We’re here, spies! It’s time to analyze the first episode of Alex Rider. I titled this review “the one where all begins” because I think it sums it up. The episode introduces the characters and the story begins. It’s the episode where Alex’s life changes forever … and there will be no going back. The mission has just begun, spies!
Here we go!
At first, Alex acts like a normal teenager. He lives with his uncle with whom he doesn’t communicate, with Jack who is another member of the family, and gets into trouble with his best friend Tom. The life of an ordinary teenager. Until his uncle is murdered and everything changes.
The murder of his uncle turns Alex’s life upside down and he begins to wonder. It seems like it was a simple accident but something tells Alex that it was not, and that there is much more to that story than what they tell him. Something just doesn’t … fit, so he and Tom start investigating, despite the danger they’re in.
After some super cool chases and lots of intrigue, it leads Alex to discover that his uncle was a spy for MI6 and that he was murdered while investigating a strange place called Point Blanc. Which turns Alex’s life around again when MI6 tries to recruit him … at all costs.
While Alex investigates, he is emotionally lost. His uncle was like a father to him and now he’s just … gone. Alex still can’t get used to the idea that he’s lost him forever. Plus, with all the secrets about him that have come to light … he feels like he didn’t know him, like his whole life is a lie. And that keeps him on the edge.
All of this … is hurting him. And I understand him and I just want to hug him. As they say, the ones we love the most are the ones who can do us the most harm, and lies, secrets … are like poison that ruins everything. Now Alex doesn’t know what to believe, who to trust, he doesn’t even know who he is.
But regardless of how he feels, MI6 has plans of its own for Alex. Despite Mrs. Jones’ disagreement, they try to recruit him, even going as far as blackmail, trying to remove everything and everyone that remains, leaving him no other way out than to accept. This is … cruel. Really cruel. The poor boy just lost his uncle, someone who was like a father to him. Suddenly he discovers a whole web of secrets and lies around his life and death and the next thing he knows is that MI6 wants him on staff, at any cost.
They haven’t even let him breathe. They haven’t let Alex get used to everything that has happened. And, as if that were not enough, let us remember that he is a teenager who is being forced to carry out a mission that endangers his life.
Frankly, I understand that Alex is clear that he cannot trust them. The truth is that he feels that he is surrounded by enemies. MI6 is not to be trusted, but there is also an unknown enemy to whom he cannot put a name or face, his uncle’s murderer.
And, in the middle of all that, the only thing Alex has left, the only thing he has is Jack and Tom but, at the same time, he doesn’t want to involve them in all that madness (without realizing that they are already involved because they will never leave him alone – I love them for this – and that’s not his choice). This makes Alex feel more alone and lost than ever … and so we come to the next episode that we will discuss tomorrow.
In conclusion, this episode seems to me the weakest of the season. It’s normal because they have to introduce both the characters and the story. The first few episodes of shows tend to be somewhat slow precisely because they are more introductory than anything else. However, the episode manages to keep you tuned and hooked throughout and leaves you wanting to know more … so it achieves its goal perfectly.
