These days, it feels like almost every new series has to kick off a franchise or inspire a host of spin-offs in order to justify its existence. Prime Video’s The Boys spawned Gen V, as well as an animated anthology, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has grown the Dutton dynasty through two prequel shows to date, and we probably wouldn’t have Elsbeth on CBS without The Good Wife or The Good Fight. When the Russo Brothers’ Citadel initially premiered in 2023, it was confirmed as an “international event series,” with spin-off shows planned in settings ranging from the Italian Alps to Mexico. Citadel: Diana, which dropped last month, further develops the Spyverse, with the bulk of the story featuring Matilda De Angelis’ titular heroine set between Seasons 1 and 2 of the flagship show.

This month’s Citadel: Honey Bunny, however, boasts an altogether different kind of ambition. Developed by Sita R. Menon, who co-writes alongside directors Raj & DK, the Indian spin-off not only serves as a successful prequel but also becomes the Citadel universe’s strongest installment to date through its impressive stunt sequences, complex character work, and perfect blending of drama and spy thriller.

What Is ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ About?
Image via Prime Video

Set across dual timelines in 1992 and 2000, Citadel: Honey Bunny constructs a dramatic and compelling tale revolving around romance, action, and espionage. In 1992, struggling actress Honey (Samantha) has aspirations of a much bigger career than the bit parts she’s been landing in films, while successful stuntman Bunny (Varun Dhawan) is used to subbing in for the hero of the story, knowing his face will never be visible even as he throws himself into danger to perform all manner of physical feats. They’ve been friends for years — so long, in fact, that Bunny knows exactly where to find Honey to comfort her after another failed audition for a creepy casting director.

This time, however, said comfort comes with an offer to play an important part for one night. Bunny’s day job might be stunts, but by night he works for an agency led by the mysterious and intimidating Guru (Kay Kay Menon), who recruited Bunny as an orphaned young man and molded him into the perfect spy. While Honey is successfully recruited as a member of their small team alongside Bunny’s longtime friends and fellow agents Chacko (Shivankit Singh Parihar) and Ludo (Soham Majumdar), she joins despite Guru’s reservations about bringing a woman into the mix. Over the course of her training, Honey becomes desperate to prove herself through Bunny’s guidance, but as the two of them grow more and more intimate in close quarters, Honey inwardly begins to question the agency’s deeper motives and its leader’s true aims.

Meanwhile, in 2000, Honey is living a life of relative anonymity while raising her young daughter, Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar) — who will one day grow up to be Priyanka Chopra’s high-ranking Citadel agent. When danger comes knocking in the form of a resurrected enemy, and Honey and Nadia have to go on the run, their troubles reunite them with the one person that Honey hasn’t been in contact with for years: her former lover and Nadia’s father, Bunny. As for Bunny himself, he’s long-retired from spywork for reasons that later become clear, but is willing to thrust himself right back into danger if it means keeping his family safe — even recruiting Chacko and Ludo for what could very well be their final mission, given the stakes involved.

‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ Thrives On the Strength of Its Cast

Given its narrative scope, Citadel: Honey Bunny needed a duo who could convincingly pull off the conceit of spies falling in love and their future, estranged counterparts. From the very beginning, Dhawan and Samantha’s chemistry smolders hot enough to potentially set screens ablaze; when the two move into proximity, it’s unclear whether they intend to kiss or pull a gun on each other first. Yet Honey and Bunny’s relationship undergoes a harsh evolution, as outside forces threaten to tear them apart — and, as we see eight years later, seem to have succeeded. The angst that results adds new, complicated layers to their dynamic, giving Samantha and Dhawan more to play with, and both actors ensure that we never forget how much these characters still care about each other, even if their reunion could risk reopening old wounds.

