Citadel Diana is one of the many spin-offs set around the American Citadel led by Priyanka Chopra. The series explores the world of a covet organisation across the globe trying to take down the world’s most evil organisation Manticore. While Citadel carried the story more straightforward, Citadel vs Manticore, we get to see a different side in Diana. The Italian show led by Matilda De Angelis, Lorenzo Cervasio and Maurizio Lombardi explores more on the side of how things are done at Manticore. Released in Italian, with few dialogues in English, the show is expected to have a stronger opening than Citadel.
The show follows Matilda’s Diana as the leading character, one of the best agents at Manticore. She is sent on a mission with one other agent to spy on other Manticore agents from France and German divisions. While they are asked not to intervene the mission does not go as planned leaving Diana wounded and her partner lost. Diana returns to the agency but is under interrogation for throwing off the mission, however, she has more to do. Diana never drops character but slowly begins to reveal her intentions behind her work at Manticore.
Run by a legacy family, the organisation deals in arms and blood. It is also the people who cost Diana her past, her parents died as collateral in an airplane crash turning her life into a long mission. But she isn’t alone, she finds help from Citadel which was taken down by Manticore years ago. On the other hand, there is little to no hope for the organisation and leaving it even harder. But Diana has to find a way and she attempts to do it with the Italy division’s heir Edo.
SEE ALSO: Internet Is Obsessed With Adam Brody And The Kissing Scene From Nobody Wants This — Here’s Why
The show explores Diana’s training with Citadel, her work with Manticore and the evil organisation’s plans for the future. Italy’s political environment is unstable, it seems to be their doing and it helps them keep their business strong. But the heir does not agree, he wishes for something more. Not quite Citadel but he wishes to do good leaving some hope for the future of the evil organisation. The drama within Manticore, Diana’s wish for revenge amid growing threat to her life, and more brings chaos to the environment for the show, but the makers handle it with soft drama.
Diana brings a more intense feel to the series despite the limited action sequences, car chases and more. The six-part series moves the story with the performances and the intense background score. The limited location does not take away from the grandeur of the characters, but it does make them look less dangerous. However, the screenplay does make up for it. The Zani family is seen living in a vast castle-like estate and offices with advanced tech and windows with skyscraper skylines, but it is mainly their performances that give them the villainous aura.
The mind games and the easy-to-follow screenplay make the show most fun, despite Diana’s hairstyle which is bound to pull you out of the experience. Meanwhile, Matilda De Angelis in the titular role is intense and holds her presence even in scenes without her. Many shining moments in the series keep Matilda and the series reaching for more but some plot holes keep you from believing their story. Though dramatic and intense in the emotional writing, the spy thriller lacks the thrill of a fast-paced spy action.
SEE ALSO: The Rings Of Power Harfoots Have A Hobbit Connection In LOTR? Here’s What We Know
Overall, Citadel: Diana works better than Priyanka Chopra’s spy thrillers in some aspects but it is a completely different story than what you would expect from an action spy. It is a story of its own with political elements and family drama, some more romance than you’d expect. Though the connection in the Manticore-Citadel world is evident, it is unclear how and if it will ever cross paths.
Cover artwork by Patrick Gawande/Mashable India