Alex Rider: Season 2 Premiere

Based on: Alex Rider book series by Anthony Horowitz

Created by: Guy Burt

Directed by: Andreas Prochaska & Christopher Smith

Starring: Otto Farrant (Alex Rider), Stephen Dillane (Alan Blunt), Vicky McClure (Mrs. Jones), Brenock O'Connor (Tom Harris), Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo (Jack Starbright), Charithra Chandran (Sabina Pleasance)

It's been a very long time since I read the books. 

But I remember the major aspects of the books, more so if I read book synopses. I was very impressed with season 1 when it aired a year or so ago and so far, I'm equally impressed with this premiere! 

First, lemme just say--those opening credits. Great. I remember when I was watching the first season, I was at work doing some long, mindless task, and that opening song just kept running through my mind. Lemme Google it--apparently "The World Is Mine" by Samm Henshaw. Well, thank you for that, Mr. Henshaw! And the visuals are equal to the song. They're nonstop, using transparent shapes growing bigger or smaller and sliding across the screen, constantly shifting action sequences. They really complement the actiony and mysterious, always-on vibe. It feels anxious, always jumping from one thing to the next, unable to stand still, paranoid, but all in a good, fun way--and that's perfect for Alex Rider because it's exactly the world that Alex is in. As a spy, even if he's not on mission, he's learned to have this nonstop paranoia. "Constant vigilance," as Mad-Eye from Harry Potter would say. 

And that's the vibe I get from this premiere, as well. I felt like it gave me a glimpse of what this does to a person, which is really great. It's like a darker, deeper side to Alex's world that was a bit too much for Horowitz's original readers (myself younger self) to understand, but it's not too much for Burt's older viewers. It's this idea that Alex has been thrown in danger of his life and has had to rely on literally only his own wits for actual survival. His impulses, his sense for something being off, his intuition, is legitimately keeping him alive. And when that's the case, as it was during his adventures in season 1, it's hard to simply turn that off. When something keeps you alive for a long period, that turns into a reflex, a learned reaction, and one's body does not simply abandon that without fully processing that it's no longer in danger. This all applies to normal life as well, especially in cases of abuse. But it's much more for Alex. 

Wow, that's all stuff I hadn't originally thought to write out when I started this post! But thoughts about those opening credits led me to realize why they excited me and the actual, deeper vibe that I felt left with after this episode. 

Moving on, I had planned to say how my experiences and education as a screenwriter have corrupted me 😂 I keep analyzing story, characters, and foreshadowing as I watch these days. It's something that happens much more innately, and I actually enjoy it! In this episode, the camera focused on two brand new characters that Alex happened to bump into at one point. It also focused on a random internet service van that was at someone's house. The momentary focus led me to realize, "These must be important." And that's a sign of good writing. Both instances did, in fact, become important. I appreciate that these important plot points were introduced earlier than when they were important, so the viewer has some point of reference for them. I appreciated that they were integrated naturally; they didn't feel rushed. 

Also, a word on adapting things to screen: some things will change. I'm learning this more and more as I learn more about film and its technique. Film is different from books and it's also different from animation. Film has its own strengths and weaknesses, and I think many audiences need to be more understanding of this. There's a reason I kept this for more of the end of my post: because these changes are not that important to me. A big part of the reason I'm able to thoroughly enjoy these TV series and adaptations is because I don't focus on the changes. Yes, I recognize they're there. Yes, season 1 adapted Point Blanc, and the season was fairly different from the events of the same book. Yes, I'm expecting this second season to be fairly different from Eagle Strike. I have one friend who has chosen (last I heard, at least) not to watch this series because she doesn't want it to taint her memory of the book. But why let it? I absolutely loved the books, and I'm fully expecting to love this adaption. I guess I just don't view them as the same thing. Now, if they changed the characters significantly like suddenly making Mrs. Jones (a strong ally to Alex through the entire books series) into a major villain, I would be more upset. But even then, I would hope it would have some merit in Burt's vision of the story. 

The more important thing to me was what I mentioned just above: the good storytelling in terms of foreshadowing. And that's not just per episode. In this premiere, they showed a lot of Alex's friend Tom playing video games. In the middle of the episode there was a moment when Tom gives advice to a stranger in public who's playing the same game on their handheld device, and Tom's advice allows this stranger to win a battle. Although the whole thing is kind of a joke in the episode, it tells the audience that Tom spendings a fair amount of time playing this game and that he's good at it. Now, in Eagle Strike, which this second season is adapting, the main plot involves a CEO creating a video game and Alex being forced to survive a real-life version of it. None of this plot is hinted at all in the episode, but the foundations have been laid by what seems to be a gag. 

For all these reasons and more, I'm loving Alex Rider. I hope that any of you who have read the books may give it a chance, too!