Patriot Online

Michael Dorman Kurtwood Smith Michael Chernus

Original Title :: Patriot
Genre :: TV Series / Comedy / Drama / Thriller
Cast :: Michael Dorman,Kurtwood Smith,Michael Chernus
Type :: TV Series
Time :: 58min
Rating :: 8.3/10

Follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner, whose latest assignment - to prevent Iran from going nuclear - requires him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous non-official cover.

Patriot Online

John Tavner doesn't really fit in with his quirky colleagues at the industrial piping corporation where he works. They don't really know much about him, but what they don't realize is that his life has been anything but mundane. To prevent Iran from going nuclear, he has assumed a fake persona as an average businessman when in reality he is actually a highly skilled intelligence officer, who took the piping job because of the routine business trips to Luxembourg, and because the job is secluded and too dull to be noticed. Unfortunately for him a European cop is at his heels trying to discover who he is, his incessantly grim and nervous coworker Mr. Icabod has figured out that he isn't who he says, and Steven, a chubby employee with a recent brain injury, is starting to remember a horrible act which John may have inflicted.

Series cast summary:
	Michael Dorman	-	John Tavner 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Kurtwood Smith	-	Leslie Claret 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Michael Chernus	-	Edward Tavner 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Kathleen Munroe	-	Alice Tavner 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Aliette Opheim	-	Detective Agathe Albans 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Chris Conrad	-	Dennis McClaren 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Terry O'Quinn	-	Tom Tavner 18 episodes, 2015-2018

	Julian Richings	-	Peter Icabod 15 episodes, 2015-2018

	Gil Bellows	-	Lawrence Lacroix 14 episodes, 2015-2018

	Zoe Schwartz	-	Sophie 12 episodes, 2017-2018

	Tony Fitzpatrick	-	Jack Birdbath 12 episodes, 2015-2018

	Jolie Olympia Choko	-	Myna Albans / - 12 episodes, 2015-2018

	Sylvie Sadarnac	-	Det. Lucie Prum-Waltzing / - 10 episodes, 2017-2018

	Marcus Toji	-	Stephen Tchoo 9 episodes, 2015-2017

	Antoine McKay	-	Gregory Gordon 9 episodes, 2017-2018

	Charlotte Arnold	-	Ally O'Dhonaill / - 8 episodes, 2015-2017

	Sadieh Rifai	-	Mahtma El-Mashad 8 episodes, 2017

	Azhar Usman	-	Kkyman Candahar 8 episodes, 2017-2018

	Mike O'Connell	-	Ron 8 episodes, 2017-2018

	Chastity Dotson	-	Carol 8 episodes, 2017-2018

Michael Dorman is a musician as well as actor, and sings all his songs on the show himself.

In S1 E6, when Peter Icabod is being interviewed by the police in Luxembourg, he mentions that his full name is "Peter Cassius Icabod". The middle name Cassius means "hollow", so it was chosen as a sort of in-joke reference to the fictional book/folktale 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', since in the show Peter often gets made fun of for looking like Icabod Crane.

The "Luxembourg" scenes were actually filmed in the beautiful Czech city of Prague in the area surrounding the Charles Bridge. Constructed between 1357 and 1402 and named after King Charles IV, it is well known for its stunning Gothic Tower and the 30 mainly Baroque statues that span the length of the bridge.

The guitar that John plays in the series is a Cole Clark; this is probably Michael Dorman's own guitar, as he hails from New Zealand and the maker is a well known antipodean luthier.

The CD album is titled 'Circles of Resonance' by Tyhmens & Saperstein. Tracklisting includes the songs Afternoon Spray, Diamond Dust, Supercell, I Don't Wanna Be Found, Fortunate and Can't Wait For May.

Tyhmen's & Saperstein model themselves after folk singers Simon and Garfunkel. Their CD cover is a copy of the photo on Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence album. The title songs on both albums refer to sounds, and the duos' names even have the same cadence.

The school uniforms that Agathe's daughter and the other children at the police station wear during the "Take Your Child to Work Day" scenes, is indeed one of the traditional styles of school uniforms for younger girls in Luxembourg. Older students usually wear pleated skirts/pants with blazer combinations.

This is Kurtwood Smith's second role playing a character based in the state of Wisconsin. His first role was playing the father character Red Forman, in the TV program "That 70s Show," which ran from 1998-2006.

