In 2019, the BBC first released ‘The Capture’, a series that on its face looked like a typical crime drama but really interrogated the use of technology by the powers that be. In that series, it was revealed that a program called ‘Correction’ was used to apply justice (in the minds of its users) where it might not be found. Season 1 was full of high-drama, wonderful acting by the leads Holliday Grainger as DI Rachel Carey and Callum Turner as Lance Corporal Shaun Emery, and just insane antics that push the realm of credulity, but also are just rooted in real world tech enough to make you believe. Dramatically Season 1 ended with a relative status quo for the characters, and some major questions of what was to come.

‘The Capture’ Season 2 Review

Season 2 picks up soon after where Season 1 left off with Carey now working in the service of the Correction team; however, she’s been relegated to the mapping department due to DSU Gemma Garland (Lia Williams) mistrust after Carey’s attempt to expose Correction in Season 1. However when Isaac Turner (Paapa Essiedu), Security Minister and MP for Hazlemere South, is ‘Corrected’ in a suspected attempt by the Chinese to force his hand to support their facial recognition software, Carey finds herself at the center of the action once more. She alongside her team attempt to find and stop their foe, all while dealing with increasingly evolving tech.

I was immediately enamored by Season 1 both for its prescience and its execution, and if I was ever to be concerned about Season 2 I needn’t be as it doubled down on all that made the show so excellent to begin with. What’s most consistent again is the incredible acting by all involved, especially Essiedu who has a real feat on his hand this season. Grainger has a way of stealing many of the scenes she’s in, but I couldn’t help but just immediately connect with Essiedu, in a way that really makes the developments of the series increasingly more unnerving. Truly the use of ‘deepfakes’ in the series allowed for so much range from a number of characters; however, as the initial target Essiedu had the most to play with, and he had a feast.

Paapa Essiedu as Isaac Turner in The Capture Season 2 (Peacock)

I love the writing as well, which perfectly delivers the right amount of tension throughout. There are plenty of incredible action scenes to be sure that keep you on your toes, but there are also wonderful character moments that provide a breath of fresh air as we relax and get to understand them further. In a show where it’s hard to determine anyone’s motivation, its these scenes where we often get the glimpses of truth. Even then though there are so many ciphers, and truly the ending was still an incredible surprise, one of my favorites for any drama, and the fact it was a surprise just is a testament to the writers and of course the actors for delivering.

What I want to dive into lastly is that this show’s ability to be prescient is almost eerie. Season 1 as impressive as it was seems more to be a reaction to reality. London is one of the most covered cities when it comes to CCTV, and with the spread of misinformation it’s an understandable premise. Season 2 which came out in 2022, and was likely developed in 2021, seems almost ahead of its time, as it blends together quite a number of concerns about security and tech, including some that we weren’t discussing till this year. We don’t always look for prophetic doomsaying in our TV series; however, few delivered as this show does.

At the end of the day this may be considered by many simply to be a fun romp of a drama; however, I think it stands apart. This show’s ability to present complex characters that don’t fit into simple boxes of good or evil is more in line with prestige dramas, and reflect a more nuanced reality. Of course I also cannot echo enough how real the fears are in this series, and how much they have reflected and predicted our concerns over tech and security. Likewise it’s just incredibly engaging and entertaining, and as I did with Season 1 I binged this show over a period of three days. One can only wonder if The Capture will continue from here, or if it should after such a stellar ending, but if it does I know I’ll be in good hands.