Rabbit Hole Reminds Us That No One Is Better At Effing People Up On TV Than Keifer Sutherland
TV has been a source of comfort for well over half a century now. Some people watch sitcoms to ease out of a troubled day, others watch reality shows for that sweet unscripted content. Others, like me, watch Kiefer Sutherland kick people's asses on TV to feel better about life.
Sure, there are plenty of other actors who do great jobs being ass-kickers on television — "Deadwood" and "Justified" star Timothy Olyphant and "Reacher" star Alan Ritchson and his giant hands come to mind. But there is something about Kiefer Sutherland f***ing people up in particular that is mesmerizing.
This harkens back to Sutherland's time on "24," of course, a rather problematic show that nevertheless offered thrills and excitement on a weekly basis. Sure, Jack Bauer was a war criminal, and Sutherland did a wonderful job portraying the character as a tough and scary guy who could easily mess you up. However, the character was also complex, with past traumas, a perpetually tired face, and a genuine care for people he wasn't shooting in the kneecap.
In a way, it was the closest TV ever got to a proper gritty Batman show, in that Sutherland played an extremely tortured guy who did questionable things because he felt only he could get things done, but who also is rather caring and compassionate. When he needed to be. Sometimes.
Now, following a show with a great premise and a so-so execution in "Designated Survivor," Sutherland is back once again to the TV thriller game with "Rabbit Hole." Granted, there is a lot less gunplay and torture in this show, but it still has plenty of Keifer Sutherland f***ing people up, and that brings me nothing but joy.
Hacking and stock manipulating still count as ass-kicking
"Rabbit Hole" follows Sutherland's John Weir, a gruff and grizzled spy who manipulates and scams rich idiots for some very well-paying clients. Fabricate a narrative to make a big tech CEO seem corrupt? Sure thing. Make some arrogant jerk freak out over a fake news report and lose all his company's money? You bet Weir can do it!
Granted, it is not the same as Sutherland shooting bad guys, infiltrating embassies, and shouting "Who is the mole!?!?!" while spending 24 hours without eating or peeing, but it is still Keifer Sutherland destroying people's lives, and it is exhilarating. He still has his signature growl and perpetually tired and frustrated face. As our own Jacob Hall said in his review, the show "checks the usual boxes, but it also starts to scribble outside the margins in ways that are intriguing and funny and suggest that major surprises lurk around the corner."
Just like in "24," Sutherland plays a tortured tough guy with a dark past who finds himself spiraling out of control during a particularly rough day at work. Like in that show, there clearly seems to be a mole amongst his allies and a shadowy organization that's chasing him, with plot twist after plot twist. In the first two episodes Sutherland does get into a fight — though things don't really go his way. But he still gives as good as he gets. And that's what we want.
Whether Sutherland returns to play Jack Bauer or not — he seems to think there are still unresolved issues with the character — watching "Rabbit Hole" is enough to satisfy my desire for more Sutherland ruining people's lives and messing them up.
The first two episodes of "Rabbit Hole" are now streaming on Paramount+.