Review ‘The Copenhagen Test’: Peacock Thriller Flatlines
‘The Copenhagen Test’ is a spy thriller in which loyalty, revenge and integrity are central. The Peacock series follows Alexander Hale (Simu Liu), an intelligence analyst at The Orphanage, an organization that serves as a sentinel for the intelligence services in the United States. The Orphanage, founded by the clandestine St. George (Kathleen Chalfant) and with Peter Moira (Brian d’Arcy James) at its helm, has never been compromised. However, when Alexander is promoted to field work, things take a shocking and dangerous turn. “The Copenhagen Test” has a lot of potential, but the overly convoluted plot, packed with too many characters, leads nowhere.
Three years after his last mission as a special forces soldier, Alexander feels limited in his current role at The Orphanage. Although his personal life is looking better – he recently started dating a woman named Michelle (Melissa Barrera) – his career is dated. Disillusioned with his position as an analyst, Alexander applies for a larger role in a newly formed operation, putting him and his work rival, Edmond Cobb (Mark O’Brien), in competition with each other.
But Alexander isn’t exactly honest about his health: he secretly suffers from migraines and panic attacks, soothed only by the pills his ex-fiance, Dr. Rachel Kasperian (Hannah Cruz), secretly gives him. Additionally, the last three assets he was assigned to monitor were made public, prompting an investigation of all analysts at the organization.
Yet, under the guidance of his mentor, Victor Simonek (Saul Rubine), Alexander gets the promotion. Then he discovers that his brain has been hacked for months, and thus the headache: a new technology has given the hacker unprecedented access to everything he sees and hears. Shocked that he could be seen as disloyal, he comes clean to Moira, who, along with St. George, decides to use this knowledge to their advantage and smoke out the perpetrator. The pair enlist Samantha Parker (Sinclair Daniel) to act as Alexander’s accompanist, documenting and anticipating his every mood.
Despite its intriguing premise, ‘The Copenhagen Test’ never delivers on its promise. What should be a gripping thriller, focusing on new, unknown technology and questionable loyalties, degenerates into a confused mess. The eight-episode first season is so overstuffed that audiences likely won’t be able to follow all the topics, which ultimately barely converge. From the extensive cast of characters to the different missions and timelines, there’s too much to wade through. Forming a genuine bond with Alexander, or feeling sympathy for him, is difficult because the character remains wooden and never fully realized. Furthermore, when the villain and his motivations are finally revealed, the discovery feels neither revelatory nor meaningful.
“The Copenhagen Test” presents plenty of compelling plot points. In addition to uncovering who hacked Alexander and why, there’s also the history of the previously “unhackable” orphanage, as well as commentary on xenophobia, racism and birthright and the question of who is “allowed” to be an authentic American. But because creator Thomas and his writers’ room take viewers on such a boring and unwieldy mission, the show loses momentum and interest as it makes its way to the climax.
Ultimately, the Peacock show may have a great cast and a solid concept, but the execution falls flat. The pacing is too long, taking away much of the tension and excitement that makes thrillers so fascinating to watch. A tighter episode count and streamlined timeline would likely have improved the series’ structure. However, among so much other programming in the thriller genre, “The Copenhagen Test” isn’t smart enough to stand out.
All eight episodes of “The Copenhagen Test” premiere on Peacock on December 27.
