Rubicon (2010)
SERIES REVIEW
“Rubicon” offers storytelling that is methodical and measured. It does an outstanding job of conveying the personal and psychological costs of working in the American intelligence trenches during the war on terror.
The influence of the paranoia thrillers of the 70s (especially Three Days of the Condor) is unmistakable. But this series is more of a drama, with an identity of its own. It centres on a team of socially-challenged but brilliant analysts, working for a private intelligence agency. Over the course of 10 hours, we are immersed into their unglamorous, low-tech world. It’s a murky world where, apart from intelligence analysis, it pays to be wary of the savvier people around you, and take careful note of every spoken word and gesture.
The series emphasises sober storytelling over sensationalism. Add to that, a deliberate pacing with very little action means that enjoying it calls for a specific taste, and loads of patience. For those who have that, the end result, while not perfect, will likely be very satisfying. There are some questionable sub-plots, and there is a bit of needlessly sloppy plotting and writing. Nonetheless, if you like your spy dramas to be cerebral, there is a lot to savour.
A word about the ending. While it ties up most of the loose ends, there are some who found it underwhelming. Personally, I thought it was consciously unflashy, and was in line with the overall tone of the series.
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