The Old Man Season 1 Episode 1 Recap

I – The show begins with Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) utilizing the toilet multiple times. As he returns to bed, the sound of running water prompts him to return to the bathroom. He is startled awake by a woman kneeling on the floor eerily saying, “I see you.” After getting out of the bed, he utilizes the toilet once again before taking a seat. Emily explains when she was young, she presumed he was fearless and “indestructible.” In the background, Dan grunts while struggling to put on his socks.  She continues to describe her young perception of him until asking where that man went. He assures her that she would’ve believed anything he said because she wasn’t the brightest child. She refutes the allegation. He admits to being a good liar.

She voices her concern about his not sleeping and being distracted. When he says something just isn’t right, she assures him that he will be okay. He denies holding anything back from her before the call comes to an end. As he walks out the door, with the dogs in tow, something in the microwave sparks into a fire.

Dan is disappointed when he doesn’t get to see his regular doctor. Dr. Howard (Nelson Franklin) informs him that his mother, Dr. Howard is no longer seeing patients except for Thursdays. Dan describes his symptoms as agitation and anxiety. Dr. Howard informs him that his cognitive test results are normal.

Dan tells his dogs that his doctor’s appointments will be on Thursday from now on. While walking home, Dan notices a strange man sitting in a local café.

Emily asks Dan to explain why she should be concerned. She explains how Dan claimed everything was fine when her mother got sick. Dan is frantically going through the trash bin. While Emily assures him that there is no longer a need to protect her, Dan creates something from dog food cans. She voices her worry before pleading with him to give her a call.

In a potential dream, Dan walks in to find the sink overflowing and Abbey Chase (Hiam Abbass) sitting on the floor. Weeping, she tells him that she has no recollection of how she got there. After he removes her wet gown, she suggests he put her away because she is not the same woman when they married. He assures her that they are the same people who promise to take care of each other. In an eerie voice, she says, “Who am I. I know who you are. I know what you are. I see you.” Startled awake, he jumps out of bed. He looks around to see the string of dog food cans undisturbed in the doorway. Panting, he gradually walks through the house when his dogs attack someone.

With his gun drawn, he orders the man from the local café to identify himself. When the man fails to respond, he shoots him twice. He places the gun in the man’s hand and fires it twice before calling 911. He informs the operator that the man might be dead. Dan stuffs money, guns, clothes, and other items into a bag before the police arrive.

Officer Richmond (Jeff Elam) goes over the chain of events that led up to Dan shooting the intruder. Dan asks if it was a robbery. Richmond tells him that it is clear if the suspect was aimed to rob him, but his attire is better than that of a vagrant. Dan informs them that he is a retired real estate agent. Richmond admits he finds the silencer a bit odd before remembering a recent mini-mart robbery in which the suspect utilized an AK-47. Officer Stevenson (Herbert Russell) asks if it is okay to process his home in the morning.

Dan contacts Emily to inform her of his being located by the CIA. She questions if it is really them. He assures her that it is real. She offers her help. He suggests not utilizing the phone for about a month.

FBI Assistant Director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) is playing with Henry Harper (Milo Stein). Harold explains to Henry the meaning of “space is the breath of art.” He suggests it pertains to building a home with sufficient space for the people, important things, and just space. Henry asks if he believes their building is too big. He assures him that he loves their building. Henry tells him that the building is for his parents and grandparents. Confused, Harold asks if he is referring to his parents. He says it is just a precaution in case someone determines how to resurrect his parents.

Harold is weeping when Cheryl Harper (Jessica Harper) alerts him of a phone call. While the call is put on hold, Cheryl questions if he ever considered letting Henry see him cry to see if it could help. He suggests he will not be like other people who cry in front of a child whose parents have died. Agent Raymond Waters (E. J. Bonilla) informs Harold that he learned about him from someone from DCS named Bob Blasky. Harold demands to know what type of case he is working on. Waters reminds him of the CIA operative who went missing in 1987 near Torkham. When Waters mentions retrieving the missing operative, Harold assures him the case was resolved three decades ago.

