By Sorenya Miller
Score: 8/10
You might want to fasten your seatbelts because Netflix’s Hit & Run will take you on a bumpy ride through a rabbit hole. The new hit TV mystery thriller follows Segev Azulay, an Israeli tour guide on a quest to find out the truth about the death of his wife, Danielle. As the title indicates, the cause of Segev’s wife’s passing is a hit and run. Prior to the incident, Danielle was leaving Israel to attend a dance audition in New York, where she is originally from. However, on the way to the airport Danielle made a quick stop at a local café. While walking back to her cab, she was hit by a black Jeep. Off the bat, the show gets to the main point in the first episode, instead of waiting until the end to reveal it.
Initially, I presumed the series would be solely based in Israel. However, it branched out into American territory. Following Danielle’s death, Segev starts to see weird text messages on Danielle’s phone, hinting at a possible affair and also indicating that the real identities of the men who hit her are quite suspicious. Additionally, Segev is attacked and almost killed in his home, superseding the idea that Danielle’s death was no accident. Therefore, to uncover the mystery, he has to travel to the U.S. to get answers. In the U.S. more about Segev’s past is revealed, especially about his life before he became a tour guide. I was not surprised at all when it was revealed that Segev has a military background and special ops training. He had “that look”, and the thing with these action/revenge types of shows is that the main character almost always has military training, making them harder to take out. It also shows how dangerous an individual can become when avenging the death or kidnapping of a loved one. So, before you mess with anyone, be sure to check their background.
Moreover, I was not expecting to see well-known actors such as Sanaa Lathan and Gregg Henry in the series, but they played their roles very well. Lathan portrays Naomi Hicks, a journalist and ex-girlfriend of Segev. Henry plays Martin Wexler, the supposed father of Danielle. On another note, the transition to American society was quite easy for Segev and I had to question if he had travelled to America before. The show did not really mention if he had, but they did show the connections he had there, like his friend Ron Sharon. Both Segev and Ron worked together on missions, but Ron got the short end of the stick and ended up having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That aspect of the series showed how not everyone’s the same after they come back from war or operating in dangerous missions all in the name of patriotism. Consequently, because of his past, Segev thinks that was the reason behind his wife being killed.
Nevertheless in New York, Segev finds out that his wife was not only having an affair, she might not even be a professional dancer, and she might have been an imposter. In essence, Danielle did not exist but only in Segev’s memories. Despite the emotional turmoil Segev experiences from finding out these things about his wife, he is still determined to uncover why someone would want to kill her. For that reason, watching the series had me thinking that overall, it’s a lot to take in. I really liked how the writers kept going and adding new and thought-provoking information about Danielle. This aspect definitely proved the notion that people aren’t what they appear to be.
Another thing worth mentioning is the number of people that Segev constantly drags into his dilemma. For instance, his cousin back in Israel, Tali Shapira, is six months pregnant. She is a police officer who watches over his daughter and helps him out with his case. Tali is a very important character in the show, and I like how the writers still made her a badass while pregnant and they did not downplay her expertise.
The show also goes back and forth between Israel and the U.S., which is a good thing as it showcases the difference in culture between both territories. Usually, I don’t like how Netflix dubs international shows, but this one was not cringe-worthy and there was an easy transition into English when the setting shifted to America. I must mention, though, that I did not like how Segev is sort of messy as a killer. He does a terrible job of keeping his tracks clean from law enforcement, and I was surprised it took so long for them to arrest him. In addition, there were various minor storylines included in the show, such as one that explored more about the guy who had the affair with Danielle. I liked how they were all well-connected and I wasn’t left puzzled.
All in all, Hit & Run is a great series to watch for the summer. It is well-written, it keeps your attention and the actors do a great job in their roles. I am excited for Season 2 and can’t wait to see how the showrunners will solve that final cliffhanger.