 Matt Fowler of IGN rated it seven out of ten , noting that American viewers do not have to see the first series to be caught up , but added " British fans might lament the absence of Richard Armitage 's John Porter who was the ass @-@ kicking hero of the original series . " Mike Hale of The New York Times described the series as a " variation on " 24 " that offers reasonably competent action scenes , depressingly casual depictions of torture and death , and a comic @-@ book conspiracy story line while also being an efficient nudity delivery system . " Brent MacKnight rated the series five out of ten , calling it a " decent enough action yarn with slick production values , " but was critical that the series was " more concerned with gratuitous nudity [ ... ] each episode includes a lifetime 's worth of breasts and butt cheeks – than creating a story with any substance , character , or emotional weight . " Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post @-@ Gazette was more critical of the series , stating " At first , " Strike Back " seems like a highbrow series on the order of " [ Spooks ] , " but after a few minutes it " conforms to the Skinemax nickname with a graphic sex scene , " with " multiple exclamations of the f @-@ word and bloodshed galore . " Owen summed " Strike Back shows off high production values and an intense , fast @-@ paced story reminiscent of 24 or Sleeper Cell that occasionally dips into the ridiculous [ ... ] It 's too bad the show 's graphic nature , especially the bloodshed , is so off @-@ putting as to make the series unwatchable . " 
