The Assassin

Watched this as I was told it was good by a friend. May need to reconsider my friends.

The opening few minutes combine very poor acting, bad fight choreography, very questionable directing decisions and childish staging to make what is supposed to be an exciting opener into an amateur mess.

The plot gets no better with scripting and storylines that are forced and obvious. The acting is generally poor (sorry guys) but I don't blame them entirely as the whole thing is really difficult to get into. Wooden characters, bad writing etc.

I'd avoid. There are much better assassin/spy programmes. Don't waste your time.

It's neither funny nor serious not cleverly scripted. Moreover characters are unlikeable.

One tries to categories it as a comedy but decimation of a whole town is far from funny. Only a psychopath would find amusing popping down if the residents one after each other.

The actor who plays the son of the protagonist is especially irritating. I am not familiar with him but I think he is known to be a comedian and acts around as if he is repeating one of his previous roles that is not connected with this series.

I gave three stars while it deserves one just because I watched three and half episodes before hating myself for the time I spent for it.

Watching this after be flagged by a friend. Not sure why I am persevering with it. The plot is immature, the casting inappropriate and the acting appalling although the script doesn't help.

The various sub-plots are weak, stilted, drawn out and unnecessary.

It's like Dallas meets Dynasty meets Neighbours.

Why did Keeley do this awful series? Didn't she read the script? Terrible casting too. Freddie is terrible. The story is a mess. Lots of sarcasm, which is poorly delivered. There are plenty of better series out there. This one is just very poor. Lots of dreary characters. Jack Davenport had a short and daft appearance too. Avoid if I were you.

I rarely bother writing reviews, but having read some of the reviews here, felt I had to say a few things, as it seems people are taking this series far too seriously and not getting the daft and dry British humour of the show.

Before watching, I guessed this would be a ludicrous plot and would be a parody of the whole "retired assassin" genre. I mean, Keeley Hawes as a menopausal super assassin and her son played by the eternally child-like Freddie Highmore? Yeah, this is no John Wick lol.

Of course it's not a masterpiece, but it's great fun throughout, never gets boring and is well written and acted - and ridiculously violent and gory for good measure. It's a massive pisstake, as we say in the UK, of the entire "badass comes back from retirement" movie/TV trope. You almost expect Keeley Hawes character to get out a tissue and wipe the blood off her son's cheek throughout.

It's completely unbelievable, but then that's the point. It's also incredibly funny and enjoyable, and "knows" it is ridiculous, so it knowingly takes us viewers along for the ride. Just sit back and enjoy that ride and you'll not be disappointed.