So, I really really enjoyed this first episode.
Yeah, it's got that Bourne "running around Europe chasing and fighting" thing, but a lot stands out:
* Beautifully filmed, with wonderful color grading, lighting camera work, and even the bit of CG is seamless. Thoughtful, like Fincher but less polished. Apple TV+ delivers as usual with excellent Dolby Vision HDR - bright highlights pop, the color is deep, yet watchable without being too dim or too bright. Apple TV+ really has their codec/format/standards on point here (viewed on TCL R646).
* Realistic fight choreo - not many fights yet, but the hand to hand choreo was solid, weighty, not too many cuts, and felt good.
* Compelling characters - the actors are the draw. Eva Green, Vincent Cassel, and Peter Mullen have me hooked, they're just so damn good.
* Interesting story so far - a bit like a typical hacker thriller thing but the plot seedlings are promising. Hints of double crossing, international espionage up to the highest level, and even halfway decent hacker bits make me want to see more.
IN CONCLUSION, It's no Mr. Robot (nothing is, really), but it's at least "not annoying" and again, the actors are so damn good and it's so beautiful that I'm looking forward to next week.