At this level in Kiefer Sutherland’s profession, the standard of his initiatives doesn’t actually matter. Sutherland has developed a built-in fanbase (for transparency, I’m one such built-in fan) who would fairly fortunately watch something he makes, as long as he’s barely weary, barely rushed and mutters to himself just like the world very actually is dependent upon it. Is that this a coded means of claiming that I want 24 was nonetheless on TV? Why sure. Sure it’s.
The excellent news about this new thriller, Rabbit Gap, is that it isn’t one million miles away from 24. Kiefer Sutherland performs John Weir, a company espionage skilled who finds himself neck-deep in an unlimited conspiracy. There are shadowy figures. There are characters guided via high-tension conditions whereas carrying earpieces. There are moments the place Kiefer Sutherland sees one thing catastrophic about to occur, however is simply too far-off to cease it, so he simply shouts “NO!”, after which it occurs anyway. That is well-worn territory however, God, I need it fed to me like peeled grapes to a Roman emperor.
And there’s a model of Rabbit Gap the place that is all that occurs. It’s Kiefer Sutherland granite-jawed, lurching from disaster to disaster, singlehandedly attempting to stave off catastrophe. The primary episode definitely comes near reaching that. Weir is basically a paranoid spy who is aware of that somebody is on to him, and he spends a lot of the episode capturing involved glances into his rearview mirror. Because it unfolds, you may really feel your self stress-free into it, the identical means you’d calm down into any old style community drama a couple of powerful but compromised protagonist. Nonetheless – and I’m going to attempt my finest to keep away from spoilers – Rabbit Gap then activates a dime and turns into fully and irreparably crazy.
Sutherland finishes the primary episode pinballing between so many absurd cataclysms that it begins to really feel like a status drama model of Mr Bean. There had been hints at this from the beginning – the chilly open ends with Sutherland in confession, barking: “God? Perhaps he can inform me WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!!” at what should presumably be a very disconcerted priest – however that is the purpose the place the loopiness ramps up past all comprehension. And you recognize what? It’s nice.
That is largely as a result of – in contrast to 24, the place all of the silly stuff occurred as a result of that present chewed up concepts like a threshing machine – Rabbit Gap appears to be doing all this purely for enjoyable. There may be an unmistakeable lightness right here amid all of the catastrophe. Sutherland’s Weir isn’t a totally fledged hero. He’s too pissed off and befuddled for that. He bickers. He wisecracks. He loses fights with teenage skate boarders. As such, Sutherland seems to be having fun with himself. And when, other than that video of him flinging himself right into a Christmas tree, has anybody ever been capable of say that?
It helps that he’s surrounded by an extremely recreation forged. Charles Dance (enjoying a personality you’ll shortly have the ability to work out because of some spectacular flashback prosthetic work) is simply as up for having enjoyable as Sutherland. However what actually supercharges the present is Meta Golding, an actor to this point finest identified for a really small position within the Starvation Video games movies. Golding is astonishing right here. Her character falls someplace between “hostage” and “love curiosity”, which sounds wildly problematic on paper. However she performs it with such motormouthed ferocity that she just about walks away with each scene she’s in. Neither Sutherland nor Dance have ever had this a lot chemistry with one other actor. She’s an actual discovery.
If there’s one criticism of Rabbit Gap, it’s that it doesn’t appear to know what it desires to be. There are moments the place it’s a loosey-goosey screwball comedy, and moments the place it’s a full-bore motion thriller. The overarching theme – a plot to deliver down the US by systematically undermining its democracy – feels prefer it’s greedy to say one thing essential concerning the state of the world. Tonally, it’s everywhere. If I needed to guess, it appears like Rabbit Gap was created as one factor, after which acquired bashed round in improvement attempting to accommodate everybody else’s concept of what it must be. In consequence, it may be fairly a formless watch at occasions.
However that is the kind of factor that may simply be ironed out. At its finest, Rabbit Gap is 24 performed for laughs, and maybe that must be the main target for season two. There may be going to be a season two, proper?
This text was amended on 29 March 2023. A earlier model used a primary picture that confirmed Kiefer Sutherland within the TV present Designated Survivor, not Rabbit Gap.
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Rabbit Gap is on Paramount+
