By Lucas Hill-Paul

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Apple TV+ has recently announced a delay in the release of its much-anticipated thriller, The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain, just days before its scheduled premiere. The streaming giant released a statement saying: “After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone The Savant. “We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date.” Although no specific reasons were given for the sudden change in plans, the postponement comes shortly after the assassination of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk. This has led to speculation about the timing of the decision. So, what’s the buzz around The Savant? Here’s a glimpse into the drama that’s been put on hold by Apple. The Savant features A-lister Jessica Chastain as Jodi Goodwin, a character who delves into the dark world of online hate groups with the aim of thwarting political violence. A sneak peek via the trailer introduces us to Jodi, portrayed as an ordinary suburban mum juggling life with her two kids and husband Charlie Goodwin (played by Nnamdi Asomugha). Yet, when darkness falls, Jodi embarks on a mission across the web, hunting down signs of extremist plots she can prevent from unfolding. The official synopsis teases: “The tense and high-stakes thriller follows an undercover investigator known as The Savant as she infiltrates online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic extremists before they act.” The newly released trailer for The Savant showcases Jodi and her team’s success in shielding the US from “countless” terrorist threats by extremists, yet it hints at a formidable new group she’s been monitoring for “a year and a half” that could present an unprecedented danger. The show boasts a stellar cast including Chastain and Asomugha, alongside James Badge Dale, Dagmara Domińczyk, Cole Doman, Jordana Spiro, Trinity Lee Shirley, Toussaint Francois Battiste, with Pablo Schreiber appearing as a guest star. The series does draw loose inspiration from actual events, although the storyline within the series is a work of fiction. The narrative foundation of the series lies in a 2019 Cosmopolitan article titled Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?. Penned by Melissa James Gibson, The Savant brings to life the experiences of the woman featured in the article, while maintaining her anonymity. Mirroring the series’ lead character, the real-life counterpart known as ‘K’ in the article, served in the Marine Corps. The Cosmo feature details the sexual harassment she faced as a young marine at the age of 19. Following her military service, she pursued further education in night school, earning a degree in justice and public safety, which led to her role as an undercover police officer. K’s career progressed to investigating capital-murder cases for a state agency, a role that involved interviewing death row inmates. Details about how much of this experience will be included in the series remain under wraps, but images of Chastain donning military attire hint that Jodi’s backstory might closely mirror K’s. The decision by Apple TV+ to delay the series has come under scrutiny from some media commentators, who suggest the move was made out of concern for potential backlash from far-right factions. Variety has labelled the postponement a “huge mistake”, as writer Aramide Tinubu called the show “precisely the type of show America needs right now. “It looks at a sector of mostly white male individuals who believe that America belongs to them [and are] fueled by hate, bigotry, xenophobia and misogyny.” Yet the article also notes that despite its themes, President Donald Trump is not referenced, framing the series as a “straightforward, non-controversial character study – and a well-paced thriller – about one woman trying to stop domestic terrorism.” Chastain shared her thoughts with Radio Times on the series’ pertinence: “I hate that this show is relevant. “I hate it. I hate that there are mass acts of violence. But maybe through this conversation and through unearthing this darkness in society, then we’re gonna work together to fix it.” The Savant does not currently have a release date.