'Citadel' Episode05 review: Jargon-laced show a chore to sit through
Amazon Prime Video's Citadel is finally crawling toward its end. The penultimate episode of the six-part series is out and just like its predecessors, it doesn't give us much to root for. The painfully drab episode is cut from the same cloth as the rest of the series and despite some twists and revelations, it suffers under the weight of its own ambitions.
The fifth episode is focused on Nadia's real identity
A continuation of the fourth episode, this episode of the spy thriller show is focused on discovering whether Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is a dedicated Citadel spy or a mole who worked for the rival organization Manticore in the past. On the other hand, Celeste, Mason's daughter has been captured by the primary antagonist Dahlia, who blackmails Mason in exchange for the child.
All 'Citadel' episodes seem similar!
With each passing episode, Citadel tends to become more lustreless, as if all life has been sucked out of it before it went on air. It's difficult to differentiate one episode from the other because all of them seem the same and follow the same path—there is no engaging storytelling, and it feels like the makers wanted to chalk off tasks from a list.
'Citadel's extravagant locations are a facade for hollow storytelling
In Episode 5, more characters, unnecessary jargon, and locations from around the world are unloaded on our heads. By now, Citadel's approach is evident—it isn't interested in inviting the viewer into its world and is content with keeping them at a distance while being preoccupied with flashy locations and seemingly jawdropping revelations that actually mean nothing because they are painfully hollow at their core.
The show continues to be bogged down by cliches
Another reason why Citadel is messy is that it's confused about its central path and its story never rises above its premise, which is redolent of every spy project ever. We are repeatedly told Nadia could be a mole, but there is not much to care about here since the show has failed at keeping us intrigued about her "real identity."
The twists and turns don't move or surprise you
Citadel makes much ado about absolutely nothing, and even when the revelatory moments arrive (such as in this episode), they leave you absolutely unmoved because they are stripped clean of any gravitas or emotion. What started as a promising, explosive show has now been reduced to less of an interesting project and more of a chore. It's like a broad canvas with no colors.
Our expectations are at an all-time low
The sole saving grace is the consistent chemistry between Richard Madden and Chopra Jonas. The show is not invested in itself, but at least they are. Citadel, as we see it now, is the result of months of shooting, reshooting, and creative conflict, and this haphazardness is conspicuous onscreen. "I don't have much patience for this," says a character, and I couldn't agree more.
