Patriot (TV Series 2015–2018) Poster

(2015–2018)

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9/10
Why was this cancelled?
hawthornd11 February 2021
Absolutely great show, hilarious dark humour, excellent storyline and wonderful performances. I can't understand why this was cancelled, there was so much left to go.
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9/10
No season 3
davemanson2 October 2019
I was stunned to learn this show was cancelled. It was truly original, funny, dark and clever. I can't believe Amazon is bringing garbage like Jack Ryan back and canceling a critic and audience darling like Patriot. What a shame.
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9/10
The Freshest Take on a Genre Since the Coen Brothers
handy3149 November 2015
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.
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10/10
Masterpiece
Kunovega8 June 2017
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.
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10/10
Dark Dramedy, more like
UnCritic8 March 2017
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.
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10/10
Ridiculously Underrated!
Supermanfan-1310 September 2020
Patriot is absolutely one of the best tv shows I've ever seen! I know people say this about a ton of different shows but this really is underrated. It's so ridiculously underrated and under advertised that I didn't know about this incredible show until recently. It's both thrilling and hilarious! I cannot recommend this enough. All you have to do is read through the reviews and see how loved this show really is! I put off watching it & when I gave it a chance I ended up binge watching the entire series in a few days. Love, love, love this show!
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10/10
Amazon give your best show a 3rd season to wrap things up!!
rubbersoul-18 November 2019
I almost don't want to give away a thing. That is how I came across this show by chance. I got lucky. Unfortunately Amazon never promoted properly or adequately so it's remaining a hidden gem. I'll just say if you like unexpected comedy, puzzle drama, music, and great cinematography, go watch this now if you haven't yet.
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10/10
Incredible!
Rob133129 September 2022
Patriot is one of the best shows I've ever seen! Period. It's unlike anything you've ever seen and in a great way. This was one of Amazon's first shows and was never advertised or promoted which is a shame. People have only heard about it because of the great word of mouth that goes that's been going around for it. I had pretty high expectations going in because of all the great things I heard and those expectations were not only met but were surpassed in every way. I don't know anyone who's seen this who wasn't absolutely blown away by how good it was. There were only two seasons but those two seasons are brilliant! I've watched both seasons twice already and plan on watching it again in the near future. That's how good this show is.
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10/10
Quite Possibly the Best, Most Creative Show of All Time
The-Ambassador4 August 2019
PATRIOT still remains the best TV series of all time. If we agree to call it a "TV series". It came out on streaming, and dropped all the episodes of each season at the same time so fans could binge watch the whole season in one bite. Which many of us did. Because it was such unique experience that instantly transcended modern television.

Unlike other modern TV favorites like Breaking Bad, Sopranos, or The Wire, the writer and director of PATRIOT, the brilliant Steven Conrad, doesn't descend into the cliched and tired mainstream trope of glorifying soulless murderous monsters. The main character, our hero, John Tavner/Lakeman/Timmons is on a mission for good; to save the world. He's a good person who is forced to do some bad things for the betterment of planet earth and humanity. This conflict is at the heart of the show. Along with many others.

One might also agree to call PATRIOT a 20 hour movie for what it's worth. It feels more like a film frankly. Either way, if one likes surrealist drama with dark humor, a lot of heart, and a storyline and tone that is distinctly unique from anything else that's ever been created, PATRIOT will become their favorite show of all time, one that we will all return to many times like any classic film of the ages.

Visually the cinematography is uniquely dark to set the tone of the world we are dropping into. The visuals, the setups, the scenes are consistently surprisingly fantastic.

Music plays a major role in the series. It's an additional character without a name, but equally important as any of the other characters. The folk songs are funny, moving and timeless.

The acting is inspired. It's obvious that everyone immediately recognized the genius at play in the project and felt grateful to be a part of something so important and historic. Dorman kills it. So too does Conrad, Bellows, Smith, Chernus, Opheim, and O'quin. Each brilliant in their own right.

Like others I too wish the show could have gone on longer than two seasons. But at the same time, they wrapped it up perfectly at the end. To get this cast and crew together again realistically would be near impossible based on how the business operates, especially now post-Covid. So as fans we are forced to rewatch often. Which I've found to still be rewarding upon my third or fourth rewatch presently.

Binge it. You'll be amazed inspired moved and thrilled from it. And part of a very small group who are even aware this show exists.
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One of the best shows I've ever watched
sutcliffe130 September 2020
This show is simply a masterpiece. It is one of the most well-produced and visually impressive shows in recent memory. It's witty, funny, serious, sad, and suspenseful all at once. The art direction is incredible. I never write reviews or share much about things I watch but I'm writing this, and I've told many friends/family that they really should watch this.
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7/10
So very good, but lost steam in Season 2
dandiego-1549629 April 2020
Oh, how we loved binge watching Season 1. What a fantastic idea...just fresh and laugh out loud funny as it was dark. The characters were unique, the writing crafty. But then came Season 2...

