Citadel Review

Amazon spent nearly $300 million to get this to our screens, it’s second largest show and so far it’s worth it. It’s a mix of The Bourne Idendity, Mission Impossible and even a touch of 90’s James Bond…and is Priyanka Chopra Jonas the female Tom Cruise??

The first episode opens with Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and Mason Kane (Richard Madden) on a train, flirting as if they’re strangers, whilst on a mission.

Richard Madden has not had the best of times on trains, after his previous train heroics in Bodyguard. This time however it gets worse, after several fights breakout, the train explodes after they are betrayed by one of their own.

Citadel is an independent global espionage network headed up by Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci). It’s separate from all international factions such as the C.I.A and MI6. It’s agents are people tired of political corruption, criminality and want to do what’s good for the world, regardless of political agenda.

With the good guys comes the bad, they are in the form of Manticore a shady group of villains hell bent on world domination and self-enrichment, fronted by Dahlia Archer (Lesley Manville).

After the train dramatics it cuts to 8 years later and Mason is seemingly a happily married man to his wife (Ashleigh Cummings) and a father. Suffering from amnesia he has no clue to his previous existence apart from a wealth of body scars.

Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) is what remains of Citadel. He tracks down Mason Kane to bring him back into the fold. Bernard aware of Kane’s amnesia breaks into his house, takes him and his family by gunpoint and gases them into unconsciousness…as friends do.

Bernard explains to Kane the nature of his circumstance as a super spy and even reignites his muscle memory by launching a knife at him, which he catches much to his surprise.

His wife however, unconvinced, her disbelief is summed up in one great line “You can’t even remember to keep the toilet seat down, now you’re Jason Bourne”.

A restored Mason Kane, tracks down his partner Nadia Sinh to convince her of her past, after her memory is also wiped. The pair start their journey as they attempt to restore Citadel and hunt down Manticore.

Citadel is slick, full of well choreographed action sequences and many exotic locations. It’s a fun ride, a very enjoyable start.

The first two episodes of Citadel are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. With the following four coming weekly.