The third episode of Season 1 is “Infinite Shadows”, which seems to be a hint at the ever-expanding influence of the lies and the lies behind the lies.

I appreciate how seamless the transitions between present day intrigue and the Mason-centered action-packed flashbacks, but I am concerned that this may become a crutch. It’s a little jarring to see how well Mason and Nadia worked together in the past, and how far beyond fish-out-of-water Kyle seems to be while being talked through situations by Nadia. But it also goes to highlight Richard Madden’s acting because you can tell that Kyle is a very different person from the cocky Mason, and if the rest of the show is about how Kyle adjusts to what he has to do without becoming the arrogant ass he used to be, that could be a fun twist on that spy thriller trope.

Louis writes: One would expect a show such as this to be focused on the present world. But because of the amnesia angle, an extended flashback is used to bring the viewer up to speed with what Mason doesn’t know about his past.

The flashback also reveals more about how Mason and Nadia met and their past romantic relationship. Mason pointlessly asks Nadia in bed if he can trust her when it is a given that no one in these circumstances can trust anyone else.

The scenes in the safehouse in Spain lack any sense of urgency to figure out a plan of action, or how to adjust to Kyle’s lack of experience with the spy game. Having them believe that Bernard is dead and rather be aware that he’s a prisoner of Manticore is a plot point that may be necessary for as yet unknown reasons (remember, “everything you know is a lie”), so I’ll wait to see what unfolds.

Louis writes: Another plot flaw occurs when Mason and Nadia are at a Citadel safe house in Spain. Firstly, you would think that Manticore would have discovered and known the locations of all the safe houses by now, eight years later.

Secondly, Nadia accesses a computer inside for information. Now Mason may not remember how to navigate the system or its passwords. But wouldn’t he have asked her for access to find out more about himself through the records?

With Bernard being in Dahlia’s hands this long seems like her grudge may be a personal one against Bernard in particular. Her continued disgust at the “century of harm” she believes Citadel to be responsible for has to be a deep cut for her that we haven’t fully seen yet. I will say that her eating dinner while Bernard is being tortured is a bit over the top… not sure if that was meant to show how psycopathic she is or how determined she is to exact retribution against all things Citadel, it does make me wonder who she reports to in Manticore and why she isn’t needed to report her progress to anyone, especially since they had the X-Case stolen directly from their hands.

In another thread, Bernard is tortured by Dahlia at her estate in Virginia. I was a little surprised that we witnessed some actual torture going on. Some of the torture is implied as a Marathon Man-type dentist shows his tool box and then we see extracted teeth.

One thing that troubled me about this plot line was the fact that Dahlia did not inflict more serious torture on Bernard. Much is at stake here and I found it hard to believe that she would use the mild form of interrogation methods which she used. And why isn’t he at a black site instead of at her palatial home?

The plot twist revealed by Bernard at the end is another one I’m not sure what to make of (no spoilers here). What that means for Bernard’s long term safety and perhaps Kyle’s long term safety and sanity could be interesting, especially given the repeat mantras of “don’t trust anyone” and “everything you know is a lie.”

Louis writes: While I found the revelation at the end intriguing, I discovered from the promotional video after the show that the creators intend to use this type of device, the end-of-episode revelation, at each show. So you could almost stream to the end to find out what the revelation is rather than sit through the whole show. I find this technique to be a lazy way to curry viewer interest. This type of cliffhanger only works as well if you care about what is going on or the soap-opera-like lives of the characters.

So far I am not fully invested in either the story or the players in it. It appears that we are going to be sent on a lengthy arc of running around the world until jet lag makes you forget what the real purpose of your mission is. There needs to be more time devoted to character development that does not consist of snappy one-liners.

The overuse of the hovering & slow circling shots is becoming tiresome, and I’m still wondering what impact the directors & producers think that repeatedly using this style of shot is supposed to have on the viewers. I’m almost wondering if it’s a clue or a misdirect, but with the last scene spinning around a beat-up Bernard saying “Everything you know is a lie” has to be pointing us in a direction other than the one we’ve been traveling on to this point.

I’m enjoying the ride, and I’m hoping that not all the action scenes will be framed in the past, and we only have three more episodes to go for Season 1.

This week, the end credits song is “Keep Yourself Alive” by Queen (1973). Very on point this week for everyone we know as being a member of Citadel.

Don’t miss our reviews for the other episodes in the series:
“Citadel” opens on a confusing but energetic and entertaining world of spies

Amazon Studios’ action thriller CITADEL is available now on Prime Video.

Twitter: @CitadelOnPrime, #CitadelOnPrime

Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.