The Day of the Jackal became one of the most-watched series from Sky Atlantic, with a record 3 million views in the first week in November. The show packed some great action and a strong performance from Eddie Redmayne. While the show is based on Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal, many elements were changed to suit the TV series’ format.

Úrsula Corberó and Eddie Redmayne in a still from The Day of the Jackal | Credits: Sky Original

Fans could accept the changes that happened for the better but they were disappointed with the many plotholes that kept popping up throughout the ten episodes. As Redmayne returns as the Jackal for another season, fans sincerely hope that the show eliminates this problem altogether.

The Day of the Jackal should rectify these mistakes in Season 2

Eddie Redmayne in a still from The Day of the Jackal | Credits: Sky Original

The Day of the Jackal might’ve garnered the love of many fans but discussions prior to the second season focus on many flaws in the narrative. Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch’s cat and mouse game drew massive attention when the series aired in November. However, fans felt that the series could’ve done much better in terms of some of the details shown in the series.

A Reddit discussion pointed out several small mistakes in the show that could’ve easily been avoided with some sharp writing. One user shared that it was unrealistic for the series to show so many situations where the police procedures easily rounded up on the Jackal.

The user mentioned a ninth episode moment when a full police report was prepared in under 16 hours, giving the MI6 agent a perfect clue. Another user mentioned the instance when Jackal’s rented car gets into an accident with a truck and the truck driver calls a cop to handle the situation. The user mentioned that it was written by someone who never interacted with the French police.

The user noted that the scene involved unrealistic expectations from a French policeman to behave in a way that favored the truck driver. Another user shared how the scene played into the cliched trope of a lone cop suspecting something and not being clever about handling the situation.

Other users also shared other scenes in the series that missed the mark with respect to the small details. Another notable mistake was the appearance of a black boat in the finale episode when the Jackal was supposed to be alone in his boat. Some of the fan reactions read:

Fans expect the series, with its massive budget and creative team of writers, to eliminate such silly mistakes that take away from the viewing experience. Despite its small issues, the series is still considered on par with the movie adaptation that came out in 1973.

The Day of the Jackal is renewed for a second season

Eddie Redmayne in a still from The Day of the Jackal | Credits: Sky Original

The original ending of the source material was changed in the series to get back Eddie Redmayne for a second season of The Day of the Jackal. In the final moments of the first season, we saw Eddie Redmayne’s professional assassin Jackal taking out Lashana Lynch’s Bianca Pullman, an MI6 agent who was after him.

While Lashana Lynch will be a no-show for Season 2, the ending of the first season sets up a follow-up story. The Jackal narrowly escapes an assassination attempt orchestrated by his former employer and will return in the next season to seek his revenge. Gareth Neame, the creator, hinted at a possible Season 2 storyline during his interview with TV Line:

And yeah, I mean, I think any viewer is going to think that there are two pretty massive hooks at the end. One is Nuria, and one is Winthorp and the double-crossers. So there are definitely two hooks that we’ve got to look forward to, but there will be many other elements as well.

Redmayne earlier shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he took on the role because of the final twist from the original ending, which allowed for a second season. He told THR, “When I signed on for the series, there was an aspiration for the Jackal story to continue. So I knew that was going to be the twist.”