Patriot

:

Season 2
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 35
  3. Negative: 5 out of 35
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User Reviews

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  1. Turd__Ferguson
    Nov 9, 2018
    10
    Had the day off of work today, so I planned to check out an episode of the new season this morning. 8 episodes later, I can tell you it's top notch. Some of the best writing, directing, and cinematography I've seen in a show. Cohen Brothers + Wes Anderson + special sauce.
  2. gonzo888AS
    Dec 17, 2018
    3
    I loved season 1, but season two is god aweful. They are really overplaying the whole music thing. I'm not a chick, I don't want to watch a musical. It was fine in season one, a sprinkle here or there, not is like some lame crutch, overused every second. And whats with all the random characters. Season 2 is so bad I had to stop at episode 5, what a shame.
  3. mlewis1029
    Nov 11, 2018
    1
    OMG, season 2 is off the rails. I like quirky and innovative, but this thing is a mind-numbing mess that bears no resemblance to season 1.
  4. anthony_todd
    Nov 15, 2018
    7
    With the deafeningly-quiet release of Season 2 of its original series Patriot, Amazon provides viewers with a completely different experience from its highly-publicized release of Jack Ryan. Both series present clandestine government operatives thrust into situations of dire importance to national security. That, however, is where the similarity ends.

    Jack Ryan is a typical Amazon    With the deafeningly-quiet release of Season 2 of its original series Patriot, Amazon provides viewers with a completely different experience from its highly-publicized release of Jack Ryan. Both series present clandestine government operatives thrust into situations of dire importance to national security. That, however, is where the similarity ends.

    Jack Ryan is a typical Amazon offering, designed for mass appeal. It offers a cookie cutter protagonist in the mold of “24’s” Jack Bauer and largely sets up rooting interests that are unyieldingly black or white. Jack Ryan takes few risks with its retelling of the Tom Clancy franchise – the heroes and villains are incapable of confusion or even observations of commonality. Jack Ryan (played by John Krasinski) is a reluctant hero’s hero – a familiar, comfortable and unimaginative cinematic trope.

    Patriot is the anti-Jack Ryan -- an off-beat, sometimes whimsical dark comedy/drama focusing on a lone-acting government operative (John Tavner aka John Lakeman played by Michael Dorner) who is every bit as conflicted as he is quirky. John Lakeman is a deadpan, depressive, under-resourced son of high-ranking government officials whose unique skills and knowledge are brutally practical rather than awe-inspiring. Parallel lines between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” are clearly traced throughout the series. In fact, Patriot does not really present “good guys” or “bad guys” -- only our guys and theirs.

    While the series consistently relies on farcical scenarios that take Murphy’s law to its illogical extreme to build the drama, the plot takes a backseat to Lakeman’s inner-conflict which drives his dynamic with both the “allies” and “foes” he encounters along his journey. Writer/director Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) presents his protagonist as a figure to be pitied as much as he is to be admired and Dorner is exceptional of evoking empathy for his character. It is this quality, not charisma that ultimately allows Lakeman to forge some strange alliances.

    With my appreciation of the series, I warn that it is not for everyone. I also caution that Season 2 fell short of my lofty expectations built by Season 1. The second season missed its mark at times – most notably with a group urinal scene (a recurring device in the series), this time involving a group of French policemen and depicting their extremely small genitalia for the punchline of a bad, pointless joke. With a few exceptions, it also fell short of Season 1’s compelling use of music -- particularly the improvised folk songs performed by Dorner in Season 2 lacked the consistent charm of those from Season 1. The end production of Season 2 – presumably the series finale – also seemed rushed. The final episode was not particularly satisfying, leaving many characters, questions and subplots only partially developed. It felt as if Conrad had more to tell in this story than Season 2’s eight episode run would allow. Based on Amazon’s unceremonious release of Season 2, it seems doubtful that the series will be renewed for a third season to allow Conrad to complete his storytelling.

