Kiefer Sutherland's Ambitious Spy Thriller Series On Paramount+ Should Have Never Been Canceled

• Television
• Thriller Shows

Few television shows have mastered ticking-time-bomb storylines like Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran's "24" franchise. Capturing audience interest over the course of nine action-packed seasons is no walk in the park, and the lion's share of the credit goes to leading man Kiefer Sutherland. His Jack Bauer has proven himself as a formidable one-man unit for two decades, even though Sutherland thinks that Bauer's story remains unresolved and deserves a revisit. So when Sutherland slipped into the shoes of corporate spy John Weir in the Paramount+ spy thriller "Rabbit Hole," it appealed to the nostalgia associated with the highly binge-worthy "24." Even better, "Rabbit Hole" uses the inevitable parallels with "24" to build a wilder premise where Weir navigates shady corporate espionage to thrilling effect.

Unfortunately, "Rabbit Hole" was canceled after one season. Despite its short-lived existence, the series has a dedicated fanbase who were understandably upset about this abrupt cancellation. Weir is nothing like Bauer, but Sutherland plays the corporate spy with a similar gruffness that is interspersed by socially awkward behavior. He's adept at deceiving people and sabotaging the wealthy, but the tables turn when he is wrongfully accused of murder, which propels his desperation to prove his innocence. The stakes are way more personal here, as opposed to that of "24," where some kind of doomsday device (a nuclear bomb or a lethal virus!) threatens innocent lives.

"Rabbit Hole" is not predictable by any means. In fact, it is so convoluted that you'll go "huh?" every once in a while. This isn't a drawback, as it is always a joy to watch Sutherland plunge headfirst into twisty chaos. While season 1 can mostly be treated as a standalone entry, "Rabbit Hole" could've been so much more.

Rabbit Hole's incredible cast makes this compelling story even more enjoyable

Spoilers for "Rabbit Hole" ahead.

The series premiere begins with Weir confessing his sins to a priest. We learn that Weir fabricated evidence to tie a major corporation to corruption, which is followed by Weir getting framed for murder. As all hell breaks loose, Weir realizes that he is being shadowed by the mysterious Hailey (Meta Golding) and is forced to become a fugitive to evade the authorities. There's also a lot of personal baggage to navigate, as Weir realizes that his father, Ben (Charles Dance), who apparently died by suicide when he was a child, is alive. As you can imagine, Weir and Ben don't exactly develop a warm father-son relationship in the show, as repairing trust is easier said than done.

There's also a decent thematic framework about state surveillance and unethical data usage here, which could've been fleshed out with greater depth if "Rabbit Hole" had gone on for another season or two. "Rabbit Hole" makes great use of these themes to underline the ease of exploitation in a world where everyone is a bit too connected.

Dance and Sutherland are expectedly brilliant, but Golding is a revelation, sharing crackling chemistry with almost every screen partner. Perhaps the most regrettable aspect of the show's cancellation is that we were robbed of more Hailey, who emerges as a compelling sidekick to Weir. These characters have a way of taking you by surprise, as "Rabbit Hole" starts like any run-of-the-mill spy thriller and then begins throwing one subversion after another at its audience. Do these twist reveals get more outlandish by the time the show ends? Well, yes, but these narrative curveballs don't hamper how you feel about the series and the Kiefer Sutherland of it all.