Summary
Over a year after it debuted, I still can’t believe how underwhelming Amazon’s megabudget spy seriesCitadelwas. After the outrageous success that greetedAvengers: Endgamein 2019, the Russo Brothers were seemingly granted blank cheques to make whatever they wanted. Sadly, I’ve found none of their follow-ups matchedEndgame, with bothCherryandThe Gray Manreceiving tepid responses. The latter Netflix action movie was once poised to launch a sequel and spinoff, though little has been heard of either since its 2022 release.
One thing I could never accuse the siblings of is laziness since in addition to the variousRusso Brothers-directed movies, they’ve acted as producers and writers on many other projects. Joe Russo penned theExtractionmovies, with the siblings producing both entries too. They have producing credits onEverything Everywhere All at Onceand horror seriesFromtoo. I can admire their productivity, but asCitadelshows, quantity does not always equal quality.
Citadel Did Not Live Up To Its Budget & Talent
On paper, Citadel should be one of the biggest shows on TV
I’m a sucker for a good spy show or movie, so Amazon’sCitadelticked a lot of boxes when I first heard about it.Citadel’smain castincludes Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, and it promised to be a TV series with cinematic setpieces and scale.Then I got concerned, with reports thatCitadel’sbudget had ballooned to $300 million due to reshoots and re-editsand reports of creative clashes. Given thatCitadelseason 1 only consists of six episodes, that averages out to about $50 million per episode.
Citadelhad the potential to be something fresh, but instead of subverting genre tropes, it leaned on them instead.
I can appreciate thatCitadelis slickly made, but the issue is how familiar and hollow it felt. They might be beautiful people, but Madden and Chopra have little chemistry, while an actor of Tucci’s talents deserves better material than to be an exposition machine. Even the elaborate setpieces and shootouts felt lifeless.Citadelseason 1’s endingeven featured an almightly, game-changing twist - and one I was utterly unmoved by.
Citadel Season 1’s 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions
Citadel’s season 1 finale answered some major questions, but the show still has many other unresolved mysteries for the second season to answer.
Of course, a large budget and starry cast doesn’t guarantee something will be great, as many blockbuster movies prove. Still,Citadelhad the potential to be something fresh or innovative, but instead of subverting genre tropes, it leaned on them.
How Citadel Season 2 Can Be Better Than Season 1
The Russos have an even bigger creative hand in Citadel’s second series
Amazon has big hopes for their spy saga to catch on, soCitadelseason 2was a given the moment the credits rolled on the first series. I’ll admit that season 1’s big reveal opens up some fun storytelling opportunities, since Madden’s Mason Kane maybecome more of a villain next time. Fantastic character actors such as Matt Berry, Jack Reynor and Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass) are joining the next year ofCitadelalso.
One announcement that shakes my confidence inCitadelseason 2 is that Joe Russo is no longer directing every episode, as originally planned (viaPuck). The reasons for this are understandable since the bros will direct the next twoAvengerssequels for Marvel. Joe will still helm part ofCitadelseason 2, but considering the muddled nature of season 1, having the same director for every episode would have helped the next entry feel more cohesive and focused.
The Russo Brothers' next Netflix movieThe Electric Statecost a reported $320 million to make.
The creative clashes onCitadelcan account for how messy the story could feel at times. I hope the Russos and their collaborators learned some lessons on what worked and what didn’t the first time around. They’re armed with a terrific ensemble and a large budget, soI don’t think there’s any excuse forCitadelseason 2 to suffer from the same issues.
Citadel: Honey Bunny
July 07, 2025
Another thing that got me interested inCitadelin the first place was Amazon’s plan to make it a truly international affair.The season 1 finale included a teaser forCitadel: Diana, an Italian spinoff starring Matilda De Angelis while a Hindi series dubbedCitadel: Honey Bunnyis also incoming; both spinoffs are set to debut towards the end of 2024. Regardless of the mixed response to the first season, both Amazon and the Russos are invested in makingCitadelwork, so despite a shaky start, it can still find its legs.
All that said,Citadelwas such a letdown that I’ll take a wait-and-see approach to future seasons. If word of mouth onDianais solid I’ll check it out, but season 2 would almost need to be a soft reboot to win me over. There were fundamental issues with the plotting and characters that made it a slog, so the next chapter needs a real injection of energy and - most importantly - fun.
Citadel
Cast
Citadel is a 2023 action-thriller series developed by the Russo Brothers. The narrative follows agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, played by Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who work for a global spy agency intent on maintaining world stability. They must confront a new threat from a shadowy organization bent on global chaos. Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville co-star in this high-stakes, globe-trotting espionage drama.