    If your tastes in television align with the big network offerings and/or you are a fan of predictability, you probably want to pass this series – and especially its second season. If you are a fan of quirky and offbeat shows such as Fargo, I strongly recommend that you give Patriot a try.    … Expand
  5. Bingo99
    Nov 20, 2018
    10
    Way better than “Jack Ryan” which is pedestrian and dull as dough. Too bad it looks like Amazon will not renew for a third season.
  6. suewhite
    Nov 19, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Patriot is IMO a love story to all the NOC's (non-official cover) officers who give their lives for our country- unsung, unthanked, under compensated. I didn't know much about them until watching this show and then doing some research. Yes this is a parody to a great extent but also it is a message to America. Thank you all of you NOC's out there for what you do. You are the greatest of patriots. That is what makes this show worth following. And it is brilliantly written - despite many moments when you want to yell at the TV "that is absurd!" " just tell Agathe!", etc. And you care about the characters - well developed despite little dialogue. Stick with it- it is worth it. Hopefully a Season 3...… Expand
  7. Lemonsquared
    Nov 12, 2018
    5
    Rushed. Scattered. Inundated with uninteresting secondary characters and an incomprehensible plot designed from the ground up to drive this once promising entry from the shelf to the wastebasket.

    Watching our weathered hero juggle seemingly impossible tasks made even more so by a revolving door of often comical blunders sourced from his intelligence team, alias's coworkers, friends,    Rushed. Scattered. Inundated with uninteresting secondary characters and an incomprehensible plot designed from the ground up to drive this once promising entry from the shelf to the wastebasket.

    Watching our weathered hero juggle seemingly impossible tasks made even more so by a revolving door of often comical blunders sourced from his intelligence team, alias's coworkers, friends, background characters and self was a joy during the previous season. But no longer. The overarching sense of realism that grounded the insanity of season one as an incredibly unlikely but still plausible worst case scenario is nowhere to be found in this second season. And without that believability the plot unravels to the point of being almost unwatchable after just the first few episodes.
    Not to mention the admittedly small complaint about the second seasons horrible revision to its introduction sequence which now features a musical accompaniment ("Sure Shot" Beastie Boys) that is perhaps lyrically relevant with regard to the themes of the season but which is woefully out of place in terms of its musical tone. I mention this somewhat petty complaint above my many others both because it is so starkly contrasted by the phenomenal song choice of the first season ("Train Song" Vashti Bunyan) and also because it exemplifies everything that is wrong with the second. Namely, that everything that happens - every decision made during the course of the season, such as the song selection for the new intro, only ever makes half-sense.

    That is not to say season two doesn't have its moments. It does. The action sequences are enjoyable. And it's equal parts amusing and intriguing to have our seemingly permanently concussed hero explain his government funded tactics to one of his cohorts or directly to the viewer - answering questions I never knew to ask. Questions like, "how to knock a female unconscious with a bicycle?" Sadly, these moments don't occur nearly often enough to propel the season to anywhere near the height of the first.

    My advice? Unless you're flush with time, avoid this newest chapter of Patriot and spare yourself the poison it will surely inflict upon the beloved memory of the first.    … Expand
  8. Ianyiyan
    Dec 31, 2018
    0
    There is one key message to this series: Only Americans are human beings. The rest of us are simply props. We can be beaten, abused, kidnapped or killed without consequence. This will make the mighty Americans a little sad at the time, but they'll sail off into the sunset to live happy lives in the future, oblivious to the pain and destruction they left in their wake. Vile xenophobicThere is one key message to this series: Only Americans are human beings. The rest of us are simply props. We can be beaten, abused, kidnapped or killed without consequence. This will make the mighty Americans a little sad at the time, but they'll sail off into the sunset to live happy lives in the future, oblivious to the pain and destruction they left in their wake. Vile xenophobic racist claptrap… Expand
  9. LocationEarth
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    While at times a bit lengthy the second season is a worthy successor that sets a different pace and is even more delightfully painful to watch!
  10. zackzachzaczak
    Mar 3, 2023
    9
    The fact that Amazon doesn't have plans to renew this for a 3rd season is an absolute tragedy. The only thing more shocking is the paltry 6.9...one of the best shows out there, under-appreciated cathartic brilliance with great macabre, dark humor.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Michael Starr
    Nov 13, 2018
    63
    If your personal tastes run to off-kilter comedy, then this weird, atmospheric spy caper, back for Season 2 on Amazon, is right up your alley: think of a series mixing the offbeat sensibilities of the Coen Brothers with the quirky darkness of David Lynch.
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  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Nov 12, 2018
    75
    Season 2 is shorter (both in episode count and length), darker, and lacking in much of the whimsy that kept Season 1 afloat, but it’s an intriguing narrative with unique payoffs.
    Read full review
  3. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Nov 9, 2018
    80
    There’s much to appreciate in Conrad’s mastery of building tension toward ludicrous outcomes in some case, or punctuating stretches of relative calm with explosions of chaos and violence.
    Read full review
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