I'm not surprised they canceled this show as it just ran out of steam. It was blatantly obvious by S1's episode 6 that they were just stretching things out needlessly.

They lost the balance between slow burn and wasted space. So much potential, too...

I've recommended it to many of my friends, with a caveat: It's not for everyone. As well, prepare to be disappointed with S2.
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10/10
Don't assume anything from the title, this is a dark and smart comedy
russmillerwy-957-68243910 January 2017
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.
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7/10
S01 8 stars, S02 5 stars
bogus-bogus-one6 July 2020
I thought season one was fresh and hilarious dark comedy at it's best. Season two was a big letdown. It had few funny moments and seemed like the writers had really run out of things to say.
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3/10
Neither comedy, nor drama and trying too hard to be quirky
stuart_davies9 March 2018
I really don't understand how this receives so many positive reviews. I couldn't get through the pilot and turned it off after 43 mins because as quirky as singing your days' experiences for therapy is, if such odd behaviour is going to be the basis of a comedy, it's certainly lost on me, as I found little humour or even drama in it. It looks to me like the remainder of the series is going to consist of a supposed intelligence asset walking into ridiculous situations either of his own making or thrust open him by the complexities of balancing a NOC's existence. I suppose some novelty could be found in such chaos, but I imagine not enough to keep me interested till the end of the fist episode never mind a whole series. The episode was well acted and had some recognisable faces, but the script seemed to be trying too hard to be in the same vein as a Coen Bros. production without success and ultimately became irritating and yet equally drab at times.
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10/10
Superlatives no exaggeration
lu_lou_belle19 April 2021
Simply put, this is the best television series i have viewed in several years and it remains even during covid homebound binging, a hidden gem. It rivals curb your enthusiasm for masterful weaving of plot details and maintenance of continuity. It is unique in this century in assuming its viewers are intelligent and doesn't beat them over the head with obvious plot annunciations. It's spare and beautiful and plays with rhythmic flow of pace in revealing the story. Music is used artfully and with restraint that mirrors the setting and pace, without resorting to cliches. There are moments too when the characters tiptoe up to that 4th wall, not to be missed. Cast is fabulous. No need to give you a plot summary. Another reviewer sums succinctly: Murphy's Law of Intelligence work. Watch it for yourself.
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10/10
Breaking Bad meets Fargo meets Jason Bourne, Amazon please keep this going!!!
sulaco_in15 March 2017
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!
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10/10
A slow burn, but every moment is full of substance.
Kareneo25 February 2020
This is what I have been looking for! This series is proof that you don't need constant and gratuitous darkness to be great, only occasional darkness that occurs naturally as a side-effect of situations and a substantive storyline. This show is also evidence that you don't need constant forward momentum, and that you can pause to consider events and emotions without being outrageously dull and repetitive. For me, I find it incredible the way this series sweetly walks the line line between moments of contemplation and moments of exposition. Evidently the writers began with a clear vision and a clear, neatly tied-together story way in advance of production, and the way they carry it forward is as near to perfect as I could ever hope for. This show is the cure for all those series that are filled with cookie-cutter writing, devoid of an over-arcing storyline, and full of weak, meandering writing that relies on cheap, dark titillation instead of substance (*cough* 'London Spy' *cough*). I never ever thought I could sit through an entire series where the protagonist is in a depressive state, but they present his condition with a cleverness that generates both subtle overt comedy. All the players here are superb! I plan to track down everything these writers have had a hand in, because this series is addictive and sublime.
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10/10
Season 2 is even better
c-allen-lewis10 November 2018
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!!
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9/10
Didn't mean to, but binged all the episodes
davis-stephen25 February 2017
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.
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Up there with BB and GoT
MTNmovieMan9 January 2019
First off I don't think I've laughed harder in years! The first three episodes of season one got me hooked and I've just started S2 and hoping for S3!

In addition to the brilliant humor the Patriot has beautiful music and sensitive scenes that will well you up. Scattered timeline may be confusing at first but it eventually makes sense and, regardless, you're constantly amused.

Not a show for the sleepy and easily bored. IOWs; not a show for boring people and this show has little or nothing to do about patriotism. Flag wavers need not apply
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7/10
I'd have given a 10 if it wasn't so painfully slow (especially S2) and if the female detective didn't have such a fake terrible accent in French.
ACA139 July 2022
Concept and idea were great and unique with a very particular sense of humor BUT it got painfully way too slow and lost stamina even for someone who appreciated the originality.

