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2018 American thriller television series

Condor
GenreThriller
Created by
Based on
Starring
ComposerTrevor Morris
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Sean Ryerson
  • Kate Regan
  • Brian Walsh
Production locationsToronto, Ontario, Canada
CinematographySteve Cosens
Editors
  • Wendy Hallam Martin
  • Reginald Harkema
  • Christopher Donaldson
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time47–53 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAudience
ReleaseJune 6 (2018-06-06) –
August 15, 2018 (2018-08-15)
NetworkEpix
ReleaseJune 9 (2020-06-09) –
August 4, 2020 (2020-08-04)

Condor is an American thriller television series based on the novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady and its 1975 film adaptation Three Days of the Condor written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel. The series stars Max Irons and was created by Todd Katzberg, Jason Smilovic, and Ken Robinson and premiered on June 6, 2018 on Audience. In July 2018, the series had been renewed for a second season, although in January 2020, Audience announced it would be ending operations in its current format.[1] The second season, already filmed at the time of the announcement, premiered on June 9, 2020, on C More[2] and RTÉ2.[3] In December 2020, its existing two seasons were picked up by Epix.[4] They began premiering the second season on November 7, 2021.[5]

Premise

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Joe Turner is an idealistic millennial who joins the CIA and hopes to reform it from within. He stumbles onto a secret plan that threatens the lives of millions. When professional killers massacre everyone in his office, Joe is forced into a battle with the most dangerous elements of the military-industrial complex.

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Max Irons as Joe Turner, a CIA analyst whose fellow agents in the research and development office are all killed. Marko Vujicic portrays a young Joe Turner in a recurring role.
  • William Hurt as Bob Partridge (season 1; guest season 2), Joe's paternal uncle by marriage and the man who recruited him into the CIA.
  • Leem Lubany as Gabrielle Joubert (season 1; guest season 2), a former Mossad assassin working for the CIA operating as a freelancer.
  • Angel Bonanni as Deacon Mailer (season 1), an assassin.
  • Kristen Hager as Mae Barber, the wife of Joe's CIA colleague Sam.
  • Mira Sorvino as Marty Frost (season 1), Bob's former lover who leads the official investigation into Joe's alleged crime.
  • Bob Balaban as Reuel Abbott, the Deputy Director of the CIA.
  • Toby Leonard Moore as Gordon Piper (season 2)
  • Constance Zimmer as Robin Larkin (season 2)
  • Alexei Bondar as Vasili Sirin (season 2)
  • Isidora Goreshter as Kat Gnezdy (season 2)
  • Jonathan Kells Phillips as Akardyr Volk (season 2)
  • Eric Johnson as Tracy Crane (season 2)

Recurring

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Guest

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  • Julian Black Antelope as Mika ("What Loneliness")
  • James McDougall as Tim Edward Mburu ("What Loneliness")
  • Roger Dunn as Dr. Lappe ("What Loneliness")
  • Kevin Claydon as Patrick ("The Solution to All Problems")
  • Jennifer Foster as Sophia Fowler ("A Good Patriot")
  • Raven Dauda as Hoyle ("A Good Patriot")
  • Allison Hossack as Melanie Abbot ("No Such Thing")

Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
110June 6, 2018 (2018-06-06)August 15, 2018 (2018-08-15)Audience
210June 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)August 4, 2020 (2020-08-04)Epix

Each episode's title is borrowed from a quote, which is displayed along with its author.

Season 1 (2018)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [7]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [7]
11"What Loneliness
("What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?" – George Eliot)"		Lawrence TrillingStory by : Jason Smilovic, Todd Katzberg, and Ken Robinson
Teleplay by : Jason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg		June 6, 2018 (2018-06-06)
22"The Solution to All Problems
("Death is the solution to all problems. No man, no problem." – Joseph Stalin)"		Lawrence TrillingJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJune 13, 2018 (2018-06-13)
33"A Good Patriot
("To be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind." – Voltaire)"		Lawrence TrillingJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJune 20, 2018 (2018-06-20)
44"Trapped in History
("People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them." – James Baldwin)"		Andrew McCarthyJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJune 27, 2018 (2018-06-27)
55"A Diamond With a Flaw
("Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without" – Confucius)"		Andrew McCarthyJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJuly 11, 2018 (2018-07-11)
66"No Such Thing
("There is no such thing as paranoia. Your worst fears can come true at any moment." – Hunter S. Thompson)"		Kari SkoglandJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJuly 18, 2018 (2018-07-18)
77"Within a Dark Wood
("I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost." – Dante Alighieri)"		Kari SkoglandJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJuly 25, 2018 (2018-07-25)
88"A Question of Compromise
("To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don't be." – Golda Meir)"		Andrew McCarthyJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergAugust 1, 2018 (2018-08-01)
99"Death is the Harvest
("Life, life is the tillage, and death is the harvest according." – Walt Whitman)"		Jason SmilovicJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergAugust 8, 2018 (2018-08-08)
1010"Mistrust Blossoms
("Trust dies but mistrust blossoms" – Sophocles)"		Jason SmilovicJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergAugust 15, 2018 (2018-08-15)

