XIII: The Series is an English-language Franco-Canadian TV series that premiered in April 2011 in France and Canada. The series is based on the Belgian comic albums series of the same name created by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance. It's about an amnesiac protagonist who seeks to discover his concealed past. The TV series follows the events of the 2008 TV film XIII: The Conspiracy. The first season follows the plot in parallel with the existing volumes in the comic series, while the second season diverts into an all-new original story arc.
Production Shaw Media (then still known as Canwest) announced on 9 July 2010 the new dramas Blackstone, Endgame, King, and XIII would be produced for the 2010–11 season, and that Combat Hospital would be produced for the 2011–12 season in addition to the already announced series Shattered and Lost Girl. Along with four comedies and three pilot movies, it made for the largest order for scripted original programming that Canwest had ever done. Production on XIII began on 13 September 2010 with filming in and around Toronto, including Barber Mill, Georgetown, Ontario. Portions of XIII were also filmed in Paris.
Characters
Stephen Dorff (XIII: The Conspiracy) and Stuart Townsend (season 1–2) as Ryan Flay/"XIII": A covert CIA operative and former secret agent who doesn't remember who he is, or his own name, but retains his sophisticated combat and infiltration skills from his government training. His exploration of his past is the focus of the series – XIII was sent on secret missions so dark that no one in Washington knew their actual purpose: the most recent was the Sally Sheridan assassination, where an elaborate cover-up changed his face. While ultimately successful, XIII's memory was erased, and he was betrayed by the government and locked away deep inside an Eastern European prison. At the start of the series he escaped, and now he's searching for answers, uncovering his shadowy past and the international conspiracies that threaten his present. Powerful figures threaten and manipulate him as he gets closer to the mysterious center of a deadly puzzle – where the key to all the intrigue is XIII. Other names he has been referred to include "Seamus O'Neill", "El Cascador", "Jason Peter Mullway" and "Victor Gong". As of the Season 2 finale, he is in hiding with Betty, his lover who is pregnant with his child, and Barnabis, a loyal ally, in South America. Greg Bryk as DNI Samuel Amos (season 1–2): The Director of National Intelligence under President Ben Carrington and former US Army Colonel – a title the President still uses with him, Amos believes that his job is to protect the United States government at any cost, even if that means taking the law into his own hands. A highly intelligent ex-military man, he spent his time in the service behind the lines, planning strategies and developing innovative tactics – skills that he carried with him into his current office. While he requires rules and order, he doesn't hesitate to get his hands dirty when necessary. He has deep mistrust and suspicion of XIII and his mysterious past, and has repeatedly attempted to have him removed or killed for national security – Amos sees him as dangerous and uncontrollable, and his links to black operations are too dangerous to remain free. In Season 2, Amos has been removed from his position after killing Sheridan, and is now CEO of Synequanon. After Victor bombs Synequanon headquarters, killing Amos's wife and daughter, Amos thirsts for vengeance against XIII; believing, incorrectly, he is responsible. Later after a massive manhunt, he learns the truth, and teams up with him to defeat Victor and destroy HEARPE. Amos also forms a relationship with President-elect Harriet Traymore and works with her to oust Carrington from power in exchange for his restoration as DNI. He is now leading the government on a manhunt for XIII – the only thing that now matters to him. Stephen McHattie as President Ben Carrington (season 1–2): A former US Army four-star General and President of the United States, Carrington understands that, in protecting the government, operating within the grey areas gets results – hence he respects Jones, who will bend the rules for the betterment of the whole, and XIII most of all. While Carrington is willing to stretch the limits of his position, he disdains dirty politics and backroom deal making. He is honest and forthright, while at the same time, thick-skinned and relentlessly tough. A good man to have as a friend, and a terrible man to have as an enemy. Carrington, during the events of the Roman Numeral Conspiracy, was Deputy Director of the NSA and worked with XIII to expose the conspiracy, during which his daughter, Kim Rowland, is killed. At the start of the series, Carrington had left the military and went into politics as a democrat, becoming vice president to republican president Wally Sheridan. After using evidence of the conspiracy to blackmail Sheridan into resigning, Carrington becomes president to finish out Sheridan's term. When XIII resurfaces, he forms a workable arrangement with Carrington to track down the Renelco weapon and retrieve it; all in the hopes of uncovering his true identity. Carrington makes it clear that he both trusts and respects XIII after his efforts to expose the Roman Numeral Conspiracy, and grants him all the access and resources he can to aid in his quest. Carrington had faced a difficult re-election against Wally Sheridan; who has steadily discredited