The Old Man
The Old Man
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The Old Man

"The lines are blurred, the mission is clear."

7.2
Yr 2022
Status Canceled
Action & Adventure Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Dan Chase absconded from the CIA decades ago and now lives off the grid. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 75 /100

The Old Man is widely regarded as a compelling, high-stakes espionage thriller, driven largely by the magnetic presence of Jeff Bridges. Critics frequently highlight the show's balance of visceral action and deliberate pacing, often praising it as an effective longform thriller that elevates genre tropes through strong character performances.

While the show received significant acclaim for its initial episodes and the chemistry between Bridges and John Lithgow, some reviewers noted inconsistencies in the narrative as the season progressed. A minority of critics felt the series ultimately struggled to maintain its early momentum, occasionally veering into predictability despite its high production values and sophisticated tone.

“This is a bold, wise series, with a knockout performance from Bridges leading the way.”

“With a tone that swings between pulpy and thoughtful, The Old Man makes for a highly effective longform action thriller.”

“Packed with spy-versus-spy thrills, bone-crushing action, and deliberate, but heart-pounding pacing.”

“FX's The Old Man can be predictable, but the performance by star Jeff Bridges... makes it worthwhile.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Disney Plus
UK • CA
Hulu
US
Why fans love it

The Old Man functions as a lean collision between a quiet life and a long-buried history. Based on the novel by Thomas Perry, the drama centers on the physical vulnerabilities that inevitably surface when a retired operative is forced back into a lethal cycle. The show focuses on the friction between solitude and the sudden need for tactical precision.

Jeff Bridges anchors this tension by portraying a man whose instincts remain sharper than his physical endurance. The series resists the urge to turn every encounter into an impossible feat of strength. Instead, the pacing emphasizes the logistical burden of erasing one's own existence while managing the messy reality of unresolved past obligations. It is a calculated examination of how much a person can truly outrun when their history shares the same DNA as their current enemies.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 9
Longest run 15 eps
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
as Dan Chase
15 episodes
John Lithgow
John Lithgow
as Harold Harper
15 episodes
Alia Shawkat
Alia Shawkat
as Emily Chase / Angela Adams
15 episodes
E.J. Bonilla
E.J. Bonilla
as Special Agent Raymond Waters
7 episodes
Navid Negahban
Navid Negahban
as Faraz Hamzad
9 episodes
Bill Heck
Bill Heck
as Young Dan Chase
9 episodes
Jacqueline Antaramian
Jacqueline Antaramian
as Khadija
9 episodes
Leem Lubany
Leem Lubany
as Belour Daadfar
8 episodes
Show 67 more
Gbenga Akinnagbe as Julian Carson 10 episodes Amy Brenneman as Zoe McDonald 15 episodes Pej Vahdat as Young Faraz Hamzad 7 episodes Nelson Franklin as Dr. Howard 1 episode Herbert Russell as Officer Stevenson 1 episode Jeff Elam as Officer Richmond 1 episode Shawna Gentry as Truck Stop Waitress 1 episode Rich Ting as Agent Lam 1 episode Mike Mukatis as Muffin Man 1 episode Dominique Domingo as Restaurant Hostess 1 episode Juan Francisco Villa as Restaurant Waiter 1 episode R.C. Ormond as Officer #1 1 episode Ryan Gray as Roadblock Officer #2 1 episode Chris Gann as Agent Reynolds 2 episodes Graham Scott Littlefield as Special Agent in Mobile Ops Center 2 episodes Sean Fenton as House Manager 1 episode Shari Vasseghi as Old Woman #1 1 episode Jessica Parker Kennedy as Woman on Crutches 2 episodes Tai Bennett as Marty 2 episodes Jennifer Field as FBI Receptionist 2 episodes Jordan Bridges as Zach 2 episodes Kenneth Mitchell as Joe 2 episodes Ethan Rains as Wahid 2 episodes Steven Busby as Russian Sentry #1 1 episode Brock Pierce as Russian Sentry #2 1 episode Stephen D'Angelo as Private Security Guy 1 episode Marcel Bridges as Stuart 2 episodes Timothy Stack as CIA Chief 1 episode Richard Assad as Baggage Handler 1 episode Naina Michaud as Flight Attendant 1 episode Andrew Perez as Young Pavlovich 3 episodes Eric Brenner as Rich Clientele (uncredited) 1 episode Evan Shafran as Moroccan Bank Customer (uncredited) 1 episode Jamal Antar as Banker (uncredited) 1 episode Brahim Rachiki as Security Supervisor 1 episode Faruk Amireh as Bartender 1 episode Rade Šerbedžija as Suleyman Pavlovich 4 episodes Jessica Harper as Cheryl Harper 5 episodes Milo Stein as Henry Harper 3 episodes Noor Razooky as Young Khadija 4 episodes Joel Grey as Morgan Bote 4 episodes Rowena King as Nina Kruger 3 episodes Trenton Rostedt as Pavlovich's Bodyguard #1 1 episode Hiam Abbass as Abbey Chase 5 episodes Anthony Wahba as Street Vendor 1 episode Christopher Redman as Young Harold Harper 2 episodes Echo Kellum as Mike 5 episodes Andrei Runtso as Pavlovich's Bodyguard #2 1 episode Faran Tahir as Rahmani 3 episodes Michaela Rose Cortez as Young Emily 2 episodes Shawn Mousavi as Hamzad Dresser 1 episode David Lowe as Harper's Driver 1 episode Janet McTeer as Marion 4 episodes Fariborz Arabnia as Rough Man 1 episode Artur Zai Barrera as Omar 3 episodes Sara Seyed as Faruza 3 episodes Farah Jaffrey as Amina 4 episodes Safa Tarifi as Zari 2 episodes Moneer Yaqubi as Aziz 4 episodes Omid Zader as Rustam 1 episode Amir M. Korangy as Military Minister 1 episode Amir Malaklou as Tarik 3 episodes Roman Mitichyan as Taliban Sentry #1 1 episode Michael Sifain as Farouk 4 episodes Max Brumberg as Uzbek Soldier 1 episode Ego Mikitas as Pavlovich Lieutenant 2 episodes Nikolai Nikolaeff as Fedotov 2 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Hair Department Head
Cyndra Dunn
Assistant Art Director
Felicity Nove Henry Arce
"A" Camera Operator
Paul Sanchez
Other
Storm Flejter Larry Gooch
Key Makeup Artist
Kelsey Berk
Key Grip
Sean Patrick Crowell
Dolly Grip
Chris Thrasher Dwight Elliott Stone
Set Designer
Ernie Avila
Grip
Kelsey Talton Al Stewart Derek Johnson
Costume Supervisor
Carolyn Dessert
Graphic Designer
Dorothy Street
Set Decoration
Tamar Barnoon
First Assistant "B" Camera
Dan Venti
Director of Photography
Armando Salas Dan Stoloff
Creator
Jonathan E. Steinberg
Set Dresser
Chris Nuccio Phil Briggs
"B" Camera Operator
Hilton Goring
Production Design
Julie Berghoff
Camera Loader
Ben Hopkins
Second Assistant "A" Camera
Lawrence Lim
Assistant Property Master
Mark Richardson
Construction Coordinator
Dan Pemberton
Second Assistant "B" Camera
Michael L. Foo
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Old Man overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

affectation espionage adoring celebratory based on novel or book ex-cia agent
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
June 16, 2022
Status
Canceled
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
469