What I’m Watching: The Capture (Season Finale)

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 6 “The Flip” (B+)

Things did not look good for Rachel at the start of this episode as Frank was getting out his torture tools and then Gemma showed up to play all the recordings they got and explicitly ask if Khadija was involved. Utilizing correction to make it look like Rachel was defecting to Russia was an intense pressure tactic, and Frank didn’t mince words as he called her a stubborn turd that just won’t flush. It looked like everything was repeating itself again, with Isaac unhappy to see Khadija taking over his interview at the last minute and leaving so that he wouldn’t be part of it. But in true keeping with this show’s ability to deliver a jaw-dropping technological surprise in every episode, this one saved the best for last. Isaac was horrified to see that he was speaking out on television again while he was in a different location, but that’s exactly what they were counting on. Rachel had it all planned out and was able to expose correction in an irrefutable way since everybody was watching it happen as Isaac arrived somewhere far away from the TV studio with Nadia as his dutiful driver. Frank even got to switch sides by backing up Rachel’s claims of U.S. jurisdiction so that Gemma couldn’t arrest her as revenge for her faking his medical scans so that he would think he was dying. I’m not sure whether a third season is going to happen or not but I’d absolutely be up for it since this season managed to be just as good as the first, which is no easy feat.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Paapa Essiedu as Isaac

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 5 “Imposter Syndrome” (B+)

I like this episode’s title, which doesn’t even begin to capture the head-spinning nature of its revelations. I can appreciate that, after so much intrigue, we finally get definitive answers not just about who’s behind everything but also about why it’s happening. In an increasingly polarized world, it makes sense that the goal of any political campaign would be to present a candidate who can appeal to just about anyone. You’d think that conflicting stories about someone would mean that a voter would decide to support someone else because of that candidate’s inconsistency, but I suppose that people gravitate towards positive examples they like more than negative ones. Seeing that process work in the country of Georgia underlines its universality, and how a place like the UK is among the most influential testing grounds where Isaac could be positioned into a leadership trajectory that didn’t even need the real him’s buy-in. He’s certainly cut Rachel off as she’s starting to figure out what’s happening, and realizing the Knox connection came sadly too late. I knew she wasn’t going to be killed off but things did not look good when she was hiding in that elevator, and now she’s presumably going to meet whoever it is that’s bankrolling all of this and eager to suppress her potential to expose all of it. The concept of de-correction is also deeply problematic, as evidenced by her seeing the Russian assassin without his mask on, something she knows didn’t happen yet is being put plainly before her eyes as if it should be totally credible.

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 4 “#therealzacturner” (B+)

This season is constantly one-upping itself with its bombshell revelations, and the sight of Isaac buzzing in to come in to see him wasn’t even the most shocking part of the hour. There was always that question of whether China was being all this, and then Isaac got the surprising news that the paternity test he had never submitted any sample for came back negative. All of this was about setting him up as some sort of right-wing sympathetic figure, which isn’t the case but he’s doing well enough, according to that voice on the other end of the phone, that correction may no longer be necessary. He might have blown things earlier by railing against the mainstream media and promising that the truth was going to come out, but, again, he’s a popular figure again now. Frank having cancer meant that his presence in the hospital was purely coincidental, and his meeting with Gemma seemed more productive than his visit with a rabbi who was very suspect of his crisis-related attempt at atonement. Russian involvement makes some sense, but it’s still too early to rule out collusion from Western forces like the British and American governments. Rachel was able to warn Abigail that she was under surveillance without tipping her monitors off, but she also had a ghost of the past brought up that makes Abigail much likelier as a target: a Free Shaun Emery podcast that could make the correction architects worried that someone so close to Rachel was making too much noise.

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 3 “Charlie Foxtrot” (B+)

I had a feeling that Yan wasn’t actually in the car at the airport terminal anymore, and I was too focused on the fact that what everyone was seeing had been corrected. The fact that they’re spoofing what they’re saying too should have been on my radar, and it was haunting when Rachel kept radioing in “officers down” only to hear a voice telling her “all clear” that she soon realizes was her own. That worked against Chloe also as she left the airport with Yan in front of her while Gemma rushed to the terminal thinking they were still there. Rachel is right to suspect that it’s not Yan behind this since his own company won’t be well-regarded, and just as she’s trying to expose the British government’s complicity, it feels just as likely that the Americans would be involved too. Finding her niece inside her apartment provided some temporary relief ahead of discovering that the evidence she hid inside a photograph frame had been taken, but she’s not slowing down her pursuit of true justice anytime soon. Isaac captured an admission from the home secretary when he got sacked, and Rachel not only got Danny acknowledging that Hannah was killed but also got images of the two men who killed Patrick even after they took his phone and deleted the video he recorded just before his death. Khadija is very used to playing to the camera and knows exactly how to feign forced cooperation, and these three may well be able to take down the all-powerful enemy they’re up against, provided their eventual exposé doesn’t get immediately corrected.

