The Old Man features some seriously intelligent characters, including ex-CIA operatives, current FBI agents, and individuals who have kept major secrets for decades. An impressive show given that production halted temporarily while Jeff Bridges took care of his health following both a cancer and COVID-19 diagnosis, it’s no surprise The Old Man has already been renewed for a second season.
Airing on FX and streaming on Hulu, The Old Man is heavily dialogue driven, with much of it being smart, menacing, and building up a larger story. With that said, while every character is smart in their own way, some are particularly clever, cunning, and terrifyingly intelligent.
Raymond Waters
Raymond seemed to want to know everything and get involved in everything, yet he wasn’t smart enough to understand when he should keep out of others’ business and when he should inquire about more details.
He was basically Harold Harper’s lackey, being told what to do and when to do it, even if he didn’t like it. Harold had a conversation at one point that put Raymond in his place. He was not seasoned enough to be nearly as smart as the others, and too overly ambitious and eager to be in the know for his own good.
Julian Carson
Julian was a tremendously skilled fighter and assassin who could take out any enemy, even multiple enemies, in a split second without them even knowing he was coming. But he was also someone tasked with doing the dirty work of others, like Morgan Bote.
Julian might have been smarter than he came across: it certainly took a lot of smarts to pull off the stealth moves he made in both tracking down just about anyone and eliminating them. But his intellect beyond that wasn’t given the chance to shine.
Young Faraz Hamzad
Young Faraz Hamzad (played by Pej Vahdat who, in terms of where else you might have seen the cast of The Old Man, was in shows like Bones and Dynasty) was a local warlord in Afghanistan who Dan, known as Johnny at the time, befriended. He worked with Faraz, gaining his trust and helping him flourish during a crisis in his country. He was smart and had good intentions, a born leader.
However, it appeared that his wife Abbey was running the show at least half of the time, secretly making moves behind his back to help his cause. She was always several steps ahead of him. That alone made Faraz look less intelligent since he did not figure out what she was up to doing right under his nose.
Zoe
Zoe might come across as an average, lonely divorcee simply going through the motions of life. But it was clear despite her reluctance to go along with Dan’s plan that she was smarter than she seemed, and even than she gave herself credit for. Dan himself brought this to light and let her know that she possessed unique skills that could be useful to her once she figured out how to hone them.
The first realization fans had that Zoe was far smarter than she initially came across as being was when she bargained to get half Dan’s money if he wanted her to go along with his plan. She put him in a tough spot, unable to do anything but agree. She also helped him in many other ways by convincing players to do things he needed them to do. She had the rare ability to instantly find someone’s weak spot and use it to her advantage.
Angela Adams
Angela (played by Alia Shawkat who also played one of the bravest characters in Search Party) was not only fiercely good at her job and confident in herself, she was also incredibly intelligent. She managed to hold down a prestigious job at the FBI, working alongside a man who she knew would be devastated if he learned her true identity.
She kept the secret that she was Dan’s daughter for years, a testament to her personal strength. The fact that Harold recalled his first moment seeing Angela and knowing there was a fire and intelligence in her is indication that she is one of the smartest on the show. This is not only because of her basic smarts, but also her drive and refusal to back down to anyone.
Young Abbey Chase
Abbey Chase, played by Hiam Abass at an older age (who also plays Marcia Roy, one of the low-key villains on Succession), spent decades fooling not only her first husband, but also her second husband Dan. She made them believe she was merely going along with their plan to help further her husband’s interests – a smart move, but not one she orchestrated herself…or so they thought.
It was decades later when Dan learned that it was Abbey who was grooming Pavlovich and recruited him. It showed she had leadership qualities and smarts far beyond what anyone realized. She was a force to be reckoned with who was able to manipulate situations and play a long game without anyone knowing. She was smart enough to keep her husband away from a mass of riches knowing the power it would wield would be dangerous not only for him, but for her country.
Harold Harper
Harold might have made moves to put himself in a precarious position, but he was one of the smartest FBI agents on the force. He knew who to talk to and what to do to get things done. He was intuitive and resourceful and wasn’t afraid to make difficult decisions.
While he never picked up on the fact that Angela was Dan’s daughter, who had been presumed dead, he recognized something special in her. He is arguably the only one to rival Dan when it comes to smarts thanks to his quick thinking, dedication to the job, and strong moral compass.
Dan Chase
Over and over, Angela reminded Harold not to underestimate her father, a similar theme when it comes to daring protagonists in other shows like The Old Man. And over and over, she was right. Not only did Dan manage to navigate life in Afghanistan for so long, he also knew when it was time to leave and figured out a way to take Abbey (and Angela) with him to safety.
He evaded capture and detection for decades, managing to live a quiet but also full life. He orchestrated deals in the background, and despite Harold’s many efforts, Dan killed or escaped from many who tried to take him down, including the skilled assassin Julian. Dan had the intuition, skills, and smarts to get him far, pulling off what most others could never have accomplished on a regular day, much less with the force of the CIA and FBI after them.
Morgan Bote
One of the most mysterious characters in The Old Man, it was revealed that Morgan Bote was actually the old man being referenced in the title, not Dan. He is the FBI director and Harold’s mentor, who considered himself to be a father figure to both Harold and Dan.
A recluse with plenty of connections, he was apparently pulling multiple strings in the background, unbeknownst to many. The mere fact that he was able to place Angela under Harper’s tutelage at the FBI for all those years, keeping her true identity safe, is an indication of how smart, resourceful, and well connected he is. He is the perfect example of the strong, quiet type who sits back, listens and observes, and figures out a master plan to control it all.