Treadstone (2019) User Reviews

A solid Bourne spinoff... with no mention of Jason Bourne

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 22 January 2020]

The 'Jason Bourne' movies introduced Treadstone; an illegal CIA programme where people undergo behavioural modification to become near perfect agents. Officially it was closed down but now somebody is reactivating these agents. Who or why is far from clear. It soon becomes apparent that the CIA isn't the only agency to do such work; flashbacks to 1973 show how a CIA agent captured by the Soviets has been reprogrammed to work for them, what they call a 'Cicada'. In North Korea an agent there is awakened and goes from being a piano tutor to being an assassin. If this weren't enough there is a nuclear missile outside official command in Russia and it looks like somebody wants to sell the warhead to the North Koreans.

I rather enjoyed this series; although I must say I'm glad I waited for it to finish before I started watching as watching all ten episodes in under a week made it relatively easy to follow. The way the story jumps about might have left me confused if I had to wait a week between episodes. Each episode provides decent action and a good sense of mystery. Each time it appears one question is answered more are raised... that includes the final episode, so if we want some of the more intriguing questions answered we'll have to hope for a second season. The cast is solid throughout making it easy to accept certain details that might not be too realistic but add to the drama. The series makes good use of multiple locations around the world; I was pleased that when characters spoke in these locations they used the appropriate language with subtitles rather than accented English; just a pity the white subtitles were occasionally hard to read against pale backgrounds. It was amusing how there were quite a few references to events in the Bourne movies but Jason Bourne was never mentioned by name... I guess the makers would have had to pay to do that! Overall I thought this was a solid action thriller that fans of the genre should enjoy if they can suspend their disbelief occasionally. I've no idea if we'll get a second season but I for one really hope we do.

great story but be prepared to be disappointed...

[scottssherwood-45213 · 8/10 · 2 March 2020]

The last episode in no way gives a resolution to everything going on. finishes at least two episodes short. if they don't renew for a new season, we're all screwed!!!!

Nowhere near as bad or confusing as many reviewers suggest!

[Thinker365 · 8/10 · 27 November 2019]

The story follows several different dormant sleeper agents around the world as they get reactivated, while also depicting the fallout from project Treadstone in the present day. It also depicts the past, introducing how it all began. It is pretty well done, but it does have flaws.

The quality of each story varies, but it is great to see people in non-English speaking countries be given scope not to use English, irrespective of the quality of speech/pronunciation. I particularly like the events set in the past, and the story set in North Korea (though I'd query the quality of show's depiction of NK). Most of the storylines are enjoyable to watch.

The flaw: The storyline which should bring these disparate stories together or at least provide connection is pretty poorly done. I like the actors individually (Michelle Forbes, Omar Metwally and Tracy Ifeachor) but their storyline and the characters they depict destroy any goodwill/ suspension of disbelief the audience has. (They may as well be on a different TV show).

Particularly Tracy Ifeachor, it may not be fair, but she looks too young to be a seasoned journalist; her role as a freelance journalist uber-driver and the way she's wrangled into the plot is terrible. It's a pity because there could have easily been a more credible version of the present day CIA operation involving a journalist, in keeping with all the other storylines.

I'm giving it an 8 because it is ambitious, and only one of the storylines actively bothers me. But I don't think it will see a 2nd season, and I understand why.

Having said that, reviewers that simply state 'subtitles suck' should stick to low-brow cartoons. Not everything needs immediate explanation, many seem either too stupid or too impatient to accept that. Formulaic and 'exposition heavy' American telly has definitely addled the minds.

Not for the impatient viewer

[crediblejustin · 9/10 · 22 November 2019]

6 episodes in and the story is gradually unfolding. The character development is okay, giving a background to each cicada, with spicy action scenes. Although the show does jump between characters and time periods, it's not as impossible to follow as some reviews suggest. Feels like each episode should have been at least an hour long though. Can't wait to see how it all ends

Nailed it!

[rsvp321 · 16 October 2019]

Great sets, great casting, plot captivating and easy to follow, great choreography fight scenes ...the essence of the books and movies!

