XIII: The Series

XIII (pronounced Thirteen) starts out all Bourne-like: XIII is a lethal covert operative whose memory has been wiped -- how is this possible? -- so he spends several years (two seasons) trying to discover who he is, and uncover then defeat a plot to destroy civilization as we know it. He is alternately commissioned and condemned by the US President, whose GQ-styled heads of Homeland Security and the CIA seem to be running their own treasonous conspiracies. XIII's only support is his conflicted former partner, who is quite kick-ass herself (Aisha Tyler, voice of Archer's Lana Kane). While all the characters in this show have been around, they were unknown to me -- this is a show from Canada -- but with a few provisos, they did quite well in every role (esp. the lead, who ably carried the show via three roles). My chief gripe in season 1 is the sound engineering: The plot is passable, but chase scenes jack up the volume and percussion, scene transitions use multiple flash and swish effects, and nearly everyone speaks in a low murmur (so my volume was constantly going from 14 to 24 and back). Season 2 simply went off the rails: There is no simple way to touch on the mishmash of plot points, plot holes, and incredulity that pass for its 13 episodes. Short of multiple viewings, it may be impossible to determine what layer of the story, or whose virtual-reality construct we are in, much less which character XIII really is. The president goes off the deep end -- yet no one reacts to his clear rantings and hallucinations -- and then doubles down, while a smarmy scheming female governor from Alaska (with a southern accent) storms the White House bunker. Then there are the real villains and their nefarious scheme! It was a slog to finish, but the lead character is likable, as is his cohorts -- you root for them. Canada makes some great shows, and while this one is uneven, it is more complex (and sometimes silly) than Jack Bauer in 24. Enjoy! 3.5 stars. (10-28-2017)