It was good fun. Utterly ridiculous. But fun, nonetheless. I saw a lot of reviews and online snark, mostly from Natsec geeks, about how ridiculous and unrealistic it was, but I think, as always, they were missing the point.
A realistic spy thriller would probably follow some drab bureaucrat into his office for 7.52 hours a day, and look over his shoulder while he or she read a bunch of reports and news clips.
Then, at the end of the first episode, they’d write a memo.
Check out The Diplomat on Netflix if you haven't already, absolutely cracking stuff. I had a "oh I'll see what this is like..." moment with starting it and then burned through the whole series in a week (as you do).
Anecdata, but your bureaucrat is spot on. A friend only realised that her father was a spy after he retired. All through childhood he'd come home from work every day and say that he read a bit, thought a bit and then wrote a bit. That's all.
"A realistic spy thriller would probably follow some drab bureaucrat into his office for 7.52 hours a day, and look over his shoulder while he or she read a bunch of reports and news clips" wasn't that the basis of George Smiley in John le Carré's "Calls for the Dead"?
Check out The Diplomat on Netflix if you haven't already, absolutely cracking stuff. I had a "oh I'll see what this is like..." moment with starting it and then burned through the whole series in a week (as you do).
Anecdata, but your bureaucrat is spot on. A friend only realised that her father was a spy after he retired. All through childhood he'd come home from work every day and say that he read a bit, thought a bit and then wrote a bit. That's all.
I watched the first two eps following your reco. It is enjoyable so far, but some of the dialogue is cringe. The Diplomat is top notch.
"A realistic spy thriller would probably follow some drab bureaucrat into his office for 7.52 hours a day, and look over his shoulder while he or she read a bunch of reports and news clips" wasn't that the basis of George Smiley in John le Carré's "Calls for the Dead"?