Introduction

Chris Ryan’s Strike Back, also known as Strike Back: Origins on Cinemax, is a six-part British television series based on the novel of the same name written by best-selling author and former soldier of the Special Air Service, Chris Ryan, and is the first series of Strike Back.

The cast of Strike Back is led by Richard Armitage and Andrew Lincoln, also starring Orla Brady, Shelley Conn, Colin Salmon and Jodhi May, including a variety of guest appearances including Toby Stephens, Ewen Bremner, Dhaffer L’Abidine, Shaun Parkes and Alexander Siddig.

Outline

Former SAS soldier Felix Masuku (Parkes) assassinates what he believed was Robert Mugabe in Harare, but was in fact a double.

He is quickly arrested and sent to a highly secure prison. Not wanting him to stand trial, Section 20 deploys Porter to break Masuku out and kill him before then.

Porter travels to Harare posing as a blood diamond dealer and is soon arrested and brought to the same prison. After learning from Leyla Thompson (May) that the trial date is being brought forward, Porter moves his plan forward also.

Meanwhile, an anonymous source tips off the escape plan to a Colonel Tshuma. As his men arrive, Porter successfully breaks Masuku out. As he prepares to execute Masuku, he tells Porter he was hired by British intelligence to assassinate Mugabe, but was betrayed by his handler.

Believing him, Porter keeps him alive and they plan to escape Zimbabwe.

Strike Back Series

You can find a full index of Series 01 here.

You can find a full index of the Strike Back series here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Daniel Percival.
• Writer(s): Jed Mercurio and Alan Whiting.
• Release Date: 12 May 2010.
• Running Time: 42-48 minutes.
• Country: UK and US.
• Language: English.