Citadel Episode 5 Review: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden-starrer's sheen fading, defies plausibility

Director: Newton Thomas Sigel

Cast: Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci, Ashleigh Cummings, Roland Moler, Osy Ikhile, Caoilinn Springall, Lesley Manville

Streaming on: Prime Video

Rating: **1/2

In this episode of Citadel titled Time Renders Us Enemies, the narrative shifts pace from a slick action-packed artefact made of quick cutting to deliberate moves that set up its characters and explore their personalities.

Episode 5 is literally a sequel to the third episode. It takes off from where Spence, the Tier-One Agent of Citadel, after being rescued by Nadia and Mason, accuses Nadia of being a mole.  The narrative moves, but things do not seem to matter so much, as it discourages contemplation, and thus we do not develop a stake in the material. We see it more as an exercise than a story.

The fourth episode focused on Abby Conroy (Ashleigh Cummings) as Mason’s wife and Ander’s girlfriend Brielle, and Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), being tortured by Dahlia Archer (Leslie Manville), apart from delving into Mason and Nadia’s personal life.

The fifth episode has a single mention of Abby before Bernard accuses Dahlia of being a ruthless killer, to which she dramatically replies, “Murderers, war criminals, spies, and I would do it every day if it means protecting innocent people from losing the ones they loved like I did.”

Subsequently, she tells him, “It is one of you, who came to me, hurt and lied to, a Citadel spy who saw the truth of the agency and betrayed you all.” These revelations open windows for subplots and backstories to unravel.

Secrets, lies and a dangerous-yet-undying love has been the theme of the series, but it is the ghosts of Nadia and Mason’s past, which include those of their families, that binds the series.

With hardly any action sequences, the plot of this 35 minute episode takes a convoluted route to create empathy. Mason reveals that he did what he did to protect Nadia. His revelation, “I’ve lost everything I’ve ever cared about; I won’t lose you,” sounds mundane, especially after we know he has a wife and a daughter.

On a separate note, Nadia’s revelation to him that she had to make a bigger sacrifice to stay alive, comes as a shocker and is absurd, defying the plausibility of the action.

The non-linear narrative takes us to Barrage Bab Louta, 50 miles outside of FEZ in Mexico, Valencia in Spain, and Washington DC. And while the telling goes back and forth seamlessly, some moments create confusion regarding the timelines.

Overall, the show boasts of brilliant performances and the director’s astute control of the craft, but gradually the sheen of the series seems to be fading.