![[REVIEW] Splinter Cell: Deathwatch](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN32Hs0gY9ECBaJxp9Gm6gPCVyskUdZORQjAhLTytW8abyzo6IONFgL_KboeKS_wN_kzOcft58snbwZKZAKF7uEc_1uOpdutoi6A8Z5X6Le_DDHKO1Vr3kGIu7oa3MagBtwhqJ7EY8UKEk5BNytMkq73qudiGLLROa4RyV6ezECmzQ7N4bAw06WwS-DPY=w640-h360-rw "[REVIEW] Splinter Cell: Deathwatch")
Sam Fisher is Back, and He's Brought the Pain: A Review of Netflix's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
For long-time fans of Sam Fisher and the Splinter Cell franchise—those of us who spent countless hours in the dark, non-lethally dispatching terrorists and listening to Michael Ironside’s gravelly wisdom—the news of a Netflix animated series was both a thrill and a source of deep anxiety. Could it capture the essence of the stealth genre’s undisputed king? The answer, unequivocally, is yes. Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is a blistering, ultraviolent, and often heart-wrenching return for our favorite sardonic super spy. It’s a rush of pure adrenaline that, unfortunately, comes with a side of melancholy.
Shadow Ops and Shriber's Fisher
First, let's talk about the sweet side of this bittersweet experience: the show is great.
Deathwatch picks up decades after the last game, Blacklist, thrusting us into a future where Fourth Echelon is run by a now-veteran Anna "Grim" Grimsdottir's daughter. Sam Fisher, meanwhile, is trying to live a quiet, Splinter Cell-free life in Poland. The show’s brilliance lies in how it pulls him back in. It starts by focusing on a new, fiery agent, Zineia McKenna (voiced by Kirby Howell-Baptiste), whose op goes sideways, creating a mess so big it demands Fisher's return. This narrative structure—initially baiting the audience with a generational shift before confirming Sam as the star—is a masterstroke that keeps the momentum high.
The true anchor of the series is Liev Schreiber as the voice of Sam Fisher. While no one will ever truly replace the legendary Michael Ironside, Schreiber steps into the night-vision goggles and delivers a performance that is nothing short of phenomenal. His Fisher is older, wearier, and grumpier, but retains the core characteristics we love: the dry wit, the human compassion, and the uncompromising toughness. Schreiber grounds the absurdity of the spy world with a gruff realism, and his chemistry with the supporting cast—especially with Grim and McKenna—is the emotional backbone of the series.
Showrunner Derek Kolstad (of John Wick fame) brings his signature kinetic energy. The episodes, mercifully brief at 22-27 minutes each, fly by. This isn’t a slow burn; it’s a controlled detonation. And speaking of detonation: the series is shockingly violent. Knives into skulls, scalpel-to-eyeball moments, and plenty of headshots. It’s far more brutal than the games ever were, and it works, lending a desperate, life-or-death weight to every shadow-slinking encounter.
The Bitter Taste of Time
Now, for the bitter part.
Deathwatch confirms a difficult truth: we are still no closer to a new Splinter Cell game, and even worse, this show takes place so late in Sam Fisher’s life that his clock is visibly ticking. The series is excellent, but its timeline feels like a final curtain call.
While it is a Splinter Cell story, the style is decidedly "Panther" over "Ghost." Fisher and McKenna rack up high body counts, often employing the most lethal means possible—a stark contrast to the way many of us played the games, striving for a non-lethal, untraced run. The beloved gadgets are also largely absent; no sticky shockers, no SC-20K, just knives, elbows, and raw grit. These aren’t complaints, merely observations on how the show leans into the "violent spy thriller" over the "stealth puzzle box."
The plot, revolving around the resurrection of the Shetland name and a high-tech clean energy project, gets a bit convoluted toward the end, echoing the occasional narrative leaps the games themselves would take. However, the final two episodes, aptly titled “Chaos Theory Part One” and “Part Two,” and the inclusion of classic sound effects—the k-SHHHH of the tri-lens goggles and the iconic radio activation noise—are welcome winks to the franchise’s storied past.
Time Well Spent
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is a bloody, beautifully paced reminder of why we fell in love with Sam Fisher 20 years ago. It’s an easy binge, offering just over three hours of pure, ultraviolent spy entertainment.
The fear, however, remains. Given the show's advanced timeline, the likely scenarios are either a short-lived, spectacular series, or a gradual, potentially audience-resistant handover to McKenna. To turn Splinter Cell into a McKenna show would be like sidelining Batman for a Robin spin-off—a tough sell for long-time fans.
For now, though, let’s simply enjoy the fact that Sam Fisher is back in the darkness where he belongs. It's a great series that, hopefully, will be the kick in the ass Ubisoft needs to finally accelerate the production of the long-promised Splinter Cell remake.
A brutally effective, expertly paced spy thriller that gives the older, grumpier Sam Fisher the bloody send-off he deserves, even if it leaves us wanting much, much more.
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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