There is no 'St. Swithins Road' in Jaywick, the nearest road of that name being at Whiststable in Kent or at Norwich in Norfolk. The postal code 'CM1 1NG' does not cover the Jaywick area of Essex, that being covered by the 'CO' Colchester postal district office. CM1 1NG is the post code for the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company building in Chelmsford, Essex.

Kurtwood Smith and Terry O'Quinn both had roles together in another espionage feature, the 1991 spy movie "Company Business", starring Gene Hackman and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The information on Candahar's UK Driving Licence shows his birthday as 12th August 1977 in the U.K., that he can drive a car (B+E), a small lorry (C1+E) and a small bus with a trailer (D1+E), a tractor (F), a sit-on mower (K), an electric vehicle (L), vehicles exempt from duty (N) and a moped (P). and his address as 11 St. Swithins Road, Jaywick Sands, Essex, CM1 1NG. The L category is shown twice, however.

Kurtwood Smith and Kathleen Munroe previously starred together in the TV series Resurrection (2014).

User reviews

Ubranzac

Patriot is in the comedy category, but it is a blend of drama and comedy, in nearly equal parts. It has many laugh out loud moments, but so does the Mad Men, to a lesser degree. Patriot is extremely personal, thought provoking, and touching.

This is absolutely the most artistic show of the new breed of excellent television in recent years. It's far above most of Amazon's offerings. I love this show. Every aspect is top-notch: the acting, the direction, the script, the cinematography. IMO this could be the best new show of the last year or two.

I sincerely hope Amazon renews for a second season.

Weiehan

This is hands down one of the finest crafted stories I've watched in my 40+ years on this planet in any medium.

I really don't want to give spoilers as the plot is a journey that I hope you take in from start to finish with minimal knowledge of what it is to come. I'll only mention things in vague fashion and with information that you would find out from the intro/trailers.

At a glance this may appear to be just another spy thriller. But what lies beneath is a dark comedy wrapped in a drama/mystery/thriller. And the writers treat the audience with a level of respect rarely seen these days. They expect you to pay attention and follow along so they don't just spoon feed you every detail up front.

But they also don't leave you hanging too far out there either. The narrative has a back and forth ebb and flow around when the main events take place but isn't afraid to jump to the future and past on a whim to give you more depth and background.

Rarely do you see characters this well crafted, stories this deep and philosophical boundaries questioned with casual deference while juggling political commentary and still managing to toss in some laughs even in the darkest of moments.

Beyond the story being great there is also a solid cast. I don't think there was a single bad performance in this show. Every actor with even the smallest part was a brilliant casting choice that fit precisely into their role. And the leads shoulder burdens that would make Shakespeare proud.

Even from a technical standpoint this was a beautifully shot work of art. Despite the obviously minimal budget there are some simple gorgeous shots in a variety of interesting locations. From old world cities to industrial junk yards, to simple forest scenes. This was a director and cinematographer duo that know how to make the visual story just as interesting as the word play in the script.

I will caution you only that it does start out a bit slow. But the roller coaster you are about to embark on will pick you up and drop you soon enough, so please stay seated and pay attention.

If you have a brain you will laugh, you will cry, and you will wonder why TV and movies don't attempt to be this good more often.

Please let there be more seasons of this. The world really needs it.

Onaxan

Thankfully, this is anything but a paint-by-numbers action series about spies starring somebody like Chuck Norris. This is a quietly hilarious black comedy about the snowballing consequences of acting on inaccurate intelligence information. It's not funny in a slapstick, goofy, unrealistic way like Get Smart of Spy Hard. It's more like Breaking Bad. The comedy surprises you by putting our hero, an intelligence agent, in absurdly bungled situations. These are usually not his fault and almost always made worse by what he has to do to carry out his mission. Shellshocked by what his trusted colleagues' mistakes (maybe even outright incompetence) have put him through, he puts his sadness into autobiographical musical lyrics for folk songs. He plays these with his guitar on park benches and coffee houses in countries where, hopefully, people who hear them won't understand English and rat him out.

His father, a distinguished former Congressman now working for the State Department as his boss, his brother, a loyal but childlike successor to his father's Texas Congressional seat, and his faraway wife help him along and keep him from quitting, getting arrested, or losing his mind. I can't describe to you how much I laughed in the first ten minutes of this pilot or how much I look forward to seeing the rest of them when they're finished. This is something new and unique like (as another reviewer mentioned) the first Coen brothers movie I ever saw. You don't know what's going to happen next, but you know it's going to be wickedly entertaining.

Mr Freeman

I figured I would re-watch the pilot, and then see the second episode. Then the third snuck in there, and a day later I find that I'm searching for whether or not season 2 has been green lit. The story was quite interesting, the characters quite flawed, and the ending came way too quick. I figured I would watch an episode every few days, but I couldn't find the self-restraint.

Gave 9 out of 10 stars due to a bit of repetition where an episode flashed back to earlier scenes. Since I ended up binging the reminder felt superfluous.

Can't wait for season 2.

JOGETIME

If I could give this show more than a 10 I would. It's unexpected - subtle yet exciting, smart but silly with some of the most ingenious and hilarious moments I've ever seen in a show. I found this series because I wanted something new and different to watch and came across Patriot - I'm so thankful I did. Initially, the first episode started off questionably until I got it about halfway through - it takes intelligence to understand what it's trying to do and how the parts begin to fit together. Some scenes simply don't make sense until later. It succeeds where other series fail miserably. Season 3 please!!

Thoginn

Please order more of this show! I haven't seen such a fresh take on a genre--in this case, espionage--since I first saw "Raising Arizona" 35 years ago. My eyes and mouth opened wide at how unique and quirkily this show used the screen, characters, story, and imagery to toss James Bond into a Cuisinart every so often for a pulse.

The whole thing has the feeling, like the incredible camera/bull sequence, of being told as a narrative from the memories and imaginations of two goofy brothers lying out in a tent one summer night, taking turns killing off each other's characters and they hand off the narrative. The setup and pay off of the Asian gentleman and the security guard is brilliant!

I can't stop laughing to make breakfast.

I almost want to never see any more so as to preserve the mystery and perfection. This pilot is Rube Goldberg's Cleaning Closet with all the mops and brooms and buckets just barely kept from chaos by the door.

My one concern is the title, which is hopelessly dull and shares none of the grab bag charm of the script and acting. Even "NOC" is better because it conceals mystery but pays off. Nobody politically left of John McCain would give this a tumble with that name. It sounds like a Tom Clancy novel when it's a lot closer to Tom Robbins.

I'm sold on this writer/director and will now go look up his IMDb credits. Thanks for letting us review.

post_name

WOW!! This show is insane and insanely good. Just finished binge watching the first season and I must say, nothing right now on TV even comes close. Truth be told I have been looking forward to when Steven Conrad would really bloom and I think he has. He wrote "The Weather Man", what seems like ages ago and I was among a minority who loved it. Unfortunately, the movie I think was advertised wrongly and sank (I never saw the trailer and loved it). So much so that a blu-ray version is not out yet with some extra content which was in the trailer but never in the movie. Very criminally underrated in my opinion, not just as a movie but also as one of the best performances of both Michael Caine and Nicholas Cage (oh Nic Cage, please return to form!!) and not to mention an uplifting musical score combined with Gore Verbinski's amazing direction (yes, he did direct something other than Pirates of the Caribbean).

Anyways back to Patriot, the less that I tell you the better it is I think. Its a black comedy with its own sense of weird and absurd humor (more in the vein of Wes Anderson). Another way to look at this show is an exposition of Murphy's Law in espionage. God I want to say more but can't for the fear of ruining it. The other thing I will complement is the music and cinematography (You will know better what I am talking about when you see the show).

Michael Dorman, I don't even know who you are but I am a die hard fan now. And lastly, Amazon, please keep this series going, it will make you proud one day!

Zaryagan

This show does Dark Comedy perfectly. The episodes are well paced yet each episode is able to convey important set pieces and elements which play into the plot later.

Every episode had me saying the words "oh s**t" due to it's mounting tension where simple looking plans are formed and then thrown out the window because something wrong happened. I constantly was wondering what would happen next and each episode kept me completely hooked. I loved all of the characters of which made me feel different emotions from anger to joy, even the more reprehensible of them as they are written with multiple dimensions.

I don't want to spoil the plot of the show as in my opinion would be a disservice to anyone who has not yet seen the show all the way through.

Cinematography is beautiful, the colors stand out and really gives the show a unique look. The soundtrack is amazing (I've been listening to it all week), and the acting is top notch.

Please for the love of God Amazon, make another season. Gamble with another one because this show will catch on with more people. I honestly believe this is the next Breaking Bad-esq critical breakthrough that nobody saw coming but will become huge after further development. Don't rush it, ensure it's of a high a quality as the first season and it WILL catch on.

Anyway, conclusion... Yea this is awesome, the first Amazon exclusive show I actually liked.

unmasked

Utterly brilliant. Laugh out loud funny in places too. A great cast, great script and great camera work and direction. Essentially it is James Bond with depression which does not sound like a winner I know but it really, really works. The Agent in question is highly effective and dangerous but is disconnected and despondent and his way of coping with this is through writing and singing folk songs based on his work and those lyrics give away far more information than they should. The supporting cast are also interesting. It is a family business his father is high up in the agency and his brother is also involved in the CIA but in a non combat way but he is sent to assist and help out when he can. His brother has a very entertaining but not fully explained relationship with a little boy which is a guardian type role but we are not sure if he is or is not actually the boys father. All in all this is the best first episode I have seen so far of this season and I truly hope it gets picked up.

Fesho

PATRIOT is a welcome refuge for all of us scoundrels. Refreshing to see a witty drama laced with dark comedy that treats its audience like grownups. Its quirky take on espionage recalls Brecht's statement that "realism does not consist in reproducing reality but in showing how things really are." It's a highly entertaining mash up off gritty spy drama and heartwarming family drama that is at once both very real and absurdly surreal. Unique, multi-faceted characters, spare ironic dialog and sublimely twisted plot twists - this is a show for the gentle cynic in us all. Central to its conceit is the reality that these kinds of covert operations are more often tragic comedies of error rather than flawless, well-oil machines. And to call the central character a conflicted hero is an understatement to say the least. Hope to see more of this smart, funny series - much more.

Геракл

Absolutely loved it "Hope to see more episodes" Incredible acting , awesome dialogue.

A fresh twist to an age old ,worn out mellow Bond type genre, I hope we see much more of this. I absolutely loved it I even watched it twice, just in case I missed anything.

When I watch a movie I have to hear & comprehend every single word of it and I must see everything in it. the combination of talent & everything else is a welcome change. The actors / actresses chosen for this are a perfect fit. Very well done

Please Make more of this

Sagda

Another Amazon Prime Hit!!!!! Dark, fun ,mysterious, quirky fun!

There is not a single character in this that doesn't have some edge of suspicion!

I can't hardly wait for season 2. Don't make us wait as long as we did after the pilot!

Thetalas

This is a show that's best if you don't watch the trailer, don't read anymore, just go watch it. The show is great, double great.

The story is tight and extremely well written, the acting is perfect, the cinematography has all kinds of tricks up its sleeves, and the overall tone of the show is consistent and compelling.

The show is a comedy on the surface and had me laughing out loud more than once but it's a dark show with a serious plot. It's smart but it never shows off. The story is quarky, dark, funny, serious, and sad all at the same time(Often in the same scene). On re-watching this show I picked up on so much more! There aren't any filler episodes with this show, no loose ends, nothing is out of place. It's actually fun to re-watch and see how early the threads for certain plot-lines actually start. This show really trusts it's audience and won't hold you hand for any of the subplots, which I love!

Watch it, rate it, help make sure I get a season 2!

Rocksmith

Season 1 was amazing and so far season 2 is just as amazing if not better. If you like dark comedy this is a must! Great writing, acting, directing, and the original songs are soooo good.

Binge and enjoy! And spread the word so that there'll be more seasons!!

GEL

Normally, I am incredibly bored by the espionage genre, but when I saw the artwork for PATRIOT and the expression on Dorman's face?Throw in the magic words 'mid-level employee' + 'Midwest' + 'piping firm' and you have a brilliant premise to either fly straight into the ground or, make it something unique and incredible. They went for the latter. For a show with some long pauses and scenes without dialogue, this is one of the most tightly written and edited shows I have ever come across. If I had gotten to the tenth episode and found there was no season two I would have been incredibly disappointed not to see more of the sad man in the suit.

Xar

The only negative comment I have is that this should be broadcast on every platform available to allow everyone to see it! The characters are so fully realised I feel that I if I met any of them on the street I would hug them tight. There is a poetry to the script, subtle genius to the direction and beautiful performances from a brilliantly cast ensemble. It is a romp, though, enjoyable, thrilling, achingly funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. Black comedy superbly realised. Despite everything, it gives me hope ... how much can you say that about?

Umi

I can't remember the last time I saw something this unique. It's part Cohen brothers, part Marx Brothers and pure entertainment. I don't know who the geniuses behind this show are but they should win an award for creating an entirely new genre of entertainment. It's weird but not too weird, it's quirky but not too quirky, and although I can't really describe it, I loved it and want more. Seeing this makes me feel like there are at least a couple of brilliant, gutsy creative folks still working in "The Business." I'm sure who decided that all anyone wants to watch is reality TV and Dancing With The Stars (and lets face it, they have a rather lax definition of "star"). It's become so rare to see a new show or movie and say "wow, I've never seen anything like that." The only ones that come to mind are Blue Velvet and the Grand Budapest Hotel. The Patriot falls into that same ilk, and that is high praise indeed.

