Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Joe Cole, Lucy Boynton, Tom Hollander
Where to watch: Lionsgate on Prime Video
Seasons: 1 season, 6 episodes, 45 minutes each
To watch or not to watch: A brilliant, exciting watch. Definitely stands out from the crowd
Harry Palmer (Joe Cole) is under arrest for smuggling American ware across the border from West to East Berlin during the 1960s. He has some special skills and knows people, which is ideal for the British Intelligence. Major Dalby (Tom Hollander) is the leader of an unconventional and elite spy agency WOOC(P) and needs a man like Palmer to help the British find a nuclear scientist feared kidnapped by Kremlin. Jean Courtney (Lucy Boynton) is the second is command and is a handler for Palmer. Courtney and Palmer then go through a series of events which leads to the unravelling of the mystery behind the kidnapping and a plot to create an international scnadal.
This series is a breath of fresh air in a long list of less than average recent releases. It has a very strong female lead, which they are very comfortable with (they don’t push that fact in the viewers face, it is just a fact) and a regular looking male lead. The story is non-linear and thus can be a bit difficult to follow, a little reminiscent of John le Carre, but it is the way of good spy thrillers, probably. The excitement is real, the thrill can be felt through the bones, and the plot setting is something the world can relate to, given the current international political situation.
The best compliment to give this series – it is binge-worthy. Not only you would want to watch it all it one go willingly, it is also recommended to be able to follow it better. The acting is superior, the sets, costumes and storyline believable, and a great tribute to the old movie, on which it is based (which is, in turn, based on a book). There is no reason to not watch it. Make time over a weekend to watch it all together.
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