Recommendation: Strike Back

So I believe a majority of people might’ve missed out on one of the most testosterone fueled shows of the 2010s.

Originally aired in 2010 as “Chris Ryan’s Strike Back” starring two unfamiliar (of the time) actors, Richard Armitage and Andrew Lincoln, the 6 episode first season comprised of pure action and spy genre with good enough plotting and a nice twist. Then the series returned for a second season as “Strike Back” for Cinemax starting in 2011 with Philip Winchester as Michael Stonebridge, a former SBS British soldier who works for Section 20. He recruits Damian Scott (played by Sullivan Stapleton) a former Delta operator who is doesn’t enjoy taking orders, but enjoys being a sarcastic asshole and easily beds some of the hottest women this side of Cinemax. Together along with the crew of Section 20, they attempt to stop a Pakistani terrorist from doing bad things to good people. The banter between the two is some of the best stuff about the show as their chemistry grows throughout the series. The action is always at the top of the game, easily rivaling most major films with big budgets without ever sacrificing it for any specific rating or censorship.

So if you like a show where good guys kill bad guys, bang hot women, and shoot the shit. This one needs to be seen. Season 1 – 5 is optimal. After that, the show was “rebooted” by Cinemax in 2017, featuring a cast of unlikable douchebags, ruined by a need to be more “social justice” and less about the chemistry between characters.