In 2015, Sicario took theaters by storm, impressing audiences just as much with its gritty shootouts and moral ambiguity as it did with its star-studded cast. Most of that can be attributed to Denis Villeneuve‘s intense direction, but Taylor Sheridan‘s scriptalso helps. Sheridan’s willingness to delve into the darker side of the war against drugs, combined with a cast of compelling characters, helped lay the groundwork for his later work in television. Sicario continues to dominate across streaming services, but there’s a television series on Apple TV that outstrips it in terms of grittiness and moral complexity.

That series is Echo 3, which debuted at the tail end of 2022. Echo 3 begins when scientist Amber Chesborough (Jessica Ann Collins) is kidnapped by a group of militants while researching the effects of psychedelics in Colombia. Two Delta Force operators, Alex “Bambi” Chesborough (Luke Evans) and Eric “Prince” Haas (Michiel Huisman), are deployed to rescue her; complicating matters is the fact that Bambi is Amber’s brother and Prince is her husband, adding emotional ties to the mission. Echo 3 flew under the radar when it was released, but it’s worth revisiting if you’re a fan of military thrillers like Sheridan’s Lioness.

‘Echo 3’ Is the Rare Military Thriller That Takes A Realistic Approach to Warfare

What makes Echo 3 stand out from its contemporaries is that it’s a series in which things rapidly spiral out of control as the narrative escalates. At first, Bambi and Prince think they can simply negotiate Amber’s release, but once her captors learn of her research, they refuse to release her, complicating their mission. It isn’t until the fourth episode, “Upriver,” that the story takes an unexpected turn and showcases just how different forces, including political maneuvering and being severely outnumbered on all sides, can sabotage a military operation. Most shows claim to be “unpredictable,” but Echo 3‘s one of the few that can actually live up to the hype.

If that wasn’t enough, the bonds between Bambi, Prince, and Amber contribute to the problems rather than solve them. Bambi and Prince have been on thin ice following a previous mission that went south, and the two are constantly butting heads when they need to be on the same page. Likewise, Amber slowly learns that her research in Colombia is being used for horrific ends, forcing her to face the idea that her travels have done more harm than good. While Sicario wasn’t above showcasing that none of its characters were truly innocent, Echo 3 takes it a step further by showcasing how the bonds of blood and war tie these characters together.

<labelclass ="CQ-option-btnCQ-opt-a "A Quietly , decisively ,and inawaythat sendsamessageto everyone watching.
<labelclass ="CQ-option-btnCQ-opt-b "B Ioutmanoeuvrethem legally , financially ,and politicallybeforetheyevenknowI’vemoved.
<labelclass ="CQ-option-btnCQ-opt-c "C Directly . Oldschool . Youcrossme , youhearaboutittoyourface —and thenyoudealwiththeconsequences.
<labelclass ="CQ-option-btnCQ-opt-d "D Iabsorb it , calculatethefallout ,andfindthemovethatkeeps the wholesystemfromcollapsing.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

Where do you feelmost inyourelement?
Sheridan’sworldsareasmuchaboutplaceas theyareaboutpeople.