IR TV Review: HIGH VALUE TARGET - THE HUNT FOR SADDAM -EPISODES 1 & 2 [TNT]

Perspective always takes a certain kind of person in high stakes world functions. But sometimes for matters of security or intelligence those moves are many times not know until long after. The adaptation of retired CIA Analyst John Nixon’s memoir which eventually led to his interrogation of Saddam Hussein is a lesson in personality. The first episode sets up the context of Nixon in the play of things. He is a CIA analyst who is headstrong but in many ways rubs his superiors the wrong way. He wants to get into the dirt but is almost too clean to do so...and too arrogant in his assertions. The Jack Ryan parallel is there but Ryan had marine training. Casting Joel Kinnaman, known for "Altered Carbon", "Suicide Squad" and "For All Mankind" is an interesting play because he has the action chops. But the reality here is that he wanted to move against type which makes sense. In the first episode his dad tells him that he is not made for it. Nixon’s brother was killed in action in Afghanistan according to the narrative of the series. Obviously that makes John want to get into the fight but he is also more measured. His wife has MS so there is a million reasons for him not to get into the heart of the beast in Baghdad in 2003.

But Nixon is drawn because as he says he knows Saddam better than anyone. The CIA and the government though apparently believed in following the generals while Nixon believed in following the domestic connections. There is a concurrent story in the first episode with slot of gunfire on the streets of Baghdad. Cairo present day served as the filming location. The soldier on the ground there are following leads for Saddam but everything comes up short. And yet the US Government keeps purporting aspects of WMDs. There is also a denial at the end of the first episode. There is time that passes between the 1st and 2nd episodes but it shows the progression and also the dead ends of some intelligence. After some maneuvering and some bended knees in a way, Nixon is able to get to Baghdad but for most part he is like a mosquito in water. He knows what he needs to do but takes it too seriously and doesn’t have certain skills to really make the dots stick. However a raid at the end of Episode 2 shows us what we need to see. Kinnaman’s twinkled eye comes alive so you know he is in there even though the idea is about doing something different than what he is known for. At one point he sits in Saddam’s place seat but quickly is overcome by it. A certain capture is the first step but a person remains hidden because of safeguards in place and it matters, as in storytelling how the onion is peeled. 85%/B+

By Tim Wassberg