Without being deemed patronizing or preachy, television in 2017 has the opportunity to comment on current events if all cards are played well. The new Amazon series Patriot blurs the genre lines, something that the streaming network does particularly well, between dark comedy and spy thriller — and it's only just getting started. Will Patriot get a Season 2 on Amazon? If given the chance, this new series is aptly placed to portray world politics with a healthy dash of humor.
The official description of the series on Amazon reads that "to prevent Iran from going nuclear, intelligence officer John Tavner must forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous 'non-official cover' — that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm." Tavner is played by New Zealand actor Michael Dormon. In the pilot, "a helicopter crash changes the stakes of a foreign election," which is what forces him to "choose between returning to the line of duty in order to dismantle a dangerous political movement in a war torn country as a matter of national security or his personal obligations as the head of a young family."
As you can see, there's already a handful of elements in Patriot that mirror reality. The show involves American politics, foreign politics, oil, nuclear weapons, and folk music! It has an indie vibe, but isn't afraid to be violent.
Amazon isn't particularly stingy when it comes to renewal. While Good Girls Revolt was canceled after one year, other dramas like Bosch and Man in the High Castle have had multiple seasons, and Transparent is currently filming Season 4. While Patriot is only getting started with Season 1, it already needs a Season 2. Hopefully both the audience and Amazon will feel the same.
Because of Amazon's pilot model, the first episode was released in 2015. Imagine what these writers and this show could do with the last two years of world politics, and whatever is to come.
