Who says June through August is just for summer blockbuster movies? FX's The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges, kept us thoroughly entertained through the dog days of summer.
Based on the bestselling novel The Old Man by Thomas Perry, the creative team behind The Old Man includes Black Sails and See writers Robert Levine and Jonathan E. Steinberg. In addition, Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts was behind the camera for the first two episodes of the series.
Here is everything we know about The Old Man.
How to watch The Old Man season 1
The Old Man season 1 finale aired on FX on Thursday, July 21. All seven episodes of the first season of the spy thriller are now available to stream on Hulu in the US.
Internationally, viewers can stream The Old Man on Disney Plus or Star Plus (may not be available in all markets at this time).
The Old Man UK release date
The Old Man is heading to the UK, as a September 28 premiere date on Disney Plus has been announced. The first two episodes of the seven-episode first season premiere on September 28, with a new episode releasing each subsequent week.
What is The Old Man plot?
As we said, The Old Man is based on the Thomas Perry novel of the same name, which was published in 2017. Here is the official synopsis for the TV version of The Old Man:
"The Old Man centers on Dan Chase, who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
"With Dan Chase flushed out of hiding, the FBI’s Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Harold Harper is called on to hunt him down because of his complicated past with the rogue fugitive. Working alongside Harper is his protégé, Angela Adams, and CIA Special Agent Raymond Waters. When Chase proves to be more difficult to apprehend than the authorities expected, Julian Carson, a highly trained special ops contractor, is sent to pursue him as well. While on the run, Chase rents a room from Zoe McDonald who draws on reserves she never knew she had in order to survive the day when she learns the truth about her new tenant."
The Old Man episodes
Here are the synopses for the episodes of The Old Man released so far. All episodes titles look like they're Roman numerals (ie, episode 1 is I, episode 2 is II).
The Old Man episode 1
"When Dan Chase's past catches up to him, he must flee the town he's called home for three decades."
The Old Man episode 2
"Chase finds a temporary hideout, but Harold Harper and the authorities are still after him."
The Old Man episode 3
"Forced to flee, Chase finally tells Zoe the truth about his past, but it might be too late."
The Old Man episode 4
"Both Chase and Harper try to move forward with their plans, but their choices backfire." Check out WTW's reaction to The Old Man episode 4.
The Old Man episode 5
"Chase and Harper face decisive tests; Zoe finds a new path forward as old stories resurface." In the episode we also had to say goodbye to a pair of favorite characters.
The Old Man episode 6
"Chase and Zoe enter the lion's den; as Harper ends one partnership, another begins." Check out all the questions we have after this penultimate episode for The Old Man season 1finale.
The Old Man episode 7
"Chase is forced to face the consequences for his past choices. Harper learns an impossible truth." Read our break down of the big moments from The Old Man season finale, including the twist ending.
Is there going to be a The Old Man season 2?
FX has officially renewed The Old Man for season 2. In addition to a strong critical response, The Old Man has been a hit with viewers as well, with FX sharing that the initial premiere of The Old Man with three days of delayed viewing is the most watched cable series premiere since the start of 2021.
So fans will be getting more of The Old Man after following its now concluded first season. However, an exact timeline of when we'll be getting The Old Man season 2 is still TBD.
The Old Man trailer
FX has released the trailer for The Old Man. In it, we see Jeff Bridges’s CIA operative hasn’t lost a step as he tries to outrun the government forces after him. Check out The Old Man trailer directly below:
Jeff Bridges in The Old Man
Jeff Bridges stars as Dan Chase in The Old Man. This is the first role that the Oscar-winning actor has taken on, TV or movie, since 2018, with his last role in Bad Times at the El Royale. In 2020, Bridges shared that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma but was in remission as of 2021 and told People this year that he feels "terrific."
Bridges is probably best known for his role as The Dude in The Big Lebowski, though his career features a number of iconic performances in movies like The Last Picture Show, TRON, The Fisher King, Seabiscuit, Iron Man, Crazy Heart (his Oscar-winning role), True Grit and Hell or High Water.
While he’s worked less on the TV side since he broke out in movies, Bridges got his start on the small screen, appearing in TV shows Sea Hunt, The Lloyd Bridges Show (which starred his dad) and The F.B.I. The Old Man represents his first role in a TV series since the 1980s (though he did do a TV movie, Hidden in America, in the 90s).
Bridges shared some behind-the-scenes facts in a video you can watch below:
Who is in The Old Man cast?
Jeff Bridges is the headliner for The Old Man, but who else is joining him in the cast?
John Lithgow is on board to star as Harold Harper, the FBI director that has a complicated past with Bridges’ Chase. Lithgow is no stranger to action/thriller series like this, as he famously starred as the Trinity Killer in Showtime’s Dexter. Some of Lithgow’s other well known credits include The World According to Garp, 3rd Rock from the Sun and The Crown.
Other members of the FBI team include Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Search Party) as Angela Adams, E.J. Bonilla (Gemini Man, Bull) as Raymond Waters and Gbenga Akinnagbe (Wu Tang: An American Saga, The Deuce) as Julian Carson.
Also in the cast are Amy Brenneman (Shining Girls, The Leftovers) as Zoe McDonald, Bill Heck (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Locke & Key) as the young Dan Chase, Leem Lubany (Rock the Kasbah), Pej Vahdat (City on a Hill, Dynasty), Joel Grey (Cabaret) and Hiam Abbass (Succession)
