Netflix ‘Hostage’

[Nomdemare]

I like Suranne Jones as an actress but I just can’t see past the Bridget Phillippson / Rachel Reeves style pelmet. (Sorry)

Was it any good? Thinking of watching tonight

It’s easy and watchable; not good.

This was the headline of the Times review:

Is Netflix’s Hostage a thriller or a soap? Even Suranne Jones can’t save it.
Doesn't sound like something you drop everything to watch 😅

No spoilers here - but the one thing the series seemed to lack was any of the Intelligence agencies, UK Special Forces, or any basic security around world leaders.

I am on Episode 2,it is beyond ludicrous.Someone asked somewhere if it’s based on a real life story!!

I will carry on for a bit,see how it goes.If I get desperate I will scroll to the end.

I'm not liking it. Can't quite place why but I think it might be pacing and some confusions I have over plot (all the stuff about the French border agencies makes no sense!). I can't help imagining what Jed Mercurio would do with this.

I'm a bit fed up of seeing James Cosmo playing everyone's dad in everything at the moment and find the daughter very annoying and think Ashley Thomas' character is so under developed that I don't care I also think he's a terrible actor. I've watched two.

There was an interesting review on Roger Ebert so from a US perspective. She picked up on the best thing being the costuming of Delpy and Jones which was interesting but found the rest lacking in oomph. No major spoilers:

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/hostage-tv-review-2025

This is painfully bad - from the political crisis to the undercover agent to the whole reason they want her out

Yes, this. As if there would be no extra security around the PM's husband. I'm struggling to get through the first episode.

And why does the French stepson have an English accent?

and the drugs shortage…

i watched it all over the last two days… I found it a bit clumsy at times. Ok if you want an easy watch and something on in the background but I wouldn’t run to watch it. Which is a shame because I rate Suranne Jones highly.

I'm guessing him and his father are British.

Was he French? I just assumed he was English

I got as far as the French President arriving and stopped watching. Reading this, I am not sure I will bother starting again. A shame as I need something decent to watch.

It’s dreadful.
I managed the first episode but couldn’t take any more of it.
bloody awful

Awww, I've been looking forward to this for weeks! I like Suranne Jones!

Is it shite then?

I will give episode 1 a go (tomorrow.)

We were so looking forward to it. Gave up after episode one! The plot line is ludicrous, the grumpy teenager was such a stereotype and I found the French/anglo antagonism portrayed between these two supposedly powerful women boring.

Dad is French

I liked Dr Foster, but generally not keen on Suranne Jones. Thought I’d give this a go but the reviews are really poor, so probably won’t bother. Actually I think I liked Scott and Bailey because I love Lesley Sharp, and Dr Foster because of Jodie Comer.

I keep thinking of watching this but I can't tear myself away from something else I'm watching, it doesn't seem like I'm missing much. I will keep a eye out on the thread though

I watched episode 1 and decided not to bother watching the rest, it was boring.

I actually quite enjoyed it! Nearly gave up after 1st episode but stuck with it. Easy watching

Managed to get through half of episode 1 and then turned it off as thought it was shit:

Really basic, clunking, cliched script (and lots of telling rather than showing) and really cheap unimaginative production values.

So unrealistic that it got in the way completely of me being even vaguely interested in the shit plot. e.g husband of the PM with no security left to run around a remote country in South America dispensing vaccines , French President turning up with just 1 advisor who looked about 27….If you have even the slightest understanding of how the UK and other Govts work you know there would be about eleventy billion civil servants, special advisors, press secretaries, diary secretaries etc etc hanging around THE WHOLE TIME!! I get you need to subvert that to create plot and drama but at least in moments that don’t matter show some realism in the story.

Oh god and then the awful teenage daughter trope. So bored of this as a plot device. It adds literally nothing and NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN A WHINY TEENAGER!!! And the high powered women who have these tedious teenagers are always being shown racked with guilt at not being around for them enough while the “long suffering” husband looks concerned from the back of the kitchen while also holding down his suitably caring job as a doctor, teacher blah blah.

Anyway, as you can tell I thought it was awful 😬

If you can get past the plot holes, it’s vaguely watchable. Laughed when the dad was at death’s door in hospital, managed to discharge himself in order to confront his daughter, only to check himself back into hospital and return to being deathly ill again. 😂

I’ll probably keep watching till the end.

Also ‘teenage daughter’ must be at least mid 20s if not older.

Dd and I watched two episodes last night and both just kept saying ‘well just resign then’