RIOTUS

“President George H.W. Bush believed the U.S. Intelligence Community needed a watcher. 

So, The Orphanage was created. 

Downstairs is filled with analysts. 

Upstairs is mission control. The Internal Affairs for all American clandestine agencies.

Most don’t even know The Orphanage exists.

The Orphanage has never been compromised.”

Chinese-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Simu Liu) has a background in special forces and thinks he can do more than his current desk job. Haunted by his past and reeling after a breakup, Alexander wants to prove himself at The Orphanage and make sure what he does matters. But he soon discovers that he’s part of a much larger plan; Alexander begins to realize that the migraines and the panic attacks he’s experiencing aren’t normal. 

His brain has been hacked and turned into a broadcast signal, allowing the hackers to access everything he sees and hears. It’s the kind of spy-fi conspiracy thrill that nightmares are made of, and it takes Alexander on a frantic and unsettling mission where his every move is being watched. It’s a race against time to uncover the perpetrators and prove himself to the very intelligence agency he works for, one that can very easily flip between using him to their advantage or executing him to tie up loose ends.

Simu Liu once again proves his action star power, making you feel Alexander’s complex emotional unraveling and his drive not just to stay alive but to do what’s right. Alexander must play his part in a Truman Show-esque performance while trying to outmaneuver the ruthless intelligence operatives who exist in the shadows. His loyalty to his country is nuanced and emotionally moving, expertly portraying the careful balance many immigrants are expected to walk in order to be accepted. 

While The Copenhagen Test’s near-future tech storyline plays it safe within the genre’s confines, it’s the characters who play with our expectations. In particular, Samantha Parker (Sinclair Daniel), an analyst who finds herself promoted to a deadly game of cat and mouse, where she must figure out how to stay several steps ahead. She keeps her humanity and her empathy close, using them to predict what Alexander will do next; Parker doesn’t embrace the cold killer instinct we’re used to seeing from intelligence operatives, but instead she taps into what makes humans behave the way they do under immense pressure. Especially when they have a special set of skills.

Another standout is Melissa Barrera as Michelle, who comes into Alexander’s life as a bartender with whom he develops a seemingly natural connection. But there’s more to her than meets the eye, and she forces Alexander to re-examine every choice he’s ever made. Liu and Barrera have good chemistry and work strongly in action scenes together. 

As the series molds a new generation of intelligence, the old guard is by their side to show them the way. Parker’s antithesis is St. George (Kathleen Chalfant); she founded The Orphanage and is the quietly calculating presence who looms over the entire operation. She moves in silence and isn’t afraid to make hard decisions; Chalfant plays her with poise. She’s supported by Peter Moira (Brian d’Arcy James), the shadowy Director of Operations, who takes Parker under his wing.

The writing is pretty sharp; even if you can see the twists coming a mile off, you’ll still enjoy the journey towards each revelation. The Copenhagen Test leans into the genre tropes we all know to expect, with plenty of homages and echoes of spy thrillers like Zero Day and Deep State mixed with the action of John Wick and The Bourne Identity. And the action scenes look like they hurt; they feel realistic, not just choreographed, which is refreshing and sets the series above many of its genre TV counterparts.

The secrets and connections could do with some deeper exploration, but perhaps future seasons will give us that chance (network willing). Overall, you’ll have fun watching how the characters develop over the course of the season, especially when backed into a corner. And the series works hard to keep the tension high through its use of high-pitched ringing to emulate Alexander’s inner turmoil and disorientation, pulsating in and out with the equally frenetic score. 

The dark blues, black and white contrasts, and muted tones of the intelligence offices give it a sterile yet covert feel, grounding the series in its spy thriller roots. Each episode plays with lighting to underscore emotion and hold your attention on the cast’s micro-expressions—where their words may not betray the secrets they’re keeping, but their body language tells a different story.

The Copenhagen Test is a tense espionage thriller that revels in its secrets more than its revelations, grounded by great performances and real, palpable emotions. If you’re looking for an action-packed show to break up the holiday season, binge-watch this and enjoy the thrill-ride.