Alex Rider TV Show Adaptation - Episode One

 

Episode One

Just finished Episode One there and wow — it is dark, serious, and as gritty as (while still having the feel of) the books. I mean it starts with Roscoe being killed with the elevator hack, literally some espionage stuff right from the books. Also, I love the use of camera and lighting for the intensity throughout the episode, as it captures just how it was imagined while reading the books, and the expressions are so on point from the actors and Otto Farrant is genuinely impressive for a teenager, not that he isn't great in his own right.

    The pacing is amazing — how it slowly builds through the episode after the massive intensity of the hard open, starting with literal schoolboy humour and banter about girls, to the party, and then the Uncle’s death being layered into the party scene and the back-and-forth switching. The introduction of The Department is perfect as well, and how they describe it actually makes so much sense. "MI6 finds the information, we apply it" is a fantastic way to justify the change, and a very cold line to separate MI6 from the books away from The Department in the show, as The Department was simply called MI6 in them.

    I already see hints of the small uncertainties, like Mrs. Jones showing signs of discomfort when Blunt discusses how he thinks Alex can be exploited. It’s not unlike how Starbright shows utter fear for Alex and herself at the power of this strange organisation that is taking Alex. Speaking of which, it does an excellent job with the last shot, a long, drawn-out visual following the car with Alex submitting to the force of The Department, semi-willingly. It does wonders by drawing it out just long enough to see that Alex realises he has no power, no pull, and no ability to resist if The Department decide they want him.

    The display of power from The Department is great as well, and it does so in three separate, great ways in one scene: their reach, by showing they can have Immigration and Child Services at the door at the exact same time with the click of a finger; their surveillance, by showing Alex doesn't even have to dial to speak to them (well, to Alan Blunt) by him merely speaking to his screen-off phone and they hear him; and finally their quantity, by the fact all five of the people sent by The Department are all separately called at once and immediately drop their mission.

    The character of Mrs. Jones is immediately interesting. It is apparent that she is the moral right and Blunt is the moral evil — even if they both have the same core Department ideology in mind, and both even want to have Alex in The Department, but it's clear Blunt is more excited to have a manipulable, emotionally damaged teen to recruit, whereas Jones sees an intelligent, cunning, and smart boy who has many of his Uncle’s qualities. Like said previously, yes, the home raid scene is genuinely terrifying while still having the cold edge to it — that as quick as they showed up and in an instant Jack was being deported and Alex going into CPS, in the same instant that is all over so long as Alex submits. It is a terrifying way of power being shown entirely through The Department’s ability to work the mind, such as they did in the books as MI6.

    It's very impressive as well how the layering of Ian’s death with the party is showing what seems to be a perfect moment for Alex; he talks to his crush, they get along, and even eye each other at the party; next to the mysterious final moments of Ian as he walks with Martin through the derelict warehouse before being double-crossed, and the most life-changing moment of Alex's life happens while he is none the wiser. The party scene intercut with Ian’s death is a prime example of cinematic storytelling doing what internal narration does in the books: pulling you into Alex’s life just as it’s about to implode.

    I also love how the show doesn't waste time with Alex having a coming-to-grips moment with the car crash cover story; it’s evident he is too smart for that. He knows that his Uncle, who has stuck to the speed limit his whole life, would not happen to falter when he left with something to do, investigate Point Blanc, and had people to care for.

    The Department pay respect to this as well, with not even a single issue being raised about Alex attacking a Department member, save for one member who seems offput by it, but realises it shows capability and strength. Albeit Alex was attacking him in an emotional outburst, which I must say is a great moment in an already great scene, as it is a great display of “show, don’t tell,” which is seen often in this episode. Without a single line of dialogue, a viewer can deduce that Alex knows this person is responsible for the cover-up of his Uncle’s death, so he assumes he too is responsible for the death itself. Therefore, in a fit of rage, he attacks the man way further than he needed to escape. He lets out more anger with each punch, symbolic revenge for Ian, until finally Tom steps in and brings Alex back to reality.

    Finally, to touch again on the home raid it is textbook psychological dominance. It mirrors the books’ approach to MI6 perfectly: never showing their hand until it’s already closed around you. But where the books let you in on Alex’s internal monologue, the show lets the world react around him to achieve the same effect, especially in how quickly everything is taken away, then just as quickly handed back the moment he complies. It’s like The Department’s way of saying: you never really had control, just the illusion of it.

    Also, it really trusts the audience in a refreshing way, with so much of the details being in the subtleties; many viewers could literally even miss Jones’ unease if they stopped paying attention for 5 seconds, and that’s one of the boldest things the show does: it refuses to spoon-feed you emotional cues, trusting you’ll catch them if you're tuned in. That level of restraint is rare, especially in adaptations aimed at a younger audience, where over-explaining tends to dull the nuance. But Alex Rider knows you’ll feel it if you’re looking and if you miss it, the world keeps moving.

     Mrs. Jones’ discomfort is a perfect example. It’s not a dramatic eyeroll or a sassy remark; it’s in her stillness, her quiet looks, her pacing just a beat behind Blunt. She’s professional, but not comfortable. And that’s a kind of tension that lives beneath the dialogue.

Standout Lines of the Episode:

"MI6 finds the information, we apply it." A cold, mysterious line delivered by Blunt which highlights the calculated nature of The Department.

“I don't even have to dial do I. You're listening right now." A chilling line delivered by Alex as he goes to call Blunt and realises, he can always hear him, demonstrating the departments power, reach, and eavesdropping capabilities.