4 Months Later, Amazon's 10/10 James Bond Series Gets Better And Better

Four months after its debut, Amazon’s highly praised James Bond series continues to stand out as one of the most impressive additions to the streaming platform. While it hasn't necessarily received the attention it deserves, the show's lead actor received a much-deserved Emmy nomination for his work.

Prime Video’s Bait isn’t part of the James Bond franchise. Instead, it's a dark comedy created and starring Riz Ahmed, who plays Shah Latif, a struggling actor auditioning to be the next Bond. With only six episodes, each running 24 to 27 minutes, Bait is a series that’s perfect from start to finish.

Bait excels at surprising its audience. What begins as a show about an actor trying to land a life-changing gig turns into a story about identity and familial expectations. Even as a dark comedy, Bait has enough action to entice fans of the Bond franchise, even if it tends to lean more on heavy themes at times.

Every episode of Bait is simply perfect because there’s a humanity to Shah that makes him an easy character to root for. Above all else, Bait is an uncomfortable TV show as it doesn’t shy away from highlighting the issues in the entertainment industry as well as the power that social media has given to audiences. Even with its serious topics, Bait is wildly entertaining and deserves to be watched more than once.

Prime Video's Bait Rewards Multiple Viewings

At first glance, Bait is a series about an unknown actor vying for the role of James Bond, but it's really so much more than that. It’s a story about family, mental health, and the challenges that come with shouldering unfulfilled dreams. Bait is a kind of series that packs an emotional punch. It’s hilarious, but also filled with important themes.

It is through multiple viewings that viewers really get to understand who Shah is and what motivates him. The themes of being a person of color in a predominantly white industry hit harder, and the jokes are funnier on a second, third, or even fourth watch. It's a testament to how great Bait is that it currently has a 94% critics’ score and 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite the series not being one of Prime Video’s most well-known shows.

Bait Adds Just A Little More Pressure Onto Daniel Craig's Bond Replacement

Daniel Craig was James Bond for 15 years, taking on the role in 2006 through 2021, with No Time to Die being the last movie the actor starred in as the dapper spy. Since then, the race for who would be the next Bond has been intense, with fans regularly chiming in about which actor they feel is worthy enough to walk in Craig’s footsteps. Callum Turner, Henry Cavill, Idris Alba, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Tom Francis are some of the names that fans of the iconic franchise think should be the next 007.

Prime Video’s Bait highlights the kind of pressure that the actor who replaces Craig as Bond would have to endure. Through Shah’s story, we see that being the next 007 is no easy feat. Everyone has an opinion, from the studios to the long-time fans of the franchise. In the series, Shah actually goes through a mental breakdown because of all these expectations.

Craig embodied everything that has made 007 such a beloved figure for more than a decade. As a result, the next Bond actor won’t just be compared to Craig’s iconic performance, but also to a wider landscape of modern action protagonists. Bait is a great series that sheds light on the weight that the next Bond will have to carry, particularly if they are a person of color. Ultimately, not everyone is going to be happy with whoever becomes the next James Bond, given how every Bond actor, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, has raised the bar.

Release Date March 25, 2026

Network Prime Video

Directors Tom George, Bassam Tariq

Writers Riz Ahmed, Azam Mahmood, Prashanth Venkataramanujam

Cast

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