Condor (TV series)

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 starring Max Irons. The series 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 have been picked by Epix and will air them in 2021.[4]

Condor
GenreThriller
Created by
Based on
Six Days of the Condor
by James Grady

Three Days of the Condor
by Lorenzo Semple Jr. & David Rayfiel

Starring
ComposerTrevor Morris
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
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
Distributor
Release
Original network
Original releaseJune 6, 2018 (2018-06-06) –
present
External links
Official website

Premise

Condor is described by DirecTV as following

Joe Turner is a young CIA analyst whose idealism is tested when he stumbles onto a terrible but brilliant plan that threatens the lives of millions. Turner is an idealistic millennial who secretly joins the CIA hoping to reform it from within. But when everyone in his office is massacred by professional killers, this brilliant analyst is forced out of his ivory tower think tank and into battle with the most dangerous elements in the military-industrial complex. If he is to have any chance of surviving, Joe will have to do things he never imagined himself capable of – and discover that no one knows their true character until they’ve been tested under fire.[5]

Cast and characters

Main
  • Max Irons as Joseph "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 Robert "Bob" Partridge, Joe's paternal uncle by marriage and the man who recruited him into joining the CIA.
  • Leem Lubany as Gabrielle Joubert, a former assassin for the CIA now operating freelance.
  • Angel Bonanni as Deacon Mailer, an assassin.
  • Kristen Hager as Mae Barber, the wife of Joe's CIA colleague Sam
  • Mira Sorvino as Martin Annie "Marty" Frost, an ex-lover of Bob's who leads the official investigation into the crime Joe is framed for.
  • Bob Balaban as Reuel Abbott, the Deputy Director of the CIA.

Recurring

Guest
  • 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 Folwer ("A Good Patriot")
  • Raven Dauda as Hoyle ("A Good Patriot")
  • Allison Hossack as Melanie Abbot ("No Such Thing")

