Whilst the dialogue may be somewhat clunky at times and individual scenarios pushing the boundaries of believable acceptance, the eight part miniseries Treason remains something of a thrilling espionage ride.
When Control (Head of MI6 – Ciarán Hinds) is poisoned, his deputy Adam Lawrence (Charlie Cox) temporarily takes over. Turns out that the poisoner, Kara (Olga Kurylenko), is a Russian agent and an ex lover of Lawrence from his days when posted in Baku. Secrets abound, personal and professional, past and present, as Lawrence finds everything he holds dear slipping away from him. With his wife Maddy (Oona Chaplin) questioning his secrecy, with Kara questioning his loyalty, with Foreign Secretary Audrey Gratz (Alex Kingston) questioning his experience and with the CIA questioning everything, it’s no easy initiation for Lawrence. But Control has his own secrets and a system in place to protect his position and that of the secret service.
Treason is an intrigue of a series – fast-paced, a few unexpected twists, the inevitable mole, several foolish decisions with dire consequences – even if it is flawed and oversimplified. Written by Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies), dialogue and storylines teeter on the edge of ludicrous at times, but it offers enough.
Rating: 60%
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