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 2 “Made in China” (B+)

This show continues to one-up itself, and I don’t think I’ll soon get that scene with Rachel shifting back and forth from what she was watching being said right in front of her and what was being streamed on TV out of my head for a while. Reading Isaac in was a logical step (see the movie “Official Secrets” for a great explanation on why that all matters), and it’s natural that he just wanted to fix it all, especially since he had no good reason for completely changing his position other than political pressure. You’d think they could change the point of origin for the stream so that China wouldn’t be exposed, but that may have been done deliberately to lure Isaac back to be present so he couldn’t suggest he wasn’t there this time. I see now why Indira Varma was cast for this role, and I’m excited at the potential of Khadija working with Isaac and Rachel to covertly bring down correction all while she’s supposed to be running this operation. I’m also intrigued by Chloe, even if her tagging along to meet with Chinese representatives when she didn’t know any Mandarin wasn’t actually helpful. Gemma may be treating Rachel with a bit more respect but Frank had no patience for her, and his presence in the hospital was ominous. I had thought Patrick was dead when he got shot, but it looks like there’s still a possibility he might survive since his presence in the hospital makes him too high-profile and difficult to just digitally erase.

What I’m Watching: The Capture (Season Premiere)

The Capture: Season 2, Episode 1 “Invisible Men” (B+)

I’m absolutely thrilled this show is back, and it’s the definitive early pandemic show that I remember watching and trying to recommend to as many people as possible, most of whom didn’t have Peacock. Given that season one was already premiering almost a year after the show’s UK debut, a second season didn’t seem guaranteed given production shutdowns and all that. But fortunately, just a few short months after its overseas debut on BBC One, season two is here. Like with season one, the whole thing is available all at once but I’ll definitely be spreading it out. That opening with the lights being triggered by an evidently present body and the lights going on and off as no one walked by was chilling, but the best surprise of all was saved for the very end, when Isaac Turner saw a new way of using the technology as he watched someone who looked and sounded just like him endorsing the very company he had no intention of endorsing on live television. I’m excited by the addition of Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu from “I May Destroy You” as Turner, along with Rob Yang from “Succession” as Yan, whose motives may not be as nefarious as he thought but definitely are not good. The new DC, Chloe, made an immediate impression, especially when Patrick mistook her for the Cantonese interpreter. But now he’s been shot, not dead yet but in critical condition, pulling Rachel back in to all this in a big way. I’m not sure how involved she’ll be as just as an interviewer speaking to someone over video, but I did recognize Indira Varma from “Human Target” and “Game of Thrones,” and I imagine she’ll have a bigger role in this surely engaging season.

Top 20 New Shows of 2020: #4

My annual TV Awards, the AFT Television Awards, are given out during the summer. It’s always nice to check in midway through the television season to reflect back on all the calendar year introduced us to. As 2020 closes out and 2021 begins, here’s a look back at the best new shows of the year.

#4: The Capture

It’s exciting to come upon the next great thriller, one that delivers tremendous suspense and a fascinating universe capable of much more intrigue. Its plot follows several distinctly different people wading through a major conspiracy, with an excellent cast led by Holliday Grainger. Season two is coming soon. Watch season one now on Peacock.

Best Episode: Pilot
Pilot Review | Episode Reviews

What I’m Watching: The Capture (Season Finale)

The Capture: Season 1, Episode 6 “Correction” (B+)

This was a strong finish and one that sets up an exciting second season, which was ordered by BBC One back in June before this show premiered on Peacock. Much of its choreography was expected, with Frank setting Shaun up to trade himself in for his daughter and Rachel getting prepared to leak the real footage if the truth wasn’t exposed. But the way in which it played out and the nuances of the conversations made it all very worthwhile. Shaun was all for bacon and eggs until he saw footage of his daughter being taken by him on TV, and then he was out the door and fully aware of the cameras that might pick him up on the way to his intended destination. That turned out to be Charlie’s office, where he took out all his fury on him before Gemma showed up to take him to his daughter. Frank gave a respectable presentation to break down Shaun’s fate, and he, like Gemma and Danny, do seem to believe that what they’re doing is right even if it involves not telling the truth. Rachel wasn’t willing to accept any of it, showing up to Frank’s safehouse and demanding to be heard. The notion of recruiting her is a fascinating one since she absolutely is moral and wouldn’t want any of this to happen but does understand the overall benefit of securing a conviction when the evidence simply isn’t admissible. Telling them that she was in was a formidable ending, and I’m very eager to see what happens next. The arrival of Famke Janssen’s high-ranking American supervisor also means that Frank isn’t nearly as in control of this as he thinks he is, linking the American president and his “alternative facts” to this project as a way not to prove something he did but to make what he definitely did do entirely questionable. There’s a lot to unpack there, which I imagine will be explored in season two. This first season has been constantly enthralling, and I’ll continue to recommend it to anyone looking for the next great TV thriller.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Holliday Grainger as Rachel