Season 2 (2020)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [3][8]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [8]
111"Exile is a Dream
("Exile is a dream of glorious return." – Salman Rushdie)"		Andrew McCarthyJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJune 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)
122"If It Serves a Greater Good
("Lying is wrong, son, but if it serves a greater good, it's OK." – Aldrich "Rick" Ames)"		Andrew McCarthyMichael Oates PalmerJune 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)
133"A Former KGB Man
("There is no such thing as a former KGB man." – Vladimir Putin)"		Ali SelimDaria PolatinJune 16, 2020 (2020-06-16)
144"Not What He Thinks He Is
("Man is not what he thinks he is, man is what he hides." – André Malraux)"		Ali SelimMac MarshallJune 23, 2020 (2020-06-23)
155"Out Of His Exile
("Everyone must come out of his exile in his own way." – Martin Buber)"		Alexis OstranderJacob HeldJune 30, 2020 (2020-06-30)
166"An Offer Of Enrollment
("One does not look twice at an offer of enrollment in an elite force." – Kim Philby)"		Alexis OstranderJason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg & Amy SutoJuly 7, 2020 (2020-07-07)
177"A Perspective, Not the Truth
("Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." – Marcus Aurelius)"		Rachel LeitermanJason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg & Rachel PologeJuly 14, 2020 (2020-07-14)
188"The Road We Take
("We often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it." – Jean De La Fontaine)"		Rachel LeitermanStory by : Jason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg and Daria Polatin
Teleplay by : Jason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg		July 21, 2020 (2020-07-21)
199"The Greatest Hazard
("The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all." – Søren Kierkegaard)"		Jason SmilovicJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergJuly 28, 2020 (2020-07-28)
2010"Not Necessarily to Lose
("To change is not necessarily to lose one's identity; to change sometimes is to find it." – George Brown Tindall)"		Jason SmilovicJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergAugust 4, 2020 (2020-08-04)

Production

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Development

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The crew used a special vehicle to carry cameras for car chases.

On May 13, 2016, it was announced that DirecTV had given the production a series order. Production companies involved with the series were reported to include Skydance Television and MGM Television.[9] On February 6, 2017, it was announced that Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg would write the series. Smilovic would also act as showrunner and executive produce alongside Katzberg, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross. On March 27, 2017, Andrew McCarthy mentioned in an interview with Parade that he would serve as an executive producer for the series and direct a few episodes.[10] On April 6, 2017, it was announced that Lawrence Trilling would direct the series' first three episodes and act as an executive producer.[11]

On July 27, 2018, it was announced during the annual Television Critics Association's summer press tour that the series had been renewed for a second season.[12] In February 2022, a third season was announced to be in development.[13]

Casting

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On February 6, 2017, it was announced that Max Irons had been cast in the series' lead role. In April 2017, it was reported that Brendan Fraser, William Hurt, Bob Balaban, Leem Lubany, Kristen Hager, and Angel Bonanni had joined the main cast and that Mira Sorvino, Christina Moses, Katherine Cunningham, Gabriel Hogan, Kristoffer Polaha, and Kate Vernon had been cast in recurring roles.[15][17] On August 25, 2017, it was announced that Mouna Traoré and Ellen Wong had joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[18]

Filming

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Principal photography for the series was expected to last from April 23 to August 15, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[19] Filming primarily took place at Cinespace Film Studios' Kipling Avenue facility.[20] On May 30, 2017, Jack Lakey, a Toronto Star columnist, contacted the city's film liaison office, after Condor crew members allegedly bullied local residents.[21] In Lakey's follow-up article the next day he quoted film industry workers, who supported those working on the production.[22] Filming for the second season began on April 29, 2019 and ended on August 29, 2019.[23]

Release

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Promotional poster featuring Max Irons as Joe Turner.

