Citadel S02

Games that spies play… full of intrigue and treachery. And when it’s a high-stakes thriller like ‘Citadel 2’, no less than a Russo Brothers production, espionage moves touch a new level, certainly better than in the prequel. We have seen the first season where our very own Priyanka Chopra did a wonderful job. She is no less impressive in the second outing as Nadia Sinh. Only, the series, which moves from one European nation to another, kickstarts with the man, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who envisioned Citadel as a conglomerate of spies. He is held to ransom by Paulo Braga (Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone), who wants Bernard to develop a software to be co-opted in a person’s mind and turn him or her into an assassin.

When the Russo Brothers, Joe and Anthony, launched the espionage vehicle along with showrunner Davil Veil three years ago, the idea was to create something grand, global and glamorous. Given their success with the Avengers factory, one envisioned a slick Bond sort of brand taking on worldwide threats. It’s a shame then to see their ambitious vision marred by hackneyed writing and muddled goals. Neither the international Citadel nor its Indian (Citadel: Honey Bunny) and Italian (Citadel: Diana) counterparts to follow made the grade.