As FX’s The Old Man returns for its second season, the stakes are higher than ever. Former CIA agent Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) set off on their most crucial mission yet: to rescue Emily Chase (Alia Shawkat), who’s been kidnapped by Afghan tribal leader Faraz Hamzad (Navid Negahban). However, with each man claiming Emily as their daughter, a complex web of identity, loyalty, and survival begins to unravel.
(Rob Latour)
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Old Man is how the show subtly adapts to real-world geopolitical shifts. As co-creator and executive producer Jonathan E. Steinberg explained during a recent TCA press conference, “Afghanistan in 2019 when I wrote the pilot is a very different place than Afghanistan in 2023 when I wrote the second season.” This stark contrast influenced how the team approached the story, ensuring that the show remains grounded in a plausible reality. “It should never feel like a show ripped from the headlines. It’s not trying to be a primer about any sort of current events, but it is trying to absorb the reality and the truth of what’s going on in the world.” The show’s evolution reflects the complexities of portraying a world that has changed so rapidly, particularly when it comes to Afghanistan.
For Jeff Bridges, stepping back into the role of Dan Chase has been both challenging and exciting, especially as the show’s story has evolved over time. Reflecting on the unpredictability of long-form television versus film, Bridges shared, “I don’t know where we’re going, guys. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. That’s gotta be exciting.” Despite this uncertainty, Bridges quickly pointed out the strength of the team around him: “The team that you put together is one where you can feel comfortable… and we can talk about our insecurities.”
John Lithgow, who plays Harold Harper, noted how the evolving dynamics between his character and Dan Chase reflect the broader themes of the series. “The whole story is about old men… haunted by demons, by old memories, old regrets, things they wished they’d done differently, and things they know they did wrong,” Lithgow said. The actor also highlighted the contrast between his own background in theater and Bridges’ long career in film: “I think Jeff and I work the same way, but we’re very different actors. That’s part of what’s so interesting about putting us together.”
(Rob Latour)
As executive producer Warren Littlefield puts it, the show’s unique ability to incorporate real-world events into a fictional narrative is part of what makes The Old Man so resonant with viewers. “It’s really created a historical fiction using everything that we know about the world that we’re living in and then finding the dramatic possibilities for these characters,” Littlefield explained. This approach is particularly evident in Season 2, which dives deeper into the geopolitical complexities surrounding Hamzad’s village and the choices he makes to protect it. As the world changes, so too does the context of the characters’ decisions, making their actions feel both plausible and urgent.
Dan Shotz, another executive producer on the series, praised the fearlessness of Bridges and Lithgow in exploring their characters. “These are the most fearless actors I’ve ever witnessed in my life… They want to take the time to see what are all the possibilities and then keep tweaking it,” Shotz said.
As The Old Man returns for its second season, the show’s blend of real-world influence and captivating drama makes it a standout series in FX’s lineup. The evolution of the story, characters, and geopolitical backdrop gives the series a sense of urgency and realism that feels especially timely in today’s world. For fans of intense, character-driven narratives, Season 2 promises to deliver the same thoughtful storytelling that made the first season such a hit.
The second season of FX’s The Old Man premieres with two episodes on Thursday, September 12 at 10 pm ET/PT on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu.