TF1S ‘imminent Threat’ Thriller Draws Criticism for Clichéd Plot, Historical Omission
Paris – TF1’s new thriller series, Imminent Threat, starring Patrick Bruel in his first leading role of this format, is facing early criticism for a plot described as predictable and overloaded with genre tropes. The series, presented as a high-stakes cyberattack thriller spanning Tel Aviv and Paris, has been likened to a blend of The Legends Office and 24 hours flat, but reviewers suggest it falls short of both in execution.
Adapted from Dov Alfon’s 2019 novel Unit 8200 - Alfon currently serves as editorial director of Liberation – the series centers on an Israeli intelligence legend and a French counterespionage cop racing against time to prevent a cyberattack. However, critics point to an excess of familiar elements, including “Machiavellian spyware, murdered Russian journalist, (far too much) psychopathic killer, young rebellious Israeli soldiers, reheated love story, hostage taking…” contributing to a sense of “indigestion.” A notable point of contention is the series’ omission of any reference to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which some observers find jarring given the series’ setting and subject matter, creating a “uneasy weightlessness” at a time when fiction increasingly mirrors real-world events.
