American Odyssey, NBC’s new political conspiracy drama starring Anna Friel, debuts April 5, right after A.D. The Bible Continues. But as I say in my video review above, this conspiracy drama is very different fare for an Easter Sunday evening. It’s an ambitious effort from NBC that in its best moments feels like those much-revered 1970s political dramas. It’s worth giving the show chance to grow, but I have to say that for most of the time American Odyssey feels derivative of Showtime’s Emmy-winning, long-running Homeland.
The story line by Peter Horton, Adam Armus and Kay Foster often is overly complex. At its foundation is Friel’s character, a Special Forces translator caught up in a hornet’s nest of corporate dirty deals, bloody realpolitik, private armies and a hostile landscape. Supposedly killed by jihadists while deployed in Mali, Sgt. Odelle Ballard is trying to find her way home.
Meanwhile, interwoven Stateside stories reveal the depth of deceit that nearly left her dead. The Twilight Saga’s Peter Facinelli co-stars as a former government lawyer who uncovers some very shady finances while working for a prestigious private firm. Jake Robinson also appears as an activist with a journalist father who discovers another component of the multi-headed conspiracy.
Previously known as Odyssey, NBC ordered a full season of the show in May.
Take a look at my review. Will you be tuning in on Sunday night? Let us know what you think.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.