Episodes

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

Season 1 (2018)
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [6]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [6]
11"What Loneliness
("What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?" - George Eliot)"		Lawrence TrillingStory by : Jason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg, & Ken Robinson
Teleplay by : Jason Smilovic & Todd Katzberg		June 6, 2018 (2018-06-06)
Joe Turner, an analyst for IEP, an offshoot of the CIA, is called into the situation room when an algorithm he developed identifies an Arab-American man, Ammar Nazari, as 12 per cent likely to commit a terrorist attack. Turner is uncomfortable with his program being used in this way and considers resigning, but then hears that the FBI has found biological agents on the suspect, revealing he was apparently planning to release pneumonic plague at a Washington, DC stadium. Turner's team are hailed as heroes, and as they investigate the thwarted attack, Turner identifies suspicious purchases of pharmaceutical stocks before the incident caused demand for ciprofloxacin to soar. Informed of the discovery, covert operative Nathan Fowler who organized the false flag attack on the stadium, sends a team of assassins to kill Turner and his team, but he manages to escape onto a train. A U.S. diplomat smuggles the plague bacteria into Saudi Arabia in a diplomatic bag.
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)
Turner narrowly escapes assassins Gabrielle Joubert and Deacon Mailer, who conducted the attack at his office. Turner calls his uncle, Bob Partridge, the head of the Joint Terrorism Task Force unit investigating the massacre. Partridge arranges to meet Turner in a park, but Joubert and Mailer arrive. Turner is rescued by his best friend, Sam Barber, who is feeling guilt over his own involvement in the conspiracy, but Joubert and Mailer catch up and shoot them both, killing Barber. Partridge is replaced as unit chief by Marty Frost, who releases information to the media that Turner is wanted for the murder of his colleagues. Turner, who was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot, turn up at the house of Kathy Hale, a former Tinder date. When they both see the news story naming Turner as a suspect, he detains her to prevent her calling the police as he tries to process the day's events.
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)
Mae Barber struggles to cope with her husband's death, and is questioned by the agency about Turner. Nathan Fowler spends the day with his daughter. Frozen out of the investigation, Partridge has FBI agent Sharla Shepard—girlfriend of Sarah Tan—assigned to the task force, then asks her to feed him information. At Hale's house, Turner uses her computer to investigate his situation. Joubert pays a hacker to track Turner, and kills him when he fails. Shepard finds Hale's messages on the Tinder app on Turner's phone, and heads to her house with the task force. As Partridge warns them of the raid, Hale sprays Turner with pepper spray then tries to escape, but is knocked unconscious. The task force arrived to find Joubert there, and Turner and Hale gone. Mailer has flashbacks to his torture at the hands of the Saudis, and is sent to Riyadh to carry out an operation there.
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)
Turner carries Hale to the house of the neighbor whose cat she was feeding, as the task force arrives to raid her house. Suspecting Turner has been tipped off by someone on the team, Frost and Abbott order a cleanup team to search everyone on the task force, but Shepard manages to hide the phone from Partridge. Turner unties Hale from the restraints and apologizes for hurting her. He tells her of how when he was at MIT, he and his girlfriend Janice visit his uncle, Bob Partridge, for Thanksgiving dinner. When they return home, they are arrested along with their roommate, Caleb Wolfe, who has hacked into the MIT server. Partridge arranges for Turner to be released, and recruits him into the CIA. As Hale watches TV, she sees Wolfe, now an information activist and hacker, on the news, where he claims that IEP was a CIA front which developed the algorithm that identified Ammar Nazari.
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)
Hale obtains a phone for Turner to call his ex-girlfriend Janice, to ask her arrange a meeting with Caleb Wolfe. Janice is reluctant to help Turner, but later gives him an encoded address. Joubert and Partridge follow Janice, hoping she will lead them to Turner, but she is on to their pursuit. Mailer checks into a hotel in Riyadh, where he bugs the hall and another room, in which he infects the sleeping occupant with the plague bacteria. Shepard attends an AA meeting, then breaks her two-year stretch of sobriety. She picks up a man in a bar, but changes her mind—beating him when he doesn't stop touching her. Turner turns up at the address Janice gave him. A man arrives and strip searches him, then tells him to take pills to knock him out while he takes him to Wolfe. Turner refuses, but the man forces him to swallow the pills, and he wakes up two hours later in a locked room.
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)
Turner meets Caleb Wolfe at his safehouse, and they trade information about the IEP killings. Unbeknownst to either, Wolfe's source for his info on IEP was Sam Barber's boss, Elden Loramer. Mae struggles to cope with Sam's death, and had flashbacks to bonding with other "agency wives" at social events. Task force agent Boyd Ferris follows Joubert to Hale's house, where they find her hiding in the closet. They hold her in the house, waiting for Turner to return, until Hale raises Ferris's suspicions about why Joubert won't call it in. They draw their guns on each other, and Joubert shoots Ferris, while Hale manages to escape. She and Turner flee in a car, but Joubert fires at the vehicle, killing Hale.
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)
Turner leaves Hale's body by a river. Partridge makes contact with Shepard and tells her Joubert is responsible for her girlfriend's death. Mae prepares for Sam's funeral and wake, with the conspirators bugging her house before the event. At the wake, neighbor and fellow agency wife Iris tells Mae that she has proof Sam was involved with the death of her husband, Elden Loramer. Turner, who has been hiding in Jude Barber's treehouse, flees pursued by Shepard when discovered by Jude. Shepard catches up with Turner, but he convinces her to trust him and she hides him in her trunk, raising Joubert's suspicions. In Saudi Arabia, Mailer arrives in Mecca for the Hajj.
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)
Shepard handcuffs Turner to her radiator to give her a head start as she goes after Joubert. Partridge follows the trail of the conspiracy, locating a video of Ammar Nazari speaking with chemical weapons expert Abu-Saeed, although he believes this was a chance meeting and Nazari was framed for the stadium attack. Mae's friend Iris is tortured and killed by Joubert for the video of Fowler and Barber ordering her husband's death. A CIA team captures Abu-Saeed, and he tells Partridge he is dying from the plague himself. Fowler confronts Gareth Lloyd for putting the operation in jeopardy. When Lloyd goads Fowler, he kills Lloyd, his girlfriend, then himself.
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)
Mailer prepares to release the plague at the Hajj, and has flashbacks to his torture at the hands of Ibrahim Salah. Mae finds Iris's body, and Abbott threatens her family to convince her to give up the memory card with Iris's evidence. Turner goes to see Janice, and they head back to Wolfe's safehouse. Shepard follows Joubert to her home to kill her, but is stopped by Frost. Partridge breaks into Abbott's home to kill him, but Abbott convinces him there is no way to stop the plot and there is only one way he can save Turner. Joubert enters Wolfe's safehouse, killing everyone except Turner. Driving away, she tells Turner the contract on his life has been cancelled, and he drives the car off the embankment.
1010"Mistrust Blossoms
("Trust dies but mistrust blossoms" - Sophocles)"		Jason SmilovicJason Smilovic & Todd KatzbergAugust 15, 2018 (2018-08-15)
Shepard and Frost follow Joubert to the safehouse, where Frost turns on Shepard and shoots her, although Shepard manages to fire back. Turner leaves the unconscious Joubert in the crashed car, and contacts Mae through her eldest son. Mae abducts a wounded Frost from the hospital, and Turner takes her to Partridge's cabin. Frost outlines how she blackmailed Loramer and the conspirators, with an "insurance policy" to release the details of the plot to the press if she is killed. Turner reluctantly kills her, triggering the release. He and Partridge go over Abbott's head to the CIA director, who agrees to pay Joubert to eliminate Mailer in Saudi Arabia. A year later, Turner is living in Florence, Italy with his girlfriend. He is contacted by Joubert, who tells him he is "the one that got away". Turner hacks Abbott's laptop and is planning to enact revenge against him.