No pc, no social agenda forced on us, no identity politics - that's extremely rare, these days with new series and movies!

Good job!

Entertaining and confusing.

[HassanYacoob · 7/10 · 20 July 2020]

Interesting and engaging series which began brightly but became increasingly muddled with the introduction of various plot intricacies. Some of the flashback scenes were a drag, even if they did provide some context to present day happenings. The fight scenes are quite brilliant though, even if unrealistic at times, reminiscent of some of what we saw in the Bourne movies. The first season ends in quite a cliffhanger and I do hope we see a second season soon.

Really enjoyed but frustrating non ending!

[muamba_eats_toast · 8/10 · 9 June 2020]

The series was extremely good in my opinion not quite 10/10 top tier but one of the better action series around if a little predictable at tunes but just enough other twists to keep you guessing. Unfortunately however the series hasn't been renewed and the story did not conclude at all the most annoying thing when you get invested into a show! If you don't like that happening I'd give it a miss and save yourself the pain and annoyance.

Confusing timeline ?

[akon2002 · 6/10 · 17 October 2019]

How is John young back when he is being conditioned by Cicada and Petra is young , pretty and missing a finger ? And then , now in present day John is still young Stilleto 6 is a cold war era nuke and Petra is old , cronish and still missing a finger when she kills the old man/ husband with a sickle ? Did I miss something or what ? John gets the french reset and wakes up out on the snow with a huge bag full of what I assume is heroin ? I'm like What ??

Bourne-Worthy Origin Story

[xjumper65 · 8/10 · 2 December 2019]

I think this show is well written, well-acted, well-shot, and well-choreographed. The entire show is faithful to the Bourne series not only story, cinematography, style, and feel but also in its multiple global locations. It's sort of an origin story for the indoctrination program that created Jason Bourne and the operatives like him. The fight scenes are high quality and Bourne-worthy and I have no doubt the actors trained very hard to pull these off. Kudos to the fight choreographer as well. I'm a big Bourne fan-I read the books in the 1980's and have owned and watched the movies multiple times and still think they are among the best action movies ever made. Having said that, I am enjoying this show more than The Bourne Legacy movie. Those who complain the story is confusing are likely not paying attention while watching or are so used to watching shows/movies where every detail is spelled out to the viewer. (See this guy with the black leather jacket, the nasty scar on his face, the milky dead eye, and the cat on his lap, well he's the bad guy). This is a somewhat layered espionage storyline that switches between present-day and 1973. The premise is that in 1973, the Treadstone project started creating sleeper agents cleverly named cicadas (insects that lay dormant for 17 years before returning in droves). Some unknown person is waking up these cicada operatives (who don't even know they are badasses) and sending them on missions to kill people with the ultimate goal of selling a decommissioned and unaccounted Cold War Russian nuclear missile to the North Koreans. Through period flashbacks, we get to see the Russians re-program captured CIA officers, completely wiping their memories and allegiance to the USA and turning them into badasses. Clearly, something goes wrong with one such operative who is on a quest to figure out who he is/was, what happened to him, what he's done, and who he needs to blame and seek vengeance on. In typical Bourne style, there is intrigue which forces you to pay attention, make connections, and wait for reveals. I know some people like to veg in front of the idiot box and not think, but not being spoon-fed a simplistic story is part of the enjoyment of this genre for me. Imagine that, TV you actually need to think about! The movies were also like this, but I suppose for some a chapter title that says "Budapest 1973" is not a big enough clue to let them know that what follows is a flashback to the early days of the Treadstone-type project. And if they can't decipher an on screen title written in plain English, perhaps it's too much to expect that the distinctive clothing, music, characters, names, and storyline would be clues they could pick up on to let them know they are watching a different subplot. Perhaps these viewer should stick to the Real Housewives. I would recommend they read a book to learn how to follow multiple subplots, but then again, the subtitles of my the Korean and Russian characters in this show are probably too much reading already. The reviewers who really confound me are the ones who claim to be confused by 'look alike' actors. The main storylines involve a North Korean woman, a black woman with a British accent, and a bearded American man of middle age. The only characters who are even the same race and age are two white males in their late 20's, but these characters are separated by 46 years and completely different sets, costumes, and storylines. One is a recently woken sleeper agent married to a brunette American and the other is a single man undergoing brainwashing by a Russian redhead. Aside from everyone and everything around these two characters being different, one looks like a male model and the other looks like Kevin Dillon. Anyone who can't tell these characters apart should be screened for face-blindness. This is a good show for any Bourne fan with at least half a brain. I hope there's a Season 2.

