TNT's new eight-episode series, 'High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam,' features Joel Kinnaman as John Nixon, a CIA analyst tasked with finding Saddam Hussein. The series, inspired by Nixon's memoir "Debriefing the President," opens in March 2003 with Nixon expressing apprehension about the impending war with Iraq.

"Everyday I wake up and think ‘Is today the day we go to war with Iraq?’" Nixon says in a voiceover, reflecting on the decision to invade while his father, Charles (Tom Berenger), a veteran, preaches "situational awareness."

Nixon, an expert on Saddam Hussein, understands that the Bush administration's actions are an attempt to complete what his father's administration could not. However, he is also tasked with providing intelligence that supports the administration's public claims of weapons of mass destruction.

![Joel Kinnaman as John Nixon in "High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam"]( "Joel Kinnaman as John Nixon in "High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam" on TNT")

Initially working from a desk at CIA headquarters and sifting through "an infinite supply of bad leads," Nixon's focus shifts when the decision is made to gather intelligence firsthand. He is deployed to Iraq as part of the CIA's on-the-ground efforts to locate "HVT #1" and his associates amidst ongoing U.S. military operations. The series aims to explore the human element of Saddam Hussein, a figure often reduced to a monster by political discourse and intelligence reports. The narrative is set to build towards Nixon's eventual interviews with the dictator.

Dar Salim is featured as a U.S. Army translator in Iraq, delivering standout performances.

While the series centers on Nixon's journey, his personal life, including his wife Rebecca (Rebecca Lewis), who has MS, and his father's political commentary, are also depicted, though noted as lacking dimension in early segments.

'High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam' is described as a strong central performance by Kinnaman, making the series worth watching despite some narrative weaknesses in its supporting elements. The series premieres on TNT.