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Citadel
TV Series

Citadel

2023 • Action, Drama, Thriller • 2 Seasons

Woke Score
5.8
out of 10

Series Overview

Global spy agency Citadel has fallen, and its agents' memories were wiped clean. Now the powerful syndicate, Manticore, is rising in the void. Can the Citadel agents recollect their past and summon the strength to fight back?

Overall Series Review

Citadel is a high-budget, globalist spy thriller that follows the modern template for international streaming content. It centers on a secret agency that operates above and beyond the reach of any single nation, positioning a post-national elite as the only defense against global chaos. The narrative frequently places the female lead in a position of superior competence compared to her male counterpart, who spends much of the story in a state of confusion or dependency. While it avoids overt political lectures, it strictly adheres to corporate diversity mandates and integrates alternative lifestyles as a normalized background element. The show lacks any spiritual or traditional moral grounding, operating in a world where technology and personal loyalty are the only virtues.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics5/10

The cast is assembled with a focus on global representation, featuring an Indian female lead and a diverse supporting cast. The agency itself is designed to be a 'stateless' entity, moving away from traditional Western-centric intelligence models in favor of an intersectional, internationalist aesthetic.

Oikophobia6/10

The story frames traditional nation-states and their intelligence agencies as either corrupt, compromised, or ineffective. It promotes the idea that only a shadow organization with no national ties can be trusted to protect the world, effectively dismissing the importance of national sovereignty and traditional borders.

Feminism7/10

Nadia Sinh is portrayed as a superior tactical and intellectual force. She often rescues the male lead, who is frequently depicted as being a step behind or reliant on her guidance. The series leans into the 'Girl Boss' trope, where female characters are inherently more competent and emotionally resilient than the men around them.

LGBTQ+6/10

A key supporting character, Bernard Orlick, is depicted in a same-sex marriage with a child. This relationship is presented as a standard, normalized domestic situation. The inclusion serves to deconstruct the traditional nuclear family model as the standard for even the most hardened characters.

Anti-Theism5/10

The world of Citadel is entirely secular and materialistic. Moral decisions are based on the survival of the agency or personal survival rather than any objective or transcendent truth. There is a complete absence of religious faith or traditional spiritual values in the lives of the protagonists.