There’s nothing worse than a brilliant premise being derailed by a miscast lead, especially when the rest of the show is amazing on all fronts. I felt like The Day of The Jackal had everything going for it, but Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman stuck out like a sore thumb.
Lashana Lynch as Bianca in The Day of the Jackal | Peacock
From unimpressive acting to weird choices, her performance felt like it didn’t belong in the show at all. Now with season 2 being confirmed, we will likely not see her again, and here’s why that’s such a relief!
Lashana Lynch’s miscasting in The Day of the Jackal
No one truly understands how casting the right actor is important until we see someone completely unfit for their role. When I first watched The Day of the Jackal, I loved Eddie Redmayne’s take on the titular assassin. But Lashana Lynch, who portrayed the MI6 agent was so insufferable that people were openly rooting for the antagonist.
And I am not the only one who is disappointed by Lynch, Reddit users have also put in their two cents. One of them even explained how she didn’t seem to display any emotions and came off as almost sociopathic, but it didn’t feel like the writers and showrunners had that in mind for the character.
Even in high-stakes scenes, the actress’ delivery fell flat, and her emotions did not match the gravity of the moment at all. The show needed a worthy and compelling foil for Redmayne’s Jackal, but it’s unfortunate that Lynch’s performance just annoyed me and she felt like an obstacle rather than a rival.
The Day of the Jackal season 2 seems hopeful
Lashana Lynch as Bianca in The Day of the Jackal | Peacock
I found the season finale to be relieving because Lashana Lynch won’t be back as Bianca. After she resigned from MI6, she tracked down the Jackal with her colleague. They followed him to his Spanish Estate, where Eddie Redmayne’s character outmaneuvered them, and shot Bianca, which led to her death.
The renewal announcement, confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter was a double win because now I’d be able to watch The Day of the Jackal season 2, without Lynch’s Bianca! I’m so looking forward to seeing Redmayne’s astonishing performance as the Jackal again because he single-handedly saved the show.
But I wonder what’s next? The finale teased a revenge arc, and now that Bianca will no longer be dragging down the narrative, season 2 could play onto its strengths with tense espionage and high-stakes betrayals, along with Redmayne’s chilling charisma.
