‘The Old Man’ – ‘VI’ – Review
No good deed goes unpunished, and former CIA operative Dan Chase is facing down the wolves in Episode Six of The Old Man, ‘VI’.
Chase and Zoe enter the lion’s den; as Harper ends one partnership, another begins.
While Episode Five, ‘V’ grappled with plenty of drama and intrigue and struck at the core of who all of these characters actually are in the world of The Old Man, Episode Six ‘VI’ finds Chase back on the hunt. And he’s ready to come face to face with his past. Bound for Morocco, Chase and his willing accomplice Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman) are now firmly planted back in the shadow world. And Chase gives Zoe a crash course on tradecraft and the rules of her new environment. Director Jet Wilkinson turns up the flair on ‘VI’, and this episode is packed full of elegant spy glamour and a good dose of hot lead as Chase does everything in his power to get his answers.
While Chase is chasing ghosts and finding his way back to the truth, Harold Harper (John Lithgow) and Emily (Alia Shawkat) come to a realisation about their shared past and the wrong actions that each of them has taken. When Chase made his speech and declared who he was in the previous episode, this time around Harper comes to a place and expression of who he is. Through the course of this series, he and Emily have been through a lot, and that sense of trust in of them is hanging by a thread. This expression as to who they both are and the relationship they share is a very important part of ‘VI’, and it adds fire to the third act of the episode.
‘VI’ is important due to the interesting twist that The Old Man takes. While the role of antagonist and villain has continually been shaken up at every turn, we now settle on the series’ true villain. And it’s not Afghan warlord Faraz Hamzad. Instead, the sinister Morgan Bote (Joel Grey) now takes that role. This ‘father figure’ to both Chase and Harper is revealed to be the series true ‘old man’, and his reach is vast and dangerous. While Chase is gunning down enemies, Bote makes his move, and this sets the stage for a reunion of Chase and Harper with the two men putting aside their differences for one daring final assault. It’s a hell of a shock to the episode and sets in motion the final act of The Old Man.
There’s nothing more dangerous than a father with everything to lose, and now Dan Chase and Harold Harper are ready to bring the hammer down.
The Old Man is currently streaming on Disney+
Image: Walt Disney Pictures
