This is a centenarian who has nothing to lose. He's previously led a mercurial existence and this last hurrah is the cherry to crown a life of hurrahs. You’ve written both series and standalone novels. What do you find gratifying about each approach? Are there downsides to either, and if so, what? Davis, Clayton; Moreau, Jordan (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards 2023 Nominations: 'Banshees' and 'Everything Everywhere' Tie for Most Nods in History". Variety . Retrieved February 7, 2023.

Panaligan, EJ; Earl, William (January 16, 2023). "Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Full Winners List: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Better Call Saul' Take Top Honors". Variety . Retrieved February 7, 2023. As we said, The Old Man is based on the Thomas Perry novel of the same name, which was published in 2017. Here is the official synopsis for the TV version of The Old Man:

I totally adored this old man! Such a sweetie and lead a very interesting life being involved in key points in history. (although I did find one or two of these historic chapters dragged on a bit)

The narrative goes between Allan's history and what happens to him after he climbs out of the window of the elderly folks home on his 100th birthday. The fact that Allan is in an old folks home would lead you to believe he's a doddering old man who has been deteriorating there for some time, but in fact he'd only been in the home for a few months, and only then because he'd blown his own house to the sky. As one young intelligence contractor assigned to aid the unknown assassins who come after the Old Man observes: When I started writing, I always told myself I’d never write a series. I wanted to write the best novels I could, and very few great novels were anything but standalone books. That went fine until I finished Vanishing Act, about Jane Whitefield, a half-Seneca woman who takes in people who have reason to believe they’re about to be murdered and makes them disappear. I’d finished the book, but I knew much more about the character that I still wanted to say, so I started a sequel, and the series was launched. I also found that from time to time I get curious about the protagonist of The Butcher’s Boy, my first novel, so after 10 years I wrote a sequel, and after 30, I got curious about him again. A series allows a writer to exercise these urges to revisit a character. But standalone books give him a chance to free his imagination to find and invent new ones.Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 19, 2020). "Jeff Bridges Says He's Been Diagnosed With Lymphoma, Prognosis "Good" ". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 18, 2022. He walks to the nearest bus station, intending to travel as far as his available cash will allow. While at the bus station, he meets an angry young man with a suitcase which he cannot bring into the toilet as it is too large, so he desperately asks Allan to take care of it.