Nice action problematic story

[Ranbl · 6/10 · 15 February 2020]

The story is too convoluted. They tell too many stories and none of them let you get to know the characters. We see a reporter evading trained agents in a country she does not live in knowing each street. We see this jason bourne types that fight like a ninja on one scene and get beaten easily next. Tess haubrich is fantastic. Michelle forbes is a pro like always. The rest are just ok. The jack ryan series is way better.

Very confusing

[dwwaddell · 4/10 · 30 October 2019]

There are three male characters that look very similar. The program jumps around a lot and it is difficult to follow the action. Characters arrive in the scene with no explanation as to who they are or what they do.

Off to a good start!

[joeyford-55342 · 8/10 · 23 October 2019]

I love BOURNE and this is a lot like that. The only problem is the same issue I had with ATOMIC BLONDE, a little girl is not going to manhandle a big man. Some of the physics are weird like two cars bumping sideways so they both flip long-way. Otherwise, great stuff. Good action, the fight scenes are on point. The driving scenes are good. A little jumbled plot but I guess we will unravel the puzzle as we go. Good fun. One of our favorite shows on TV right now!

Better than expected

[booezoo · 6/10 · 17 April 2021]

Much better than expected for tv budgets! Good acting and production quality as well. I think it being a cable show worked in its favor because NBC/ABC/CBS would have made it cheesy! Just wish there were more seasons.

Started well enough, but has started to drift...

[toadyblegh · 4/10 · 30 October 2019]

There's a lot to like about Treadstone. It's fast paced, plenty of action and tension, beautifully filmed and, for the most part, well acted. Sadly, the story has started to drift and becoming increasingly opaque and complex, with multiple converging story lines, some of which are incredibly silly (like a super-powered. super spy guarding a secret missile silo for decades in the hopes of one day restoring the Soviet Union). It's only three episodes in and the series has already jumped multiple sharks, while making it almost impossible to keep up with or care about an ever-expanding cast of characters. I'm already ready to just give up and watch something else.

Watch it and form your own opinion!

[crash_kt · 8/10 · 18 November 2020]

I for one enjoyed it! And was very disappointed to find out that season 2 was cancelled 😑! The back & forth thing with timeline is really not difficult to follow and the characters are all interesting ; really was curious what will happen next! Great stories, maybe one day someone will consider running a second season!

Surprisingly bad. Plot and dialogue are cringe-worthy.

[random-70778 · 17 October 2019]

Wow. I don't see how anyone can rate this mess above a four. The dialogue is idiotic. And the plotting is absurd. One of the professional reviewers, I believe it was Ebert, called this a "mush' and I agree.

Inexplicable absence of sub-titles in Episode 3

[thegulls1 · 7/10 · 14 January 2020]

This is a 'spy-Manchrian-Candidate' series based loosely around the type of indoctrination we saw poor Jason Bourne get roped into acdecade ago. Only, with Jason, once we figured out who the bad guys were, the stories were pretty easy to follow.

In this series, there are Jason Bournes all over the globe--some programmed by the Russkies, some working for the 'good guys'. We also have progressive flashbacks, which is a lousy way to unfold a story. In my opinion, go back once & give us the back-story & then get on with it.

Furthermore, despite the multiplicity of languages, in Episode 3, the sub-titles for Hindi, Korean, Russian & Spanish abruptly stop. Question: how are WE supposed to follow the story? Never seen it before--can only assume the Production ran out of money. Next time, Prime, just do the story in English, with accents?! We get it.

