When The Old Man hit theaters in 2022, there was a lot of talk about it being a star vehicle for Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow. Over the course of seven increasingly convoluted episodes, Bridges did his trademark irresistibly affable Jeff Bridges act and Lithgow did his trademark annoyingly prissy John Lithgow act. Amy Brenneman and Joel Grey (he’s 92 now!) were also in the cast.
Season 2 begins Thursday night on FX with two episodes. A new episode will be released every following Thursday until October 24. There are eight episodes in this season. After the broadcast, the episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu.
The prominent presence of Bridges and Lithgow, as well as the tumultuous plot (from Thomas Perry’s 2017 bestseller, on which the series is based), made it easy to overlook the best part of Season 1: Alia Shawkat’s portrayal of Bridges’ character’s daughter, Emily. She’s a highly capable FBI agent, torn between her professional duty and her devotion to her father, a former CIA agent. His devotion to her is perhaps even more remarkable – and certainly more problematic – but don’t expect any more spoilers here.
Shawkat is 35, which makes it all the more surprising that IMDb lists 100 acting roles for her. Yes, she started early: In 1999, she appeared in a “JAG” episode and had a small role in David O. Russell’s excellent “Three Kings.” Since then, she’s excelled as a comedian. She was a regular on “Arrested Development,” starred in “State of Grace,” and appeared in “Search Party” (she directed one episode). In the movies, Shawkat is probably best known for “Being the Ricardos” (2021), where she played one of the main writers on “I Love Lucy.”
That comic talent makes Shawkat’s work in “Old Man” all the more impressive. The earnestness and inwardness she brings to the show would be noticeable anywhere – in Shakespeare, on a Carnival cruise – but here, amid the increasing implausibility and overheated audacity, it’s especially the case. Bridges’ most famous character says of himself, “The Dude stays.” Thanks to Shawkat, Emily does too, in her very uncharacteristic way.
Mark Feeney can be reached at [email protected].
