An aging Sam Fisher tries to uncover a global conspiracy in the adult animated series “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.” We explore what prevented “John Wick” creator Derek Kolstad from successfully adapting the iconic game about the brilliant secret agent.
Streaming giant Netflix continues to release adaptations of popular and iconic video games. The cult stealth action series Splinter Cell, once curated by renowned American writer Tom Clancy, is now the showrunner for the adult animated series “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” by none other than Derek Kolstad, creator of the hit action franchise “John Wick.”
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch follows Sam Fisher, the game series’ protagonist. A former top agent in the top-secret US intelligence unit Fourth Echelon, he spent years secretly carrying out complex and dangerous missions of the highest importance. Now retired, Fisher is forced to dust off his weapons when Agent McKenna turns to him for help. Together, they must uncover a global conspiracy, and the success of this operation will determine the world order.
In the animated series “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch,” Derek Kolstad decided to tell the story of a retired Sam Fisher, who must revisit his past and collaborate with a female agent on a mission with colossal risks. The showrunner’s decision seems questionable. For starters, there haven’t been any Splinter Cell games released in 12 years. An entire generation of viewers and gamers has grown up who may know next to nothing about Sam Fisher. So, now that the game franchise is in the shadows, a full introduction to the hero would be much more appropriate for the significant portion of adult animation fans who haven’t experienced the game series about the legendary special agent.
In “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch,” we’re dealing with a fully formed character, both professionally and personally—Sam Fisher lacks any interesting development over the course of the story. This makes watching him as a vibrant and dynamic hero, rather than simply an action figure, unengaging. The animated series uses flashbacks to reveal memories of Fisher’s past, but these scenes don’t adequately flesh him out. It would have been more effective to thoroughly explore the flashback story in a separate season, and then, in the sequel—”Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” has been renewed for a second season—to reveal the events that befell Sam Fisher many years later.
The protagonist’s static portrayal wouldn’t be so critical if the creators of the animated series “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” had introduced new supporting characters and antagonists—they would have simply stolen some of the spotlight. However, the project doesn’t boast an engaging cast. They all painfully resemble the heroes and villains of spy films and TV series a thousand times over. Instead, it feels like the writers spent more time implementing inclusivity. Ultimately, the series devolved into a dominance of female characters—it’s doubtful such an innovation was necessary for a franchise about brutal and deadly secret agents and terrorists; even Sam Fisher himself seemed to fade into insignificance. When done properly, there’s nothing wrong with representativeness that’s close to reality. However, in “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch,” the creators in places clearly overdid it in their attempts to please certain audience segments. In doing so, the creators ignored the “down-to-earth” and realism that a story about Fisher requires, which differs from, for example, the almost fantastical adventures of John Wick.
There are some questions about “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch,” even if it was created primarily for fans of the game series, familiar with the adventures of Sam Fisher. The animated series’ plot doesn’t reach the high level where the attention is held solely by the development of intrigue and the unraveling of secrets. It’s a run-of-the-mill spy thriller with elements of a thriller, and it offers little surprise for “seasoned” fans of the genre.
Fans of the Splinter Cell games will likely be disappointed by the animated series’ lack of stealth and gadget-heavy scenes—a key feature of the franchise. While there are moments of stealth action, they’re still a bit thin on the ground for a Splinter Cell film adaptation. However, credit where credit is due: the action portion of “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” is impressive and brutal, and the overall direction is excellent. However, in this regard, the animated series falls short of modern genre icons like the “John Wick” franchise.
Ultimately, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch will fail to win the respect of fans of the Sam Fisher series, nor will it gain widespread popularity among those experiencing the legendary secret agent’s story for the first time. Derek Kolstad has created a simply unremarkable animated series for adults. Splinter Cell: Deathwatch fails to fully capture the spirit of the original, with its spectacular and gripping stealth action, fails to create a solid understanding of Sam Fisher, and cannot compete with top modern action titles.