Notice there are no spoilers? I don't have a clue where this is going. The 'fight' scenes are great, but, if there is a master-story unfolding, I haven't figured it out yet. And, if I don't see sub-titles soon, I never will

• Canuckteach 6/10

Very gripping so far

[calhobbes99 · 9/10 · 25 November 2019]

Very gripping so far. A bit confusing going back and forth in time and across 3 continents but once you get the flow it is worthwhile watch. Excited to see how the stories unfold.

Good show.

[darrel076 · 7/10 · 30 January 2021]

Treadstone is a cool show. I personally believe had the focus been on only 2 people , we could have connected and ibeen more invested in the characters.

Really good

[Pensluvr · 8/10 · 19 October 2019]

I really enjoyed the pilot and can tell this is going to be a really good series. I only gave 8 stars bc they could've done better with the time jumps and explaining when is when. That was a tad confusing. And I had to look up and make sure the dude in 73 wasn't the same guy (that didn't age) in the present time.

Enjoyable but pacing is inconsistent

[rchevalier-37303 · 7/10 · 27 January 2020]

The time jumps are sometimes hard to follow but this is what Ludlum did in his novels. If you have not watched the Bourne Ultimatum film all the chatter about Blackbriar is going to mean nothing at all which makes the show hard to follow. Watch the film first. This is inspired by Ludlum but comes from a different place. The pacing of the season finale is very rushed as the writers scramble to tie off multiple subplots. Earlier episodes were much slower and the discontinuity in pacing is disappointing. Without spoilers being shared it is clear that the show was set up for a second season because despite the tie offs nothing actually ends. The actors vary with the Korean actress the one a viewer can most latch on to

If only they had spent more money on the writing....

[Good-Will · 4/10 · 13 November 2019]

This could have been good, but most of the budget seems to have been spent on location filming, and although the locations are great then you need to put a decent plot in place, then add talented writers who can write a credible script. Instead, what we have is an ever increasing use of clichés and tropes which is massively disappointing. It may get better but after watching five episodes then the likelihood of that seems extremely slim, so I'm giving up on it since there are far better shows to watch than this.

Solid TV series based on Bourne Saga

[limbikanidambuleni · 9/10 · 25 October 2019]

This is a spin off about treadstone its not about Bourne so please Fanboys give it a rest.

Honestly. I enjoyed the first Bourne trilogy movies and this for a TV show is quite solid and has that original "feel" of the old movies to it.

Comparing this to the movies is unfair it has its own pace, the actors are great and well casted, the action is again ...solid, the N. Korea touch has been done well and overall if they keep the worldwide story telling going back and forth in time as well is a good touch so yeah.

All in all a (again) solid TV series, good action, good cast, fairly good storyline but not entirely original but then again it's treadstone so you know exactly what you will be getting here.

Give it a chance and enjoy it. Pilot was great I am in.

Too many character arcs, too little time

[HeavyHorseArcher · 6/10 · 1 March 2020]

The show flips between present day and the Cold War era. It has a lot of moving parts.

The concept of the TV show is interesting, the characters are interesting but there are too many storylines for the run-time of season 1.

I really wanted to like this but I found myself bored despite a considerable amount of action.

The Jason Bourne movie trilogy was only a few hours shorter than Treadstone season 1... and it focused on a single character.

This show had two characters in the Cold War era and then present day had 4-5 more characters. Now have shows worked with larges casts before? Yes. But they were ensemble casts or they weren't ensemble casts at the start of the show but quickly merged into an ensemble working towards a common goal or two competing goals. I did not see this in Treadstone Season 1.

I give it a 6, it's worth giving it a chance but it felt like they needed more episodes or less storylines that they could spend more time developing.

What's going on?

[NotMoreMovies · 5/10 · 13 November 2019]

I already read a review similar to the one I'm going to write, but here's mine: It started out promising, and them midway though the pilot it descended into madness. The plot that we thought was clear becomes splintered. We get glimpses of what's happening, but no clear objective. There seem to be at least 3 plotlines...one in the past, one in the future, and one in southeast Asia. And each show bounces us between them so fast we have no idea what's going on. Did you ever see the movie Funny Farm when Chevy Chase wrote a novel? His wife's review of his book is kind of like this show. In one episode you get 3 flashbacks, 2 flash forwards and then you have someone who gets a flash-sideways :).