Hunted

Hunted is an intriguing and rewarding puzzle worth (trying) to solve.

A simmering bit of silly suspense fun created by X-Files writer-producer Frank Spotnitz.

It's essentially interested in the ways in which lonely, damaged characters allow themselves to find comfort in a world that has no fixed moral moorings, and the wounded tenacity of these people is every bit as intriguing as the progress of that mystery briefcase.

Despite its occasional heavy-handedness, Hunted will give genre junkies a real high--and some food for thought.

As with the many conspiracies of "Alias," I'm not always 100 percent clear on what's happening in Hunted, but the atmosphere and suspense are terrific, and the leading lady is compelling enough that I want to see her triumph over whoever it is she's ultimately supposed to be fighting.

If you love "Strike Back," you'll devour Hunted.

[George] is not terribly believable in any of them, forcing viewers to rely on the reactions of those around her to see that she is convincing as an uber agent. Fortunately, the other performances are strong enough to carry it off for the most part, and as the plot divides and subdivides, sending tendrils up through the vaunted British intelligence agency, recalling the Cold War and evoking more current international concerns, Hunted takes on a smart and disturbing personality of its own.

The twists are solid, if never as electrifying as on Showtime's Homeland, while George clearly learned her lessons well at the feet of Sydney Bristow.

It's easy to get hooked on the drama's fast-paced, international intrigue and tony visuals (shot in London, Scotland and Morocco). It's almost enough to keep you from contemplating some of the more outrageous turns.

Hunted ends up being a competent addition to the high-stakes-snooping genre but not a very surprising one.

The fight scenes are easily digested but those down times can really make your head hurt.

This is really just a protracted, more explicit (virtually a prerequisite, given the venue) "Mission: Impossible," spreading its caper across multiple episodes. Yet even with bursts of bloodshed, Hunted bogs down in the episodes previewed.