Must Watch reviews The Capture Series 2

Wednesday 31 August 2022, 15:28

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan review The Capture Series 2.

BBC One portrays the life of a DCI discovering the world of deepfake technology, starring Holliday Grainger.

Hayley says "I think this is the perfect time for a show like this"

This is a Must Watch. I was a huge fan of the series that came in 2019 and at the time I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t as loved and talked about as Bodyguard, because to me it was a lot more interesting, and I thought it was a better thriller. It was one of those shows that I raced ahead and watched all of the press screeners I was given. But I wasn’t given the finale, which meant that I had to wait for weeks for an ending and I was really annoyed with myself.

Anyway, the second series focuses on another story within the same world. This one is about an MP who is being threatened by a tech company in China who has ties to the Chinese government, and they do things like deepfake Newsnight appearances where the MP says the opposite of what he actually believes. So they are actually changing course of British government with their videos.

I think this is the perfect time for a show like this. It is about fake news and what can and cannot be trusted, and how truth can be a matter of perspective. I think people may now have more of a sense of what that means in reality, possibly more than we did in 2019. I see videos turn up on Twitter of the guy in charge of Pfizer, where his interviews have been manipulated to say they are trying to get rid of fifty percent of the planet. People share that saying, “I can’t believe he said that", which, of course, he didn’t. This is an edited video, and I can show you where the original interview is, but the fact that these interviews are being shared without thought shows that this show is not only a great TV thriller, but something that taps into one of the true horrors of the current world.

Scott says "It explores real world issues that a lot of us are talking about right now, from government surveillance to fake news"

I was initially worried when the show got renewed, because I had forgotten everything that happened in series one and the last series was out in 2019. A lot of television (and heck, a lot of things) have happened since then. So I was relieved to hear that there's a proper recap at the top of the episode reminding you of everything that happened in series one.

I really have always liked how this show feels incredibly grounded, I mean there are a lot of people who wear large anoraks and talk in very serious voices because they work in the world of intelligence, but they go to great lengths to make it feel set in the real world. It also explores real world issues that a lot of us are talking about right now: from government surveillance to fake news. I also like how they use the Newsnight and BBC Breakfast studios, with similar looking presenters, as a setting for episodes in series two. Although a small fun fact; usually if the guest is zooming in they don't usually get to see the presenter!