Rabbit Hole will premiere Sunday, March 26 with two episodes. Following the premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Sundays, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada, and on the following day, Monday, March 27, in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.
Synopsis
John Weir (Kiefer Sutherland), a master of deception in the world of corporate espionage, is framed for murder by powerful forces who have the ability to influence and control populations.
Review
24. The Fugitive. Designated Survivor. Three undeniably thrilling series which all have Kiefer Sutherland at their core. With four-decades of experience in Hollywood, Sutherland has carved himself a niche in these slow-burning, twist-filled thrillers which grab their audience and refuse to let go until the bitter end.
Rabbit Hole is another of those thrilling series. Sutherland is heading back towards 24 territory playing John Weir, a corporate espionage expert who is quickly embroiled in an even bigger and uncontrollable mystery. The eight-episode series begins rolling out on March 27 on Paramount+ in the UK and I’ve had the chance to watch the first half of the season.
The action hinges on Sutherland’s central performance. Not only is her our way in to world but he’s also the focus of its core narrative. Weir isn’t simply tasked with solving the mystery. He IS the mystery. Framed for the murder of a former colleague, we follow Weir as he navigates a world of shady corporate deals and shadowy inscrutable groups.
Episode one acts as the perfect entry point. All the prerequisite exposition is perfectly placed to introduce Weir and his world. Creators John Requa and Glenn Ficarra meticulously lay out all the facts for us. From Weir’s family life to his childhood, no stone is left unturned as the episode brings us up to speed ready for the first of many twists.
Much like Jack Bauer and Tom Kirkman, Weir isn’t a clean-cut hero. For starters the legalities of his business are questionable. But more than that there’s an edge to him. He’s cocky in his approach to business but also his approach to women. A chance encounter in a bar with Hailey (Meta Golding) in episode one tells you all you need to know about his trust issues which are further explored through flashbacks to his childhood.
In fact, the already densely layered episode is only a portent for what is to come. Once Rabbit Hole sets its plan in motion the series becomes an elaborate series of satisfying twists and turns. Episode one delivers a glimpse at how Weir carries out his business but leaves viewers with a proverbial knife in the heart as its twisted by the series shadowy villains.
Episodes two through four absolutely hurtle at high speed through a series of reveals, double-crosses and pivots that easily leave the viewer waiting to catch their breath. Having head the privilege of binging the first four episodes was a dream. With the series rolling out weekly it’s clear that Paramount is gunning for a water cooler moment with each jaw dropping cliffhanger.
Case in point comes with the introduction of the wonderfully cast Charles Dance. Despite arriving early in the season, Dance upends everything we’ve already come to know about the show (and Weir), quickly letting the audience know that working out what’s going on isn’t an easy feat to achieve.
Requa and Ficarra also aren’t giving the game away too quickly. Whilst aspects of the story fall in two place across the episodes I saw. The overarching mystery remains just that. Four episodes in and I’m no clearer to understanding how Weir ended up at the centre of this mystery or who is truly pulling the strings. For some the lack of instant gratification may prove a turn off. Rabbit Hole is a prime example of the serialised storytelling we’ve come to expect from a cable – or in this case streaming – series. The writers painstakingly sidestep the network sensibility of setting up good versus evil and hurtling the viewer towards their inevitable showdown.
There are conveniences along the way. At one point Weir breaks his own rule of being online for no more than 15 minutes to avoid being traced. In doing do he, in his own rules, should have been found. But we watch as those tracing him inch closer to his address whilst ultimately failing to do so. In another we’re asked to believe that he’s such an expert in espionage that Weir wouldn’t be recognised in a fully staffed police station despite being his face being on every major news network.
These plot contrivances may niggle. They certainly tested my resolve in suspending my disbelief in watching this kind of grounded concept. But overall there’s minor points in what is a compelling and explosive story.
Verdict
It’s all too easy to fall down the Rabbit Hole and get lost in John Requa and Glenn Ficarra’s elaborate story. It’s also hard to imagine anyone but Kiefer Sutherland inhabiting the role of John Weir. Through the first four episodes the series continually hits us with unexpected twists and turns. All whilst setting up an intriguing, unseen force pulling all the strings.
