Citadel Episodes 1–2 review: Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden establish themselves as elite spies; now we wait!

3/5

The Citadel collapsed about eight years ago. Operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate controlling the globe from the shadows, destroyed the autonomous global espionage agency entrusted with protecting everyone's safety and security. Elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who narrowly escaped death with the collapse of the Citadel, had their memories erased.

Since then, they have gone unnoticed while creating new identities and new lives. Up until one night, when Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), a former colleague at the Citadel, locates Mason and asks for his assistance in stopping Manticore from creating a new global order. The two agents set out on a quest that takes them around the globe in an effort to defeat Manticore when Mason locates Nadia, all the while navigating a relationship based on secrets, deception, and a perilous yet unwavering love.

When a series sets a precedent in quick succession, that makes it more intriguing. But you have to have an interesting plot, not just go forward to speed things up and get to the point. The Russo Brothers' produced series Citadel has a quicker setup, with time controlling the game. As soon as the series starts, we see Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Nadia Sinh and Richard Madden as Mason Kane aboard a train, and in no time, their pseudo-date turns into kicking asses all over.

I watched the first two episodes, which were all about establishing how things have changed and how we need to go back to square one after eight long years. The train fiasco leads to both of them losing their memories and even being away from each other. In no time, we are taken eight years ahead, and we see, bam, the hunt is on!

Citadel takes several pages from the Russo Brothers' previous works, with these two good-looking actors packing a punch, something we have seen both of them do before. The train fight sequence was something that reminded me of two of my favourites: Brad Pitt's Bullet Train and Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz's Knight and Day.

It's a short-lived sequence because I really want to just praise how Priyanka Chopra takes it up a notch with those fight sequences in a cabin. It's not just how she twists and turns, showing her prowess as a spy, but the face doesn't leave the emotional expressions, which is the drama that I have missed seeing from her for a long time. The actor imbibes as Nadia, and although the introduction is shorter, maybe we have the best coming in consecutive episodes.

There are some lighter moments when Madden throws a knife at her, and she simply ducks and asks, "Did you just throw a knife at me?" This happens a second before she swirls into action, which you can see coming as that's what the series is about. You predicted it correctly.

Meanwhile, Madden gets a better introduction and storyline, where his family comes into play and more. However, the length doesn't translate well to the depth of the character, which could have made him more intriguing than cryptic.

In his sequences, it's Stanley Tucci who takes up the attention, and it's fun to watch the actor donning the role of a spy while he seems to also have a jovial time performing. However, every time he comes on screen, a mysterious aura is created, and we know it's Tucci who will be appearing right in front of us.

The direction by Thomas Newton Sigel is quite impressive, as the simple, uncomplicated storyline is slightly elevated by the course of action that takes place on the screen.

Overall, the two episodes set up an introduction that is very basic to the core. Like mentioned above, the sequences have been seen before. However, it's not soulless, and we can only hope it doesn't turn out to be one in the rest of the four episodes.

It's basic but intriguing; it's predictable but not soulless. Citadel is an espionage thriller you have seen before, but two episodes are just the establishment, so to speak.