Remember the guy that was a complete abusive sociopath who said he’s, “50 shades of f**ked up”? Well, he’s back! But not Christian Grey, Jamie Dornan, who’s done his best to shave his 50 Shades of Grey image. Dornan is currently in the Best Picture Oscar-nominated feature, Belfast, so he’s been a pretty busy guy. Dornan’s latest vehicle is HBO Max’s The Tourist, which is about a man traveling around the Australian outback and suddenly gets into a huge accident. That incident gives him amnesia and he must find clues to discover his identity as someone from his past is trying to kill him. Thus far, the series has scored an impressively high score on rotten tomatoes – 96% as of this writing – but is The Tourist really worth going out of way watching? Let’s examine the pilot and whether it’s worth giving a shot.
The Tourist starts off nicely. One of the standout moments in the show so far is the location. It’s refreshing that the show is taking place somewhere that isn’t in the typical filming world such as California, New York, or Washington D.C. The Australian Outbreak gives The Tourist some nice character that allows you to see a different part of a world that isn’t showcased much in American television or film. The pilot starts off fairly simple, we’re given some insight into Jamie Dornan’s character – whose name is never mentioned at this point, though purposely. However, this moment will play an important part later on in the episode. Then, the big chase scene between a mysterious trucker and Dornan happens. In the car, the actor displays a nice personality before the dramatic moment takes place. This sequence is actually important because it makes his character likable and relatable, a trait that’s far too often missing in mystery/crime shows. The chase between the trucker and Mr. No Name is fast-paced and exciting.
Now, the accident is played in the trailers and the whole premise is about a man trying to find his identity, so don’t worry if you think I’m giving away an important plot point that you didn’t want to know. Given the premise, there was no way that he was dying here, but if you happened to skip out on the trailer then there’s still an air of mystery here over what happens next. Even that glimmer of hope that sees Mr. No Name escape the stalker provides a nice sense of tension and relief. Once the inciting incident takes place, the show mainly focuses on the characters and Mr. No Name’s journey to finding out what his identity is. Now, I won’t spoil all the things that happened, but by the time the end credits rolled, I was curious to find out more about this world and characters. The Tourist wisely builds slow, yet each scene progresses the show forward and adds layers to the complex situations. Of course, with a mystery like this, characterization is essentially crucial. It’s like a whodunit mystery, everyone has to have some type of shades of grey that makes you question whether they’re trying to kill Mr. No Name. The show does a great job with several off the characters who could be the mysterious culprit. Danielle Macdonald’s Helen Chambers seems to be the only one with good intentions; Or is she? You never know with these type of shows and that question keeps you interested throughout the pilot.
Jamie Dornan puts on a good performance here. Granted, it’s nothing so amazing that you’ll be calling for him to win an Emmy, but his character has a nice level of charisma that allows you to connect with the guy. The tricky thing is that you don’t know much about this man, so it’s easy to be disconnected from the story because he’s the focal point. There’s enough mystery regarding his name, or his past that you want to keep watching just to see why someone is trying to kill him. On the surface, Mr. No Name seems like a nice guy, but why is he in the Australian Outback in the first place? What’s his job? Or home life? What dark secrets lie behind this scruffy fellow? Dornan’s personality shines in a way that keeps you entertained and yet extremely compelled once more clues about his past pop-up. All-in-all, The Tourist is worth checking out. The show is nearly an hour long, yet the time easily flew by because of how important everything feels. This isn’t an action packed show that moves at a break-neck pace so its impressive that everything feels smooth and compelling until the end credits roll. It’s not the best pilot you’ll ever see, but it’s worth watching the first episode to see if you’re like to continue exploring this world.
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