'Citadel' Episode 1 Review: Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden shine in Prime's gripping espionage series

'Citadel' tells the story of a crime syndicate that wipes off the global spy agency 'Citadel' from the face of the earth
PUBLISHED APR 28, 2023
Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas play the lead roles in 'Citadel' (Amazon Studios)
Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas play the lead roles in 'Citadel' (Amazon Studios)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The much-awaited series 'Citadel' has been released on Amazon Prime and has already become our absolute favorite. If you are a sucker for great spy-thrillers, then 'Citadel' is something that you must add to your watchlist. The series has guns, grenades, style, and some really delectable action sequences that will make Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden your favorite onscreen fighter duo.

The show tells the story of a crime syndicate that wipes off the global spy agency 'Citadel' from the face of the earth, but in the process, two of the most known pre-eminent spies escape their horrible fate and survive the attack. But in exchange for the escape, they suffer from retrograde amnesia, where they forget who they are and all of their past memories. The show is executively produced by the Russo Brothers, who were also the producers of the Academy Award-winning movie 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. With such great minds working on the show, 'Citadel' becomes more interesting and exciting than it already was. 

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Do or die 

The series opens with a flashback to an incident that occurred eight years prior, during which 'Citadel' fell, leading to the creation of a global spy agency tasked with ensuring the safety and protection of people worldwide. The enemy agency responsible for the destruction of 'Citadel' is identified as 'Manticore', which is engaged in manipulating the media and disrupting peace to achieve world destruction.

In the first episode, the audience is introduced to elite agents Mason Kane, portrayed by Madden, and Nadia Sinh, portrayed by Chopra, who lose their memories while escaping a derailed train and forget every detail of their past lives. Nadia's whereabouts are not mentioned in the episode, and the focus is primarily on Mason, who constantly experiences flashbacks of Nadia but cannot remember who she is or why he gets these flashbacks.

As the series progresses, Mason's former 'Citadel' colleague Bernard Orlick, portrayed by Stanley Tucci, takes him to a secure location and requests his assistance in stopping Manticore from stealing world secrets and restoring peace worldwide.

The story's premise sets the stage for a high-stakes, action-packed adventure as Mason and Bernard work together to prevent Manticore's evil plans and uncover their own pasts.

A mission to save the world

The first episode of the series does an excellent job of introducing all the characters that the audience will encounter in the forthcoming episodes while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the story. The series' theme emerges as a spy-thriller, incorporating elements of enduring love, infidelity, deceit, and intense action and violence. The chemistry between Nadia and Mason is palpable, rendering the onscreen duo an absolute delight to watch. The cast is superb, and the series' color tones are reminiscent of those found in James Bond movies, with each situation having a distinct color palette that corresponds to the scene's energy.

Overall, 'Citadel' is a series that requires a dedicated watch to comprehend the characters, their past, and their quest to establish peace in the world.

'Citadel' is exclusively available on Amazon Prime.

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