THE TOURIST
HBO Max's THE TOURIST (trailer here) is the quirky outback thriller you didn't know you needed. Starring Jamie Dornan as a man who wakes up after a car collision in Australia with no recollection of his life, the 6-episode series follows his quest to figure out who he is, who's trying to kill him, and why. While Dornan is predictably fantastic, the heart of the show is Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Danielle McDonald), a Marge Gunderson type who gets in over her head trying to help the amnesiac protagonist and solve the mystery of his identity. Harry and Jack Williams aren't coy about that Coen brothers influence, playing with genre conventions from westerns and noir while maintaining an offbeat sense of humor. There may be a bit of Lindelof inspiration as well; I got quite a hint of THE LEFTOVERS in one episode. However, I think THE TOURIST still carves out a space all its own by establishing a unique tone (just as tender and sweet as it is dark) and asking interesting questions like” What would it be like to forget every mistake you ever made? Where is the line between bad people and bad circumstances? How can we forgive others, and how can we forgive ourselves? And most importantly, is happiness a burrito? Just go watch. You won’t regret it.
—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant
