Synopsis
The Copenhagen Test is an espionage thriller that follows first-generation Chinese-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Simu Liu) who realises his brain has been hacked, giving “the enemy” access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadow agency, The Orphanage, and the unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who’s responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.
Articles
“Mind Games: Simu Liu declassifies his new ‘spy-fi’ series The Copenhagen Test” – Entertainment Weekly
“This Sci-Fi Hit Racked Up 1.1B Minutes — and Its Ending Reframes the Entire Series” – Collider
Reviews
“The show is well cast. While the characters on paper are pretty much types, each actor projects the essence of the part, adding enough extra personality to suggest a real person. (And they’re all nice to look at.) When not keeling over from pain, or engaged in a shootout or hand-to-hand combat, Liu is an even-keeled, quiet sort of protagonist — rather in the Keanu Reeves vein — and as a Chinese Canadian actor, still a novelty among American television action heroes. He does have a kind of chemistry with Barrera, who has screen chemistry all on her own, though it’s somewhat limited by the demands of the plot.”
LA Times
“The Copenhagen Test is an engaging, entertaining spy thriller with a sci-fi edge. Liu serves as a strong lead for the series, boasting strong action chops and great chemistry with Barrera. The supporting players are equally engaging, and the overall worldbuilding fleshes out the mysterious Orphanage amongst a host of other sneaky spy machinations working from the shadows. There are areas where the series keeps the audience in the dark about its major characters, though that’s a regularly troublesome tightrope for most spy