The Lost Symbol on the M6: How much is a Dan Brown-adapted TV series set before The Da Vinci Code worth?

The early adventures of Robert Langdon, then a professor of symbolism at Harvard, who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to find his missing mentor. With the help of the CIA, Langdon uncovers a terrifying conspiracy long before the events of The Da Vinci Code.

From August 13 every Saturday at 9.10pm on the M6

To play the younger version of Robert Langdon, camped in The Da Vinci Code and other Ron Howard feature films, by Tom Hanks, “The Lost Symbol” has tapped 38-year-old Australian comedian Ashley Zuckerman, seen in Succession, A. Teacher and the Netflix horror trilogy Fear Street.

In front of him, the audience will find Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Twelve, Fortune, Hannibal) as Peter Solomon, a mentor at Langdon College, and Valorie Carr, who can be seen in Kevin Williamson’s thriller Following, as Catherine, Peter’s daughter.

Bo Knapp (Death Wish, The Signal), Rick Gonzalez, well-known to Arrow fans, and Sumale Montano round out the series’ main cast.

Interpreted three times in the cinema by Tom Hanks in 2006, 2009 and 2016 in The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and Hell, the symbologist Robert Langdon, born from the imagination of the writer Dan Brown, finally has the right to television. A series with The Lost Symbol, adapted from the novel missing symbol.

First discussed on the big screen a few years before Inferno, this “prequel” to The Da Vinci Code finally saw the light of day last year in the US on Peacock’s streaming platform with Ashley Zuckerman as a revamped Langdon. who teaches symbolism – or symbology – at Harvard. And that he already knows how to solve puzzles like no one else.

The story of the first episode – of ten that make up the first and only season of The Lost Symbol – begins when Robert is invited by his former mentor, Peter Solomon, to join him at a conference at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. . But when he gets there, the Harvard professor realizes that he’s trapped and that Solomon has actually been kidnapped by a certain Malak, who seems interested in the mysterious portal and is determined to play with him.

With the help of Kathryn Solomon, Peter’s daughter, a Capitol agent but also a CIA agent, Langdon will have to gather all his knowledge to decipher the many codes and mysteries presented to him and thus save his friend. Disclosure of the Terrible Conspiracy that may be involved with the Freemasons.

While we find the ingredients that made Dan Brown’s success (more than 235 million copies of his novels sold worldwide), namely puzzles, codes and large-scale conspiracies, this adaptation missing symbol Developed in series by Dan Dworkin and Jay Beatty (Scream series, Outer Banks), it lacks rhythm and bite. So much so that the suspension is not always there.

The height of the Benjamin Gates or Uncharted story should be a real race against time amid mysteries and treasure hunts.

The plot, which takes place in a much shorter time in the novel and is deliberately diluted to more than a dozen episodes, certainly deserved to be tightened and adapted to the screen in the form of a TV movie or mini. Only a series of four or six episodes.

Despite these flaws, which make The Lost Symbol an average thriller, quickly seen and quickly forgotten, fans of Dan Brown’s universe can find something to their liking. After all, the various puzzles are pretty well oiled. Surprises await the villain of the story. And the series, carried by a convincing cast, including Ashley Zuckerman, who should not be ashamed of her performance, allows you to discover new aspects of Robert Langdon.

The complete The Lost Symbol is now available on Salto.