Waters updates him on what previously happened at the operative’s house that left an assassin dead. He says the operative is on the run. Harold agrees to assist in apprehending the operative.

Dan is on his tablet when a truck stop waitress (Shawna Gentry) approaches to alert him that only service animals are permitted in the diner. Laughing, he asks if she doesn’t think warming his feet is a service. She ignores his comment before taking his order.

Dan contacts Stuart (Marcel Bridges) utilizing the alias Mr. Dixon. He requests the house be prepared for his arrival in a few days. Stuart asks if Mrs. Dixon will be accompanying him on the trip. He tells him that he will be alone.

In a flashback, young Dan Chase (Bill Heck) takes a seat across from young Abbey Chase (Leem Lubany). He suggests they stop running and building a home.  She warns him of what will happen if they stop moving. He tells her that they aren’t searching for the honest, hard-working people they will become. She warns him there is only one way for it to end. She says there is some comfort in knowing they made the right choice and will be together in the end. He assures her that nothing matters to him except them growing old together. He promises to protect her for the rest of his life if she will be with him. Jerking her hand away, she agrees to join him. Laughing, she asks who they will become.

Back to the present, Harold contacts Dan to explain his position. He warns him that speaking to him secretively may be against CIA regulations. When he asks if doing so is giving him some leeway, Dan says, “No.” Harold demands he return to his vehicle, so they can discuss how he accessed him via a cellphone believed to be untraceable. As Dan gathers his things, Harold informs him of a tracking device in the rear wheel well on the passenger side. He explains how the tracking device’s transponder can be paired with the phone moving with it. He says they can then reverse engineer the phone number. He claims to have no knowledge of the capability. While Dan detaches the tracking device from his vehicle, Harold warns him of how the game has changed from when he first played. He tells him that the CIA will be on him in three minutes.

Dan alerts him of his vehicle moving. Harold apologizes for the loss of his wife. Dan voices his appreciation. When he mentions his daughter and son-in-law, Harold immediately changes the subject to the specialists following him. He informs him of his current location, the Caledonia County Airfield. He says the CIA is not planning to kill him, just retrieve and put him on a chartered jet to potentially Kabul. He assumes Faraz Hamzad has persuaded someone associated with the US government to ensure he gets another meeting with him. Dan questions why is telling him everything. He warns him of a potential nightmare for him and a “shitty” outcome for him if the story is revived. He says he will willingly assist in his escape to keep the story buried.

Harold warns Dan if he tries to retaliate against the CIA, he will be forced to take him down. Dan says he wouldn’t be so sure. He reminds him of how he tried to pass the silencer off on the burglar. Dans suggests if they believed his story, it could complicate his life. Harold swears he will get to him through his daughter if necessary. He says his second option is to disappear, not like before. He agrees to tell his people that the only connection is his daughter who he will eventually contact. Dan refuses to go along with his plan. Harold assures him if he reaches out to his daughter, her house will be swarmed by agents in minutes. He assures him that she will get jail time if she knows anything about his past crimes. Dan curses him. He promises she will have no idea the CIA is watching her as long as he never resurfaces. Dan disconnects the line.

When Harold joins a special agent in the mobile ops center (Graham Scott Littlefield). Waters alerts him that Dan moved prior to them arriving on target. He questions him about his just being on the phone. Harold asks if he believes it is safe to screw with someone in his position in the FBI.

Dan reluctantly contacts Emily to inform her of his need to disappear. She reminds him that he said the same before. He assures her that it is different this time. He warns her that any contact with him could put her life in danger. She tells him that she refuses to believe his only option is to disappear. He admits to being concerned that someone will harm her to access him. Reminding him of his past, she suggests he scare them back. She demands he not put them on because she isn’t afraid to know the real him. He confesses his love for her before disconnecting the line.