Carrington in the eyes of the public, but he does gain a sense of peace with Kim's death when he takes her newly found son; Roger, under his protection (though when it is found Roger is Kim's illegitimate son with Sheridan himself, it further escalates the animosity between them). In the Season 1 finale, Carrington orders Jones to turn on XIII and shoot him with a sniper rifle, with XIII briefly remembering Carrington was behind the Renelco mission and had used him all along. In Season 2, Carrington was campaigning for a full four-year term in his own right in the 2016 presidential election, but lost the general election in a landslide to former Alaska Republican Governor Harriet Traymore. Desperate to remain in power long enough to destroy HEARPE, Carrington declares martial law in order to hold onto the presidency, even as his supporters dwindle and his sanity crumbles. In the Season 2 finale, Carrington makes his last stand and his arrested by Traymore's military, who force him to finally surrender the office on 20 January 2017. Carrington has been imprisoned in Guantanamo, declared dead to the public, but labeled as a hero for his efforts to destroy HEARPE. He is now facing endless hours of torture by Amos for XIII's whereabouts. Aisha Tyler as Agent/Secretary Lauren Jones (season 1–2): A resourceful and determined government agent and former US Army Major, Jones was an Ivy League graduate, former military sniper who served under General Carrington and a top Secret Service agent. Her relationship with XIII is complicated; she was XIII's friend and partner, as well as his former lover, but that ended when XIII lost his memory, but afterwards remained the only one he thought he could trust. Jones, during the events of the Roman Numeral Conspiracy, was a CIA operative who worked with XIII to expose the conspiracy. At the start of the series, Jones had been told XIII was stationed overseas on a black operation. When XIII resurfaces, having really been secretly imprisoned by her boss DNI Amos, Jones is transferred to Homeland Security and assigned by Amos to assist XIII in his investigation of the Renelco weapon and Rainer Gerhardt, as well as XIII's own efforts of uncovering his true identity – her shared history with XIII makes her the perfect person to help him and track him for Amos. In the Season 1 finale, Jones, on the orders of President Carrington, she shot XIII in an assassination attempt. In Season 2, for her loyalty, Jones was promoted to U.S. Secretary of State. Secretly, Jones never forgave herself for shattering XIII's trust in her. After XIII appeared again, miraculously alive and believed responsible for the Synequanon bombing, Jones makes a fateful decision – during a confrontation with XIII, she is fatally shot by XIII.2 – XIII's double who was truly responsible for the bombing – and died in the real XIII's arms. In the Season 2 finale, Jones was revealed to have been XIII's trainer with the New World Order, establishing their history went back further than believed. Roxane Mesquida as Betty Barnowsky (season 2): A beautiful young French environmental activist, Betty is a political idealist, and one of the main members of the anti-globalization group The Veil. A free spirit, Betty is a lover, not a fighter. However, what her activist friends don't know is that she has a secret that goes against everything they believe in – her father, Leon, is a leading member of the New World Order, and Betty herself is in hiding from them. When Betty meets XIII, she convinces him to join The Veil, starting a chain of events that are explored in Season 2 – Betty seduces XIII and becomes his lover, as well as XIII.2's. She becomes pregnant from their sexual relationship; although she doesn't know which of them is the father. Despite her fugitive status, following the disbanding of The Veil and battles against Xu Corporation and the New World Order itself, Betty is determined to protect her child from the forces pursuing them. As of the Season 2 finale, she is in hiding with XIII and Barnabis in South America. Stuart Townsend as Victor Gong/"XIII.2" (season 2): An exact physical double of XIII, Victor is an operative of Xu Corporation working to develop the weather controlling HEARPE Project, to the point he performs terrorist bombings and assassinations in the United States to undermine their government's attempts to oppose Xu. Seemingly a psychotic and homicidal doppelgänger of the real XIII, Victor is shown to have deeper reasoning behind his actions – he is secretly using Xu in his effort to battle the New World Order that apparently created him, XIII and countless previous clones who served them and their purposes. While still taking orders from Leon Barnowsky, he has secretly broken free to bring down their empire. Another objective from his actions was to get XIII to remember their agreement to work together against the Order. In the Season 2 finale, a virtual reality battle to the death between XIII and Victor results in his virtual death, and HEARPE is destroyed. But his real fate is never determined, and his status remains unknown. Virginie Ledoyen as Irina Svetlanova (season 1): A strong, sexy and ruthless Russian mercenary, Irina works as Wally Sheridan's operative, hunting for the Renelco weapon, and so regularly clashes with XIII. Irina feels no emotion about the line of work she has chosen. Lethal with a knife, gun or hand-to-hand combat, she kills whenever the price is right. In the Season 1 finale, Irina is shot and killed by XIII.