Season 2 (2020)
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [3][7]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [7]
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)
Joe meets up with Vasili but doesn't realize that they are being tailed by the Russians, Kat and Volk. Meanwhile Mae and Tracy are running away for a while. Vasili later confirms that he is hunted because Volk told him too much information while getting drunk. However he claims that he doesn't know who the mole in CIA is.
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

Development
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.[8] On February 6, 2017, it was announced that Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg would write the series. Smilovic will also act as showrunner and executive produce alongside Katzberg, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross.[5] 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.[9] On April 6, 2017, it was announced that Lawrence Trilling would direct the series' first three episodes and act as an executive producer.[10]

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.[11]

Casting

On February 6, 2017, it was announced that Max Irons had been cast in the series' lead role.[5] 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.[12][13][14][15] On August 25, 2017, it was announced that Mouna Traoré and Ellen Wong had joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[16]

Filming

Principal photography for the series was expected to last from April 23 to August 15, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[17] Filming primarily took place at Cinespace Film Studios' Kipling Avenue facility.[18] 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.[19] In Lakey's follow-up article the next day he quoted film industry workers, who supported those working on the production.[20] Filming for the second season began on April 29, 2019 and ended on August 29, 2019.[21]

Release
Promotional poster featuring Max Irons as Joe Turner.

Marketing

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

Premiere

On March 10, 2018, the series held its official premiere in Austin, Texas at the annual South by Southwest Film Festival.[23] 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.[24]

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.[25]

Reception

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."[26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 66 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[27]

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."[28]

References
  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. "Condor Episode Guide". Radio Times. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  4. Petki, Denise. "'Condor' Moves To Epix For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  5. Nellie Andreeva (February 6, 2017). "Max Irons To Star In Audience TV Series Inspired By 'Three Days Of The Condor'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017. On the show, inspired by Sydney Pollack's 1975 political thriller Three Days of the Condor, Irons will play Joe Turner, modeled after Robert Redford's iconic role in the movie.
  6. "Shows A-Z – condoron audience". The Futon Critic.
  7. "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. Denise Petski (April 6, 2017). "Brendan Fraser Joins Cast Of 'Condor' Audience Network Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2017. Fraser will play Nathan Fowler, an unstable yet efficient central cog in an unholy alliance between the private military company that employs him and the CIA.
  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.
  14. Nellie Andreeva (April 3, 2017). "Mira Sorvino Joins Cast Of 'Condor' Audience TV Series, Lawrence Trilling To Direct". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  15. Petski, Denise (April 26, 2017). "'Condor' Adds Kate Vernon; Lyndie Greenwood Joins 'Flint'". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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...
  20. 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.
  21. "Current Productions | IATSE 873". IATSE 873. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. "Condor: Season 1 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  27. "Condor: Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  28. 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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