Harold stares at the camera feed when Dan’s car disappears. The agents follow the direction his vehicle takes to discover he makes a stop. One of the agents discovers the tracking device from Dan’s vehicle on the ground. Waters orders a sweep of the area. When he asks if he has something to add, Harold assures him that Dan will never be seen again. As Agent Lam (Rich Ting) and Agent Reynolds (Chris Gann) talk outside their vehicle, Dan crashes into their vehicle. Armed, Dan gradually gets out of his vehicle and opens the back door for his dogs. After shooting Reynolds lying on the ground, he hears footprints and fires his weapon again. Lam sneaks up on him and a struggle ensues. While being apprehended, Dan whistles and his dogs come running. The vehicle pulls away when they arrive.

Harold is watching the footage when Waters receives a call from Lam to alert him of Dan being apprehended.

Dan utilizes a pocketknife to cut the ties around his ankles. When Lam asks what he is staring at, Dan kicks him. Another kick causes Lam to lose control of the vehicle. With the vehicle lying on its top, another struggle breaks out between Dan and Lam. As Dan holds his pocketknife in his hand, Lam says, “Fu** you old man. Try that shit again.” When he looks up, he is surrounded by Dan’s dogs. Lam struggles with the dogs while Dan crawls out of the vehicle.

Harold is watching the footage when Dan rings Waters’ phone to speak with Harold. He warns him every agent sent his way will be killed and sent back in a body bag. He adds that every agent sent his daughter’s way will come back to him in pieces. Harold is looking at the footage when Dan asks if he remembers him, now. Dan drops the phone before walking away. Harold tosses the phone on the table before walking away. He ignores Waters when he asks to explain what he is dealing with. Dan contacts Emily as he and his dogs walk away from the scene.

 

The Old Man Review

Jeff Bridges has always been a standout actor. His age is beginning to show through his acting. His role reminds me of Sam Elliott’s most recent role, Captain Shea Brennan in “1883.” Like Bridges, Elliott was a force to be reckoned with onscreen. It is difficult to determine if the issue is Bridges’ age or his character, Dan Chase’s vulnerabilities or weaknesses. One or both just seem so tired.

I found Emily’s voice so annoying that it was distracting. I’m not positive, but I believe Emily is actually the voice of Alia Shawkat. It sounded like the lines were being read directly from the script without emotion. It didn’t help, that the microphone is too close to her mouth. You can hear her breathing, swallowing, and licking her chops. Bridges also sounds like he is periodically licking his chops. A pop filter would have helped drown out these annoying noises or at least, they could’ve been manually removed during editing. This is a product of poor editing.

Some of the scenes are uncompelling and flawed. Here, we have a senior citizen who struggles desperately to get dressed in one scene. In another scene, the same senior citizen fights with a young CIA agent like he’s been rejuvenated. In another scene, he miraculously survives a vehicle rollover. I find it surprising that Dan didn’t bother cutting his wrist straps when he cut his ankle straps.

Another flaw worth mentioning is the convenient, timely arrival of the dogs. Dan had been apprehended when he initially calls for the dogs. By the time they arrive, the vehicle is pulling away. Lam drives quite a distance before Dan causes him to crash. It is unlikely that the dogs would’ve kept following the vehicle once it is out of sight. Low and behold, they just happened to reappear out of nowhere.

The dialogue is at times cringeworthy and fight scenes unrealistic. If they wanted the show to seem in the least realistic, a younger main character would’ve been the better option.

Visibility is poor throughout the episode. The lighting needed to be adjusted in both the day and night scenes.

The relationship between Emily and Dan is impersonal. It is difficult to identify or sympathize with a character that doesn’t get screen time. The only thing interesting is Harold and Dan’s relationship.

John Lithgow’s performance was outstanding. There is plenty of time for improvement.

The episode deserves a 6.5. Get more The Old Man recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking on the link.