FX’s The Old Man opens with a widower alone in his house, and it wastes no time proving he was never really alone. Dan Chase, played by Jeff Bridges, has spent decades off the grid since he absconded from the CIA. When an assassin arrives and tries to take him out, Chase learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past. That is the whole engine of the show, and it runs on the oldest fuel there is: a man who thought he was done.
Trailer, via FX Networks.
Dan Chase and the Intruder
The premiere, which aired June 16, 2022, sets the terms. Chase kills the intruder who breaks into his home, then goes into hiding. He rents a room from Zoe McDonald, played by Amy Brenneman, who becomes his forced partner while on the run.
Bridges is the reason any of this lands. He plays Chase as tired rather than frail, which is a different thing, and the script lets him be quiet for long stretches.
Thomas Perry’s Novel Behind the Show
The Old Man is based on Thomas Perry’s 2017 novel. It was developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine for FX.
The premise is spare. A former CIA operative and Vietnam veteran, Chase was in Afghanistan 30 years ago. That past is what the assassin, and the FBI, come looking for.
Harold Harper Gets the Call
The FBI side is where the show gets its second wind. Harold Harper, played by John Lithgow, is the Assistant Director for Counterintelligence called to apprehend Chase because of his complicated past during the Soviet–Afghan War.
Working alongside him are his protégé, FBI agent Angela Adams (Alia Shawkat), CIA officer Raymond Waters, and Julian Carson, a hit-man hired by Harper to kill Chase. That last detail is the one that matters. Harper does not simply want Chase caught. He also has a man on the payroll who will not file a report.
Angela Adams and the Double Life
Alia Shawkat plays Emily Chase, also known as Angela Adams. She is Harper’s protégé and Chase’s daughter at once. Shawkat plays the professional calm well.
Navid Negahban plays Faraz Hamzad, and Jacqueline Antaramian plays Khadija. Both are listed in the cast.
Dan Chase is a former CIA operative and Vietnam veteran, who 30 years ago was in Afghanistan.
Seven Episodes, Then a Long Wait
The first season ran seven episodes. FX renewed it for a second season, which premiered September 12, 2024. In December 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons, for 15 episodes total. The last aired October 24, 2024.
That gap is the show’s real wound. A thriller built on momentum lost two years between chapters.
What The Old Man Gets Right
Bridges, Lithgow, Shawkat, Negahban and Brenneman are all doing work they did not need to do for a cable thriller. The Old Man treats its older leads as capable rather than pitiable, which remains rare on television.
Fifteen episodes across two seasons is a thin run for a story this dense. The show is better at the chase than at the quiet parts.
The Verdict on The Old Man
The Old Man has a movie star giving a real performance and a genuine antagonist in Lithgow. What it does not have is enough time on screen to earn the scale it wants.
Worth watching for Bridges and Lithgow alone. Score: 7.2 of 10.
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