Bridges gives the series weathered gravity and vulnerability, while the show’s best stretches balance action with regret, identity, and the long shadow of CIA work. It has the feel of a prestige thriller that wants to be more reflective than explosive, and when that balance lands, it’s compelling.
Worth noting: The first season is the stronger half, with a cleaner sense of momentum and more satisfying tension between past and present. Season two remains watchable, but the storytelling is less crisp and the series sometimes circles its own mysteries. Even so, the cast is strong across the board, and the show maintains enough mood, craft, and emotional texture to stay engaging.
Bottom line: As a whole, it’s a solid recommendation for viewers who like their spy stories bruised, introspective, and a little mournful. It doesn’t quite become essential television, but it does deliver a distinctive tone and a memorable central performance.
Recommended similar titles:
- The Americans (2013 · Curator 9.7/10 (124.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
The gold standard for emotionally rich espionage drama, with patient plotting, marital tension, and deep tradecraft.
- Slow Horses (2022 · Curator 9.4/10 (146.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus)
A sharp, cynical spy series with strong ensemble writing, institutional rot, and a brisker, more consistently entertaining pace.
- Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018 · Curator 5.7/10 (193.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads)
For viewers who want a more straightforward action-espionage engine with modern geopolitical stakes and bingeable momentum.
- Homeland (2011 · Curator 8.7/10 (385.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu)
A tense, character-led intelligence drama that thrives on paranoia, shifting loyalties, and psychological pressure.
- Bodyguard (2018 · Curator 7.9/10 (170.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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- The Night Manager (2016 · Curator 6.9/10 (137.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
Stylish, glossy espionage with a charismatic lead, international intrigue, and a polished limited-series feel.
- Tehran (2020 · Curator 6.1/10 (33K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus)
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- Lioness (2023 · Curator 4.3/10 (88.2K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Spectrum On Demand)
A contemporary covert-ops series with action-forward pacing, geopolitical tension, and a focus on operational stakes.
- Damages (2007 · Curator 8.4/10 (33.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tubi TV)
Not a spy series, but it shares the same chilly, strategic, prestige-drama energy and long-game plotting.
- Ozark (2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (393.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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Topics: spy thriller, slow burn, prestige drama, character-driven, mature protagonist, action suspense, moral ambiguity, off-the-grid, brooding tone, FX drama
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/the-old-man/111800
The Old Man (2022)
TV show · 2022 · Action & Adventure, Drama · English
Curator score: 6.2/10 (63.1K ratings)
The lines are blurred, the mission is clear.
Overview Dan Chase absconded from the CIA decades ago and now lives off the grid. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.2/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Metacritic: 70
TMDB: 7.2/10
Production The Littlefield Company, Quaker Moving Pictures, 20th Television
Cast Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, Navid Negahban, Jacqueline Antaramian, Amy Brenneman
Curator Review
Verdict
A sturdy, adult-skewing spy thriller with a strong Jeff Bridges presence, sharp atmosphere, and enough intrigue to reward patient viewers. It’s at its best when it leans into character, memory, and the cost of a life spent in covert service, though the plotting can feel uneven and the second season is less consistently taut than the first.
Best for
Viewers who like slow-burn espionage dramas
Fans of grizzled, character-first action stories
People who enjoy aging-hero narratives with emotional baggage
Audiences looking for a compact, prestige-adjacent thriller
Skip if
You want fast, twist-heavy plotting every episode
You prefer lighter spy entertainment over melancholy drama
You’re looking for a fully resolved series ending
You dislike shows that can feel repetitive in the middle
Overview
The Old Man is built around a great premise and an even better lead performance. Jeff Bridges gives the series weathered gravity and vulnerability, while the show’s best stretches balance action with regret, identity, and the long shadow of CIA work. It has the feel of a prestige thriller that wants to be more reflective than explosive, and when that balance lands, it’s compelling.
Worth noting
The first season is the stronger half, with a cleaner sense of momentum and more satisfying tension between past and present. Season two remains watchable, but the storytelling is less crisp and the series sometimes circles its own mysteries. Even so, the cast is strong across the board, and the show maintains enough mood, craft, and emotional texture to stay engaging.
Bottom line
As a whole, it’s a solid recommendation for viewers who like their spy stories bruised, introspective, and a little mournful. It doesn’t quite become essential television, but it does deliver a distinctive tone and a memorable central performance.
Recommended similar titles
2013 · Curator 9.7/10 (124.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
The gold standard for emotionally rich espionage drama, with patient plotting, marital tension, and deep tradecraft.
2022 · Curator 9.4/10 (146.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
A sharp, cynical spy series with strong ensemble writing, institutional rot, and a brisker, more consistently entertaining pace.
2018 · Curator 5.7/10 (193.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
For viewers who want a more straightforward action-espionage engine with modern geopolitical stakes and bingeable momentum.
2011 · Curator 8.7/10 (385.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu
A tense, character-led intelligence drama that thrives on paranoia, shifting loyalties, and psychological pressure.
2018 · Curator 7.9/10 (170.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A compact, high-tension political thriller that pairs personal trauma with relentless suspense and strong momentum.
2016 · Curator 6.9/10 (137.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Stylish, glossy espionage with a charismatic lead, international intrigue, and a polished limited-series feel.
2020 · Curator 6.1/10 (33K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
A tense undercover spy thriller with strong atmosphere, moral complexity, and constant danger.
2023 · Curator 4.3/10 (88.2K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Spectrum On Demand
A contemporary covert-ops series with action-forward pacing, geopolitical tension, and a focus on operational stakes.
2007 · Curator 8.4/10 (33.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tubi TV
Not a spy series, but it shares the same chilly, strategic, prestige-drama energy and long-game plotting.
2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (393.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A dark, pressure-cooker drama about a man trapped by his past, with escalating danger and family fallout.
2015 · Curator 5.7/10 (19.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Spectrum On Demand
An exceptionally grounded French intelligence drama with procedural realism, emotional restraint, and deep tradecraft.
Topics
spy thriller, slow burn, prestige drama, character-driven, mature protagonist, action suspense, moral ambiguity, off-the-grid, brooding tone, FX drama
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