The Copenhagen Test delivers a high-octane, well-scripted espionage thriller with some interesting sci fi twists and its share of moral quandaries.
What Is It?
This series focuses on Alexander Hale, a first-generation intelligence analyst who discovers his brain has been secretly hacked, giving unknown adversaries access to everything he sees and hears. As he tries to prove his loyalty and uncover who’s behind the breach, he becomes entangled in a dangerous web of intrigue, deception, and espionage within a covert agency known as The Orphanage.
Streaming: Peacock, One Season Totaling 8 Episodes (So Far)
Starring: Simu Liu, Melissa Barrera, Sinclair Daniel, Brian d’Arcy James, Mark O’Brien, Kathleen Chalfant
Created By: Thomas Brandon
Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:
Peacock has not had as heavy a focus on scripted originals as the other streaming services, and it has only put out a few shows so far of interest to genre fans. But at least a couple of those are worth a look, like the mind-spinning Mrs. Davis and the post-apocalyptic romp Twisted Metal (don’t waste your time on the awful Brave New World, though). And now they have another original that should interest sci fi fans in The Copenhagen Test.
This spy-fi entry gets off to a riveting start as special forces operative Alexander Hale (Simu Liu) is faced with a moral dilemma in the field when he can safely evacuate only one person and has to choose between a woman and a young boy. The decision he makes later haunts him, causing him to suffer from panic attacks, and we come to find out that he was put through what is known as The Copenhagen Test, which evaluates whether a person will remain loyal in extreme and harsh situations. Hale later goes on to work as an analyst for a secretive organization known as The Orphanage, which has the task of overseeing all other U.S. intelligence agencies. And while there, he has his loyalty tested once again.
Hale has been experiencing migraines for some time, and he is involved with three cases that are compromised, putting him under suspicion as a mole. But the fact is that his brain has been hacked by nanites that entered his system through medication he was taking. His superiors become aware of this, and they realize that Hale is acting unwittingly as a spy for an unknown source. They confront him with this and give him the option of continuing to work in his role as an analyst as they feed tainted information to the people monitoring him in an attempt to draw them out. (Note that none of this really counts as spoilers, as almost all of what I have covered so far transpires in the first episode.) Hale agrees to cooperate, facing further personal challenges and uncertainty over who he can trust as he gets drawn deeper into this web of deceit.
All of this may sound rather convoluted, and I did have to do some reading on the internet to refresh my memory, but the show does a good job of laying out the story without losing the audience in the details. In fact, through episode five, this one is very tightly written, bringing in all the action and intrigue of a good espionage thriller while also throwing in some sci fi twists. And it is not just pure action, as the series develops the characters and relationships and throws any number of moral quandaries at them.
The cast is certainly up to the task of carrying the show, with Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) providing the troubled central lead, though this is essentially an ensemble show with the rest of the players making their mark as well, especially Melissa Barrera as Hale’s confidant and Sinclair Daniel as his handler. Basically, this is a first-rate scripted original with excellent production values (though thankfully little CGI overload) and a spot-on cast, and it should be getting more attention than it has so far. I plan on continuing through the first season and certainly hope it will continue beyond that. Those who enjoyed 2017’s Counterpart (more on that one at this link) will almost certainly like this one as well, seeing as it delivers a similar intelligent, well-written thriller with sci fi elements and plenty of ethical conundrums.
What’s Next?
Peacock did give The Copenhagen Test some marketing push before it premiered in December, and according to creator and showrunner Thomas Brandon, there are plans for a second season: “It was always designed as an ongoing series, so there are plans and ideas and hopes for what a second season could be.” The show made it to the bottom of the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 the week after its debut, which is decent for a Peacock original. There has been no word on a second season, though, so fans of this one may want to start making some noise on the social networks to convince Peacock to keep it going.
Are you watching The Copenhagen Test, and do you think it counts as a good sci fi/espionage series? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.
Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations
Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers.
Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production.
And be sure to follow us on social media: Blue Sky | Facebook | Mastodon | Twitter.
I love this show