Marketing

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On February 22, 2018, Audience released a behind-the-scenes video for the series.[24]

Premiere

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On March 10, 2018, the series held its official premiere in Austin, Texas at the annual South by Southwest Film Festival.[25] Audience also hosted an interactive experience called "Condor Headquarters" during the festival. Guests to the exhibit were offered the chance to participate in authentic CIA activities such as skill tests, physical and digital technology tactics, lie detection, and environmental analysis. The experience also allowed guests to win prizes and screen exclusive content from the series.[26]

In June 2018, the series was screened at the annual ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas. A question-and-answer session followed the screening featuring director/executive producer Lawrence Trilling and cast members Leem Lubany, Katherine Cunningham, Kristen Hager, and Kristoffer Polaha.[27]

Reception

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On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 6.67 out of 10 based on 14 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "Condor never aspires to be a realistic depiction of spy games – instead, it excels at evoking a uniquely 21st century brand of paranoia with its slick concept and propulsive pacing."[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 66 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]

In a positive review, IndieWire's Ben Travers praised the series calling it "a Smartly Expanded Adaptation" and saying that it was "a solid spy story that updates the right elements without tarnishing old treasures."[30]

References

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  1. ↑ Petski, Denise (January 9, 2020). "AT&T Audience Network To End; Will Transition To HBO Max Preview Channel". Deadline. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Condor sesong 2". Serienytt. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Condor Episode Guide". Radio Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  4. ↑ Petki, Denise (December 17, 2020). "'Condor' Moves To Epix For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  5. ↑ EPIX [@EPIXHD] (November 7, 2021). "He may not be in the CIA anymore, but he's still their only hope. #Condor season 2 STARTS NOW on #EPIX" (Tweet). Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. 1 2 "Shows A-Z – condoron audience". The Futon Critic.
  7. 1 2 "Condor Sesong 2". C more.
  8. ↑ Collins, Scott (May 13, 2016). "'Condor' Reboot From Michael Dinner Coming to DirecTV (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  9. ↑ Cohn, Paulette (March 27, 2017). "Pretty in Pink Star Andrew McCarthy Channels His Inner Teen Girl in His First Novel Just Fly Away". Parade. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  10. ↑ Stanhope, Kate (April 3, 2017). "Mira Sorvino to Star in Audience Network's 'Three Days of the Condor' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  11. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 27, 2018). "'You Me Her' & 'Condor' Renewed By Audience Network – TCA". Deadline. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ Hailu, Selome (February 3, 2022). "Epix Announces Billy the Kid Premiere Date, Releases Development Slate". Variety. Penske Media Corporation.
  13. ↑ Petski, Denise (April 12, 2017). "'Condor': William Hurt & Bob Balaban To Topline Audience Network Series; Full Cast Set". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  15. Petski, Denise (August 25, 2017). "'Condor': Mouna Traoré & Ellen Wong Join Audience Network Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ Southey, Alex (March 24, 2017). "6 movie and TV productions filming in Toronto this April". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  17. ↑ Pinto, Jordan (January 30, 2017). "MGM, Skydance's Condor confirmed for T.O." Playback Online. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  18. ↑ Jack Lakey. "A film crew told me I couldn't use my own bus stop, Toronto woman says: The Fixer". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2017. We passed along Newton's note to the city and got the following reply from spokesperson Shane Gerard...
  19. ↑ Tony Wong (June 2, 2017). "How Toronto's film and TV production has surged past $2 billion". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2017. Weber isn't joking when he says he's busy. He's currently in pre-production of season two of The Handmaid's Tale, producing 10 episodes of spy thriller Condor (inspired by Three Days of the Condor) starring Mira Sorvino.
  20. ↑ "Current Productions | IATSE 873". IATSE 873. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  21. ↑ Halterman, Jim (February 22, 2018). "WATCH: Go Behind the Scenes With AT&T Audience Network's New Thriller Series 'Condor'". TV Insider. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  22. ↑ Travers, Ben (March 8, 2018). "SXSW 2018: 10 Must-See TV Events, From 'The Last O.G.' Premiere to a Real-Life 'Westworld'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  23. ↑ Brockington, Ariana (February 21, 2018). "SXSW 2018 Highlights: Visit the 'Westworld' Theme Park, 'Shameless' Bar". Variety. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  24. ↑ Turchiano, Danielle (April 18, 2018). "ATX Television Festival Adds 'Station 19,' 'Genius' and 'Younger' to Programming Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Condor: Season 1 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Condor: Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  27. ↑ Travers, Ben (March 11, 2018). "'Condor' Review: 'Three Days of the Condor' Takes Flight on TV in a Smartly Expanded Adaptation". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
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