Citadel season 1 review: Formulaic but glamorous and entertaining  

Citadel follows two spies who reunite eight years after losing their memories. Their reunion brings to light the secrets of the past that will turn their lives upside down. The series is now streaming on Prime Video.

Story

Citadel is an organization that works for the good of humanity from the shadows. When one of their own betrays them, another organization called Manticore, which was created by the five richest families in the world to amass wealth, kills thousands of Citadel spies to take Citadel down.

Citadel falls, but some of the spies survive, including two of Citadel’s best ones, Nadia and Mason. However, they are now living as common citizens, as their memories were erased.

When the two of them reunite and Nadia regains her memories, they not only get reacquainted with their past lives but also work together to rescue a fellow Citadel spy.

Manticore still poses a threat to their lives, and their history complicates matters further. Will they be able to work together when their secrets are revealed?

Performances

Richard Madden’s nuanced performance is commendable. The difference between the smug Mason of the past and the lost Kyle of the present is quite evident. Furthermore, he truly stands out when he adds a touch of vulnerability to his overconfident character.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Nadia is a delight. She is bold, smart, and everything that Nadia needs to be to get the audience invested in her story. 

Lastly, Stanley Tucci’s character, Bernard, is the brainy spy behind the scenes. It is nothing unique, but Tucci knows how to be amusing. The audience might come for the plot, but it is the cast’s performances that will make them stay.

Positives

Citadel‘s beginning does not bring anything new, but the ending is impressive. The tired troupe of an amnesiac protagonist is used cleverly to conceal information from the audience in a way that makes it hard to guess the show’s biggest secret.

Like many other spy thrillers, Citadel‘s plot is also ordinary, but the show still manages to be entertaining. It reveals one secret at a time, introduces new technology, and takes the audience to different places around the world to prevent the show from being dull.

Negatives

The show sticks to the tried and tested formula, especially when it comes to Mason and Nadia’s relationship. It would have been much better if the writers had introduced new and different plotlines. 

This season focuses mainly on the past events, but when it comes to the present, nothing much happens. Compared to the past events, the present seems lackluster.

There are times when it seems like the show lacks emotional depth. The scenes that could have added that to the show, like a child meeting their parent for the first time in eight years, are too rushed to leave an impact on the audience. 

Verdict

Citadel is a spy thriller that is formulaic, but it still manages to entertain the audience. The first season is more like an origin story that introduces new characters and their pasts. Despite its flaws, you will want to finish it once you get invested.

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