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 1, Episode 5 “A Pilgrim of Justice” (B+)

It’s extraordinarily helpful to have an episode like this on a show full of questions that completely and unambiguously answers all of them. The truth actually makes a lot of sense, though it’s full of disturbing moments that suggest that the victims we do know about whose relatives and friends have formed this collective to fight back are just a few of the many people who have been framed by this “correction” technique. It was also stark to see three people we’ve encountered – Gemma, Frank, and Hart – come together in a cemetery that wasn’t monitored by cameras to discuss the specific events that had occurred and what to do about them, making it so that this shadowy operation is run fully by characters we know well. Shaun was right to be upset that he had been used like this, and he was most concerned with whether Charlie and Hannah had really believed that he was guilty of the crime for which they served as his defense attorneys. Hannah getting killed was an unfortunate development, and a sign that Frank and his coconspirators were completely on to their operation right away. Eli was in a very helpful position to be able to provide them with the technology they needed and stay under the radar, but that didn’t work out so well for him in the end. It was fascinating to watch the many takes and rehearsals they staged, and how Hannah improvised to make sure his collar wasn’t turned up during the real thing. It was affirming to see the episode end with Rachel and Shaun finally teaming up to take this whole thing down, and I’m eager to see what happens in the finale.

What I’m Watching: The Capture

The Capture: Season 1, Episode 4 “Blind Spots” (B+)

There are a lot of different elements at play here, and it’s understandable that there’s plenty of confusion. Rachel is closest to really figuring out what’s going on, comprehending the implications of CCTV footage being manipulated and how anyone can be made to look like they’ve done anything. I was correct to assume that she’d be targeted for what she knows, and confronting Hart in public wasn’t a smart move. It was gratifying to see her come into direct contact with Shaun, though he rightfully didn’t know who he could trust and decided to steal her car rather than have her bring him in with her assurances that she would make sure he was treated right. Getting to talk directly to Frank also only served to confirm Rachel’s suspicions that what was going on was being explicitly endorsed by higher-ups to make sure that the true objectives remained hidden. Being brought to a place with loud music and people not paying attention to him didn’t give Shaun the comfort he needed, especially after he thought that it was Frank’s people who had taken him again. Having Charlie come out to him at the end and assess that he must really want to know what was happening was a surprise, and his sentiments certainly qualify as an understatement. I’m glad to know that a second season of this show has already been ordered since two more episodes does not seem like a sufficient amount of time to satisfyingly cover what’s at play here.

Take Three: The Capture

The Capture: Season 1, Episode 3 “Truffle Hog” (B+)

Ron Perlman’s Agent Frank Napier came into focus in this episode, and he seemed to be enjoying pulling the strings with Shaun a bit too much, eagerly ordering the removal of fingers and encouraging him to panic and yell when he thought that the police were right above where he was and could save him. The theatrics he was using were evidently to unnerve Shaun, and what made it all more complicated and intriguing was that he was asking where Hannah was, something he should have known if he was the one who doctored the footage so that it would look like Shaun had hit and taken her. On top of that, when he was crafty and managed to break out of the trunk of the moving car, Shaun ended up reuniting with Mat, who had all of his fingers and gave him a car that had Hannah’s body in the trunk. The hope is that Rachel has put together who she can and can’t trust – which includes the initially kindly Gemma whose demeanor changed when she saw how much Rachel was pushing – and is going to try to find Shaun to get on the same page with him about how CCTV footage is being manipulated and used to implicate people in crimes they didn’t commit. Rachel’s conduct is obviously not as secret as she’d like given the comment about Hart being available when she needed him, and the concern is that, as she digs deeper, she’ll become the target of the latest faked footage making her seem guilty of something.

Round Two: The Capture

The Capture: Season 1, Episode 2 “Toy Soldier” (B+)

The ending of the first episode of this show really intrigued me, with Shaun reacting so harshly to the footage that he believed had been fabricated and then seeming to remember a flash of it in a way that really reminded me of the first season of “Homeland.” We saw more of that in this episode, with Rachel insisting that she was watching Shaun being escorted into the building marked 48 while Nadia and Patrick told her they we relooking right at it and not seeing what she was. It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on, but I’m very invested in finding out. At the very end of this hour, we met the mysterious and apparently American character played by Ron Perlman from “Sons of Anarchy” who is obviously pulling some strings. There are also complicating factors like Charlie, who didn’t want to represent Shaun anymore because he was extremely concerned about what he saw on the video and about Hannah still being missing, and Commander Hart, who is only willing to help as long as it doesn’t implicate him in anything that could damage his reputation, including his affair with Rachel. It was also interesting to see how Becky wanted to say more about the behavior she noticed while watching the footage when all Patrick needed for her was to testify as a witness and not add her own observations or analysis. The way in which Shaun’s taxi ride transformed from a casual conversation to something much more serious was very intense, and this show is absolutely skilled at keeping its audience engaged.

Pilot Review: The Capture

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.