The rest of Citadel: Honey Bunny’s cast adds richness and complexity to a less technologically advanced backdrop. As a younger version of Citadel’s heroine Nadia Sinh, Majmundar manages to be equally precocious and charming without ending up in annoying kid-actor territory. Similarly, Menon’s Guru is as disarming as he is menacing, a presence who continually raises the stakes for both Bunny and Honey while standing at the center of Citadel’s intriguing origin story. Although he inspires devotion and obedience, he also serves as the biggest threat to our main couple’s future together. Parihar and Majumdar, as well, have to play their characters from two different places in time, but Chacko and Ludo’s rapport with Bunny never wavers across the years, even if some of them have walked away from the agency in that timeframe in favor of more peaceful lives. Sikander Kher and Saqid Saleem, as Shaan and KD, respectively, make for surprisingly complex antagonists; unfortunately, the script doesn’t really afford Simran’s Zooni the same depth, which is disappointing considering her character’s importance to the plot.

Related What To Remember About the Citadel Universe Before ‘Honey Bunny’ ‘Honey Bunny’ will serve as an origin story of sorts for one of ‘Citadel’s biggest characters.

‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ Is a Perfect Blend of Family Drama and Espionage Thriller

While Citadel: Honey Bunny doesn’t boast the same world-saving stakes as its predecessors, it doesn’t need to. At its core, the series tells a much more grounded story about the importance of family and how loyalty can so often blind people to harsh realities. In the past, Bunny goes through the motions of working for the man he refers to as Baba because he believes he owes it to him, while Honey’s outsider perspective allows her to see the real motives that exist behind Guru’s ambition. In the present day, Honey’s primary devotion is to her daughter and keeping her safe at all costs; as soon as Bunny discovers he has a child, his only directive is protecting Nadia’s future, no matter what other forces are at play. With the titular Citadel in its infancy, and other rivals still struggling to grasp for power, the plot ends up revolving more around its characters and their interpersonal dynamics over global perils, which results in a much more emotional espionage story than viewers might expect.

In terms of action, it’s immediately evident that Raj & DK were the perfect pair to tackle Citadel: Honey Bunny. The creative duo have long left their mark on both film and television, and they bring their spectacular sensibilities to the series’ stuntwork and fights, particularly through long-take sequences that see Dhawan and Samantha, both together and independently, sparring and shooting their way through enemies. These scenes are rendered impossible to look away from thanks to editing by Sumeet Kotian as well as cinematographer Johan Heurlin Aidt, who assist in creating the series’ most visually dynamic moments.

Despite Citadel: Honey Bunny’s strengths, of which there are many, the series still falls prey to some frustrating plot devices. Without venturing into overt spoiler territory, it feels like the ending was expressly written as open-ended, a cliffhanger that issues the challenge for a Season 2 renewal when one hasn’t yet been assured. Given its leads’ significant star power, as well as everything else the show has going for it, the confirmation of more may come sooner rather than later, but the finale still leaves the story at a high tension point with no firm assurance of resolution.

Citadel: Honey Bunny skillfully threads the needle when it comes to justifying its existence as both a prequel and a spin-off. Some basic knowledge of the existing universe proves helpful in keeping track of important names and organizations, but this series stands on its own power as well as heads and shoulders above what’s come before, a leaner, intimate, action-packed spy thriller that doesn’t sacrifice crucial character dynamics for cheap theatrics.

Citadel: Honey Bunny premieres November 7 on Prime Video.

Varun Dhawan and Samantha are spies in love in Citadel: Honey Bunny, which perfectly blends character-driven drama and espionage thriller elements.ProsSamantha and Varun Dhawan’s chemistry is worth the price of admission on its own.Several “one-take” action sequences for both Honey and/or Bunny are visually dynamic and thrilling.Kay Kay Menon plays a disarmingly menacing antagonist. ConsThe show wraps up on a frustrating cliffhanger that seems to be daring its streamer into a renewal.Simran’s Zooni isn’t as fleshed-out or developed as other characters, which is disappointing given her importance to the plot.

This spy action thriller, set in the ’90s, follows the origins of a clandestine spy agency, blending espionage with a touching love story. It delves into the agency’s foundation, covert operations, and rise to power.Release Date November 7, 2024 Cast Samantha Ruth Prabhu , Varun Dhawan , Kay Kay Menon , Simran , Saqib Saleem , Sikandar Kher , Soham Majumdar , Shivankit Singh Parihar , Emma Canning Streaming Service(s) Prime Video

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