31/11
Remake of El Agente Topo (2020)
Charles, a retiree, gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad for a private detective and becomes a mole in an undercover investigation at a nursing home. Based on the Chilean documentary "El Agente Topo". To write a review of this show you need to be familiar with the context and content.
Having three parents dealing with help issues made it all the more enjoyable and impactful
Ted Denson plays an octogenarian widower (Charles) who struggles to establish a new routine after his wife’s death from dementia-related health issues. In a series of classic comic book plots, Charles gets a job as an undercover detective at an assisted living facility (formerly known as a “nursing home”) to solve a jewelry robbery. His boss, Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julia, is a black-and-white case who will do anything to solve it, a sarcastic nod to Danson’s kindly, square Charles.
The dead are also entertained with jokes and commentary about life support and the events that happen there
The two quickly come into conflict with the object manager (well played by Stephanie Beatriz as Didi), Charles’ daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and the various residents and their many silly problems. There are several ill-conceived themes centering on the nature of older women that don’t fit with the rest of the story, as well as irreverent (and interchangeable) distractions and dismissals by Charles’ daughter’s three teenage sons. The best parts are Charles’ slow immersion into his new community with some social connections with the other residents, especially Caleb, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson.
The awkward banter between Charles and boss Julia is hilarious
And while daughter Emily’s home life isn’t all that interesting, later episodes did set up some great scenes between her and Charles. The ending isn’t too hard to understand (who stole what and what will happen to Charles), but the sentimental parts of Charles’ awakening and his wife’s death are very worthwhile. There are some small roles played by older stars (Sally Struthers, Veronica Cartwright) that might make older viewers smile, but they’re mostly wasted on silly jokes about older people and sex.