Ep 1. The Cicada Protocol

Treadstone is a thrilling action series that follows the legacy of the CIA's Treadstone program, a top-secret black-ops program that creates superhuman assassins known as "Cicadas." The show focuses on several characters who are unwittingly brought back into the program years after they were initially trained.

Season 1, Episode 1, "The Cicada Protocol," sets the stage for the series by introducing viewers to Doug McKenna, a mild-mannered American oil-rig worker who is suddenly activated as a Cicada and sent on a mission to retrieve a crucial piece of information from a Russian asset.

As the episode opens, Doug is living a quiet life with his wife and son in Alaska, completely unaware of his past as a highly-skilled assassin. Meanwhile, across the globe in North Korea, a rogue agent named SoYun is forced to kill her husband and young daughter to protect a dark secret.

Back in Alaska, Doug's idyllic life is shattered when his Treadstone conditioning kicks in and he brutally dispatches a group of Russian operatives who have come to his rig seeking the intel he's been tasked with obtaining. As the dust settles, Doug realizes with horror what he's just done and flees the scene.

At the same time, SoYun is recruited back into the Treadstone program by an enigmatic new handler named Petra. SoYun's mission is to assassinate a key political figure in South Korea, but Petra warns her that she'll have to eliminate her former mentor, a fellow assassin named Jang, who has gone rogue.

As Doug tries to come to grips with his new reality and evade the authorities who are now after him, SoYun struggles with the emotional toll of her missions and begins to question the morality of the Treadstone program. Both characters' journeys ultimately intersect as the episode builds to a tense and explosive climax.

"The Cicada Protocol" is a gripping and intense introduction to the world of Treadstone, laying the groundwork for a complex web of espionage, intrigue, and action that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the series. With a talented cast, sharp writing, and high-octane set pieces, this premiere episode sets the bar high and leaves audiences eager to see what comes next.