Espionage thrillers thrive on tension, clarity, and emotional investment. Sadly, Peacock’s new series The Copenhagen Test, despite an intriguing premise and a talented cast led by Simu Liu, struggles to deliver on any of those fronts.
The series centers on Alexander Hale, an intelligence analyst working for The Orphanage, a secretive organization designed to oversee and protect U.S. intelligence operations. Long believed to be impregnable, the agency prides itself on never having been compromised—until Alexander is promoted from desk duty to field work and everything begins to unravel.At first glance, the setup is promising. Hale is restless, ambitious, and dissatisfied with his career stagnation. His personal life appears to be improving thanks to a new relationship, yet professionally, he’s desperate for purpose. When a new operation opens up, he competes with rival analyst Edmond Cobb, while hiding a dangerous secret: debilitating migraines and panic attacks controlled only through medication supplied by his ex-fiancée.
Things spiral when Alexander discovers the horrifying truth behind his symptoms—his brain has been covertly hacked. A groundbreaking technology allows an unknown enemy to see and hear everything he experiences. Rather than sidelining him, the leadership of The Orphanage decides to use Alexander as bait, placing him under constant observation by handler Samantha Parker to flush out the mole.
A Strong Idea Lost in Execution
While The Copenhagen Test raises fascinating questions about surveillance, loyalty, and technological overreach, it buckles under the weight of its own ambition. The eight-episode season is overcrowded with characters, timelines, and subplots, leaving viewers struggling to follow the narrative rather than being pulled into it.
What should have been a tight psychological thriller becomes a meandering puzzle with pieces that never fully lock into place. Emotional engagement is another casualty. Alexander Hale, despite being the central figure, feels underdeveloped, making it difficult to empathize with his paranoia or personal stakes.
When the identity of the villain is finally revealed, the moment lacks punch. The motivations feel underwhelming, robbing the climax of the shock or moral complexity the series seems to be aiming for.
Themes That Deserve Better Treatment
The show deserves credit for attempting to explore deeper social issues, including xenophobia, racism, and the idea of who qualifies as a “real” American within intelligence and power structures. Unfortunately, these themes are buried beneath cluttered storytelling and sluggish pacing.
With sharper writing, fewer characters, and a more disciplined episode count, The Copenhagen Test might have stood out in a crowded spy-thriller landscape. Instead, it fades into the background—another example of a great concept undone by poor execution.
Final Verdict
Despite its high-profile cast and timely ideas, The Copenhagen Test lacks the precision and suspense needed to make it memorable. In a genre defined by razor-sharp storytelling, this series simply doesn’t cut.
All eight episodes of The Copenhagen Test are now streaming on Peacock.