They could have done this in half or 2/3 of the time.

The woman who plays the police officer from Luxembourg was supposed to speak in her native French Luxembourg accent, but that wasn't the case at all. Her accent was horrible and fake.

Why can't they choose someone local and not a Suede.

I think for these reasons it didn't get a 3d season.

I recommend but be prepared for a lot of lengthy unnecessary scenes.
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10/10
This show DESERVES a third season, 4t, 5th, 6th etc. I LOVE IT.
Kimberlyfurino9 May 2020
Please, please, please can we have another season? I know you said "no" but I want to keep trying! This show is so well written and acted. I didn't want to "leave" the characters forever. It's darkly funny, so smart, just amazing. Please give me more! Michael Dorman is amazing, I think I'm in love with him (he doesn't know it of course.) Please give this show what it deserves... MORE! Why do people not know about this show? Why didn't you guys promote it? It's friggin amazing.
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7/10
The pipe engineering talk is comic invention, not real engineering terms.
fjjjuris27 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Here is the best example of invented, and very funny, engineering lingo:

From the 4th episode:

Leslie Claret: "And now to explain the core of Donnely nut plate spacing and cracked reconfiguration. . . my associate John Lakeman."

Lakeman: "Ready to talk plate processing and residue transport plate funneling? Why don't we start with joust jambs? Plates and jousts, can we couple them? Oh yeh. We fit Donnely nut spacing grip grids and splay-flexed brace columns against beam-fastened derrick husk nuts and girdle plate jerries while plate flex tandems press task apparati of 10 vertpin-plated pan traps at every maiden clamp plate packet. Knuckle couplers plate alternating sprams from the T-Nut to the S.K.N to the chim line."

Q. from audience: "How do you account for lift slippage if your girdle plate jerries cross the prim fixture?"

Lakeman: "You mean the prasm span fixture rig, Guy? We haven't used the prims since 2004. Let's get serious. Hunched Howzer heat rails. Let's talk about 'em."

Just so's we all know its just good fun.
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1/10
Incredibly Tedious. If you have paint drying--watch that instead, because it's better.
hitch-342 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I just do NOT get the alleged love for this series. Interestingly, despite it "opening wide" on Amazon Prime, there are only a handful of reviews here--most from the Preview episode from last Fall.

We tried, we did. After all, it's not as though the Great Wasteland that is TV is smothered with quality watching. We didn't even finish the first episode. We watched about 75-80%, and finally couldn't take any more and switched it off. The inanity, alone, of thinking that ANY intelligence agency would use this loser (or his brother) for work, is absurd. This jackass tootles around, ignoring calls from his handler-- his father, more nonsense--and rides a mechanical bull while writing and singing possibly the WORST folk songs since my next-door neighbor's son used to sing in harmony with his Siamese Cat. Truly, truly, awful folk songs.

As usual, the aggressive, pushy father keeps his son working; his brother is a chunky loser (who somehow became a Congressman...), the loving wife sits at home, awaiting her Lochinvar...and man, NOTHING. HAPPENS. It's like Waiting for Godot, without the interesting parts.

I would never accuse reviewers of being paid, but I'm damned if I can figure out how the hell this thing got such glowing reviews. Comparing this to the Coen Brothers is absolutely scandalous heresy. Sure, it's like the Coen Brothers' movies, if you take out all the witty dialogue, remove any interesting characters, completely obliterate ANY discernible plot line, and deliberately subject your viewers to tedium. Who does that?

Not for me. And probably not for you, if you have anything more interesting to do than watching paint dry.
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10/10
THE BEST SHOW
evildii14 December 2020
AMAZING! The first episode and I'm hooked. Instantly! This is absolutely the best show (at least in this genre and the whole spy theme) out there! If you're watching a lot of shows, this just breaks every trope, keeps surprising you and avoiding cliches. It's extremely entertaining, it flawlessly balances excellent humor with tragic drama and cool action. Oh the action is superb, those oners and overall it just gives this sense of presence. John's songs are lots of fun, not something you see often (or at all).

Characters are interesting, performances are all awesome, the situations they find themselves in are truly HILARIOUS! Feels like it was made by Cohen brothers but on steroids.

It's top notch!

If I were nitpicking, I'd say the plot is sometimes a bit hard to follow I guess, that's it. I feel like the more stuff you've seen before, the more you'd appreciate it. People who don't watch shows often, may not appreciate how different this is.

Such a pity they cancelled it, I would love to see season 3 so much. Is there a petition to sign?
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