The following contains spoilers for The Old Man season 2 finale.Jeff Bridges addresses Dan Chase’s muted reaction in The Old Man season 2 finale. Former CIA agent Dan and former FBI assistant director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) have been tracking down the man they believe to have killed their adopted daughter, Emily, who turned out to be the biological daughter of Faraz Hamzad (Navi’s Negahban) and is going by her birth name, Parwana Hamzad. In the season 2 finale, Parwana reunites with Dan at a diner. Not only is The Old Man character alive, but she has also become the new leader of Faraz’s tribe, which is as violent and ruthless as Faraz.
Bridges unpacked Dan’s reaction in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he probably had no idea what was going on. However, as a former CIA agent, he doesn’t spend “too much time being shocked,” and instead, they “observe, orientate, decide, then act” very quickly under stressful situations, which is “where his mind is going.” The actor further explained that “Emily has totally turned the table,” so even though Dan is mute in the scene, he’s shocked and upset at his daughter but “he’s not one to show” his emotions. Check out what he said below:
I don’t think he has any idea. But I don’t think he’s a guy who spends too much time being shocked. These spies and CIA guys, they have something called OODA. This stands for observe, orientate, decide and then act. That’s a kind of game that these spies play with each other. And the quicker you are doing that process of orientating yourself to, “What’s going on here? Where am I in this situation? What am I going to do?” and then act, that’s kind of where his mind is going. And, she’s pulled this fast one on him. I mean those cars are coming up, she’s totally turned the tables. Just like the episode where he decides, “I’ve got to let these guys capture me; that is where the antidote is, I can’t be running away.”
He’s pissed at his daughter for doing that. I got three girls of my own and I could be angry with them all the time and still love them. He can’t believe it. But he’s not one to show as much shock as somebody else might.
What This Means For Dan Chase
He Reacts As A Father & A Trained Agent
In the diner scene at the end of The Old Man season 2, Dan seems very calm when he learns his daughter is still alive. On top of that, Emily has assumed a new identity and completely abandoned everything from home. She also didn’t tell Dan or Harper, who cared about her deeply. Bridges’ comment sheds some light on Dan’s reaction, suggesting that there’s more going on inside his character.
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Bridges’ comment also explains that Dan’s reaction has everything to do with his profession and training. As a former CIA agent, he is prone to handle any information with a strict face, despite what he may be feeling. His decision to give him a muted reaction to Emily’s big reveal is rooted in character studies. On the other hand, Dan also has the same reaction any father would have in that situation. Being a trained professional doesn’t take his humanity away, but he’s less likely to show it.
Our Take on the Shocking Reveal
What’s Going To Happen To Dan & Parwana?
The season 2 finale throws a massive cliffhanger, similar to the one in The Old Man season 1 finale. The diner scene leaves off a big ringing question about Dan and Emily/Parwana’s relationship and whether Emily will abandon everything she stood for. It seems she just did, but perhaps it could be more complicated.
Dan would wonder if part of the daughter he raised was still there. He probably had a lot of questions and might have wanted to approach Parwana to gather more information. The season 2 finale leaves off their father and daughter’s relationship at a pivotal point with questions that only The Old Man season 3 can answer.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
- Cast
- Jeff Bridges , John Lithgow , Bill Heck , Alia Shawkat , E.J. Bonilla , Leem Lubany , Pej Vahdat , Gbenga Akinnagbe , Amy Brenneman , Hiam Abbass , Echo Kellum , Moneer Yaqubi , Navid Negahban , Jessica Harper , Artur Zai Barrera , Michael Sifain , Jacqueline Antaramian , Kenneth Mitchell , Joel Grey , Noor Razooky , Milo Stein , Andrew Perez , Sara Seyed , Rowena King
- Character(s)
- Dan Chase , Harold Harper , Young Dan Chase , Angela Adams , Raymond Waters , Belour Daadfar , Young Faraz Hamzad , Julian Carson , Zoe McDonald , Abbey Chase , Mike , Aziz , Faraz Hamzad , Cheryl Harper , Omar , Farouk , Khadija , Joe , Morgan Bote , Young Khadija , Henry Harper , Young Pavlovich , Faruza , Nina Kruger
- Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Directors
- Greg Yaitanes
- Showrunner
- Greg Yaitanes
- Creator(s)
- Robert Levine , Jonathan E. Steinberg