Echo 3

I'm going to start with the positives here, the action is excellent and every episode that I saw has at least one thrilling action sequence that's worth watching. Luke Evans is playing a very serious role here and I think he's the star of the show, he makes a solid pairing with Michiel Huisman as two co-workers with a family bond. The show starts with Huisman's character (Prince) marrying Luke Evans' (Bambi) sister played by Amber Chesborough, they are both black ops working together. They get a call to jump on a mission, and things goes south from there.

The sequence in the snow had me on the edge of my seat and I was on board for a great show, the sound design is really on-point and I always think it's bonus point when it's shot on location, which they do a lot here. This leads me to some of the issues I have with the series so far, keeping in mind that I've only seen three episodes. Everything else surrounding those action sequences can be lackluster in parts, it's a very cold series and not all characters are likeable which makes it tough sometimes to be attached emotionally. It has some strong moments but not all of it is working, it's at its best during the action sequences.

The story involves a lot of characters because of the political intrigue and I don't think everyone gets their moments to shine so when the action kicks in, there's a certain lack of emotional connection to the spectacle unfolding. Despite some solid acting & directing, I can't help but feel like this is not reaching its full potential, yet. I feel like it's not hitting the target with its political commentary. After 3 episodes, I still want to see where this is going and even if the only reason I'm still on board is because of the impressive action sequences, that's enough for me to stick around a little bit more because they hit with a bang.

My score after 3 episodes: 6.5/10.

Two elite soldiers forced to collaborate. I still miss Strike Back, so I had hoped for some well choreographed action.

The wooden acting I can live with. The wobbly camera sucks, but okay. The stupid choices the lead characters make... well, it's starting to hurt. The strange military theater that does not look at all real confuses me.

I don't know what this is. It doesn't cater to me (I'm just here for the action) so maybe for the drama people out there? Look what happened to Seal Team - it also turned into a drama, so maybe it's me that's wrong.

It might be a good show for you! Check it out.

Everything feels like a retread of something previously done several times over--a woman gets taken in a foreign country, family struggles to get support from official channels, takes things into their own hands, using their "special" skills and resources. And it's Colombia/South America, so there are rebels, civil unrest, and social commentary involved. Throw in the CIA, military, and special forces, you basically have Echo 3 and every other story like it.

The story starts in Afghanistan, though I'm not sure there's that much relevance there, other than to establish that the leading male characters are members of Delta Force. An incident happens that is meant to create some tension between the characters, but if that's all there is, the audience could have just taken that as a given backstory of their past through a few lines of dialog and flashbacks if needed, without wasting screen time.

Nevertheless, once the story gets going, it begins to take shape, as the situation and circumstances start to spiral and escalate. It is from here that, despite the tired themes, it manages to become entertaining. Is it believable? It struggles to be, but once fully engaged, you'll suspend that disbelief and go along. It helps that Luke Evans is a good actor, and the most likable one in the cast. There are enough action sequences and adventure and production quality to make it worth watching it through to the end of Part One (first three episodes) and look forward to the next installment.

This series is quite misleading the audience, which explains the bad reviews. At first the series looks like a normal CIA story about soldiers, personal issues soldiers and their loved ones have, and a specific incident which requires action. But the story turns out to be far more than that, in fact it is a bold criticism of the role the CIA is playing in international conflicts. Many bad reviews are complaining that the persons in this series are just not likeable. Well, they are exactly as likeable as the authors of this series wanted them to be. People who want to know exactly who the good & the bad guys are will be disappointed in Echo 3, this is more multilayered than that. The action scenes are on point, the gun fights are awesome, camera & picture are tasteful and beautiful, and the music is brilliant. The actors become quite likeable also. Are we the good ones? Not easy to answer, like in the real world. Top notch CIA action series for demanding TV watchers.

Echo 3 is a solid military/political thriller that is absolutely worth watching. It stars Luke Evans, Jessica Ann Collins and Michael Huisman. The story is about a women named Amber (Collins) who goes missing after being abducted around the Columbia-Venezuela border during a political war. Her brother (Evans) and husband (Huisman) are two special ops soldiers who take it upon themselves to go find her and bring her back home. In doing so they have to overcome one crisis after another. The series is beautiful shot and the production value is as good as anything you'll see on a tv show. This is a political war drama that will keep you entertained throughout the series.