Bravo! I cant wait to see how this show develops.

Lyrtois

Patriot is a dark comedy without the repartee of The Brink and because of the absence of the repartee it's more enjoyable - but not nearly as laughable. But it is fun in its own way and the cast - full of lots of familiar faces - executes their lines with solemnity. It took about 20 minutes to get into the pilot - I almost gave up but then voila! The show works its magic with every scene and after watching it the second time I was surprised by how much I missed the 1st time through. It's slow moving - mellow - Scotch drinkers will love it; Bud Lite imbibers won't be able to stick with it. Nothing goes as planned, everything goes wrong, and from there it just gets worse. Loved it!

BoberMod

Perfect Dark Comedy. I don't know how I only found out about it now but I love it! Beautifully filmed, fantastic actors, great comedic timing, and like nothing I've ever seen before. Can't wait for season 2.

Najinn

This has a feel of a Coen brothers movie mixed with Wes Anderson. It's dark and funny like a Coen brothers movie and dry and quirky like a Wes Anderson film. I want more now. It has a little bit of everything and you really feel like you know these characters and like all of them, even the unlikable ones. Keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. My ONLY complaint is the possibility that they got rid of one of my favorite characters on the show, played by Mark Boone Junior. His small role stands out. I hope they consider keeping his character on.

Watch this. You won't be disappointed. 10 stars.

Hurus

I literally cannot say enough good things about this show, it has everything you want, funny, serious, suspense, incredible acting, incredible plot, you don't ever want it to end, really the best series I've watched since narcos. Definitely check it out.

Mr.Death

This was a pleasant surprise. The show title and general lack of advertising makes it easy to miss. I binge watched the first two seasons in two days, not something I normally do with shows. The quirky humor mixed with spy drama about a character struggling with PTSD from an assignment gone wrong makes for an interesting show, though if I heard it put that way I'd probably conjure up some boring over serious "America F yeah," type bro humor. The comedy comes from the situations brought about the general incompetence of the agency the main character works for, the double life problems, and the folk songs the main character sings as a coping mechanism for the messed up situations he finds himself in. Though it doesn't skimp on high stakes spy drama, keeping you on the edge of your seat leaving you wanting to see what happens next. I can't say enough good things about this show, it's well cast, hilarious, and intriguing. The only issues I have are more with season 2 and my suspension of disbelief as well as the pacing of parts of both seasons. I myself didn't find it bad, but I could see how others could take issue with it. I really hope amazon goes for a season 3. However, they seem to have put all their eggs in the Jack Ryan basket to fill that niche for a spy show. Which that show was fine, just more of the samey stuff you would expect as where Patriot is genuinely unique. For the two seasons, I'd rate season 1 a 9.5 and season 2 an 8. Watch it, review it, tell amazon you want a funny spy show.

Gagas

I'd been anticipating this since the first season, and found out yesterday it was returning at midnight - (somehow missed the advertising, though I hear it was more prominent this go around).

I've never been more impressed with a second season. The tone, pacing, performances, writing, direction, et. al. are tremendous. It's a Russian nesting doll of a story. Some of the callbacks and visual humor pay-offs had me laughing harder than I have at a story in years.

It is at once thrilling, hilarious, goofy, disturbing, timely, exciting, alarming, sad, and heartwarming. There are shows and films that skillfully juggle tone, but - not like this.

I'm genuinely dumbfounded. If you are curious, start and stay with it. It rewards relentlessly.

Mysterious Wrench

I love the premise and can wait for more. As a fan of the underdog I want to see more of the fault filled hero in this "series of unfortunate events" style. I binge watched the series over a week or so and was so disappointed that it came to such a cliffhanging (and promising) ending. Amazon you got it right this time.

Keramar

Having recently finished off a few other series, I was looking for something new. I'd not heard anything about this, but it came up on my Amazon Prime screen, so I decided to watch just one episode. Two days later (over my wife's birthday weekend, nonetheless) I finished off season 1, staying up well past my normal work night bed time.

This is unlike anything else on TV right now. It's quirky, funny, suspenseful, lighthearted and dark. The stone-faced acting, by several characters, is great.

Please, please, please tell me Amazon is going to have more seasons made?

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