Source
When I heard that that NBC was reworking the Taken film into a television series, I basically gave it no thought. I mean, I love the first film of the franchise but another reboot?
And then the casting announcements started.
Clive Standen aka Rollo from Vikings as the lead? Colour me intrigued.
The Premise
From the opening sequence, we see that Bryan already has skills. Deadly skills. What more does he have to learn? Probably to pick his battles. He takes on two armed thugs on a train full of people, saving 93 lives but *spoiler alert* inadvertently causes his sister to be killed. He blames himself for her death and that guilt will drive him to make some questionable choices as he seeks revenge for her death as the series continues.
I was a little confused about why the super secret government agency lead by Christina Hart (played by Jennifer Beals) found Bryan’s actions on the train so interesting. Sure, he took out some bad dudes on a train. So? Turns out the man who shot Bryan’s sister is a drug lord/terrorist that they have been chasing. Instead of filling Bryan in and recruiting him to help, the team follows him around as he nearly gets killed by multiple assassins in hopes that the bad guy will reveal himself. It wasn’t until Bryan was kidnapped, tortured, and nearly killed (again) that Hart’s team steps in, gets the bad guy and THEN offers Bryan a job. I wasn’t quite on board with this part of the story but I am curious to see how it will play out.
High Points
Clive Standen is a badass
I love a good fight scene and there is no lack of them in Taken. Clive’s background as a Muay Thai champion comes shining though whenever he needs to lay the smack down on an opponent. The action is top notch and knowing that Clive does his most of his owns stunts makes the stunt work that much more believable.
Bryan’s parents
My favourite moment came when Bryan comes home to his parents and embraces his mother in their shared grief.
Her efforts at being strong for her son in the face of unspeakable pain was very moving. And his own inner conflict and guilt about the role he played in his sister’s death is gut wrenching. I hope we get to see more of their relationship as the series moves forward.
The twists
Yes! Taken is not just a straight up procedural crime of the week series! There are twists in the plot that I sure didn’t see coming. I love those Holy Crap moments.
Other things I noticed
To be an action hero, you need the perfect action hero voice. Liam Neeson had it in spades in the Taken films. Clive has one as well. But the powers at be – in all their “wisdom” – decided to make Bryan an American which means we miss out on his lovely British accent.
Dear television executives, we LOVE British accents. We really, really do. Please let your actors keep them. We can handle it. Love North American audiences.
Even as the series tries to stand on its own, there is a tip of the hat to the film. The mention of the hard and sometimes bad decisions parents make to protect their children was a wee bit obvious but nice to see regardless.
I see what you did here.
Verdict
The pilot left me wanting more: more time to develop an attachment to Bryan, to feel his pain as he pushes on, to feel his rage as he pursues his revenge on his sister’s killer and to figure out exactly what his particular set of skills are. I will be giving it a chance, not only because the cast is strong *cough Clive Standen cough* but, behind the scenes are Luc Beeson, the writer of the film franchise, and Alexander Cary, producer of the Showtime drama Homeland. With that kind of creative team, Taken will take viewers on quite a ride.
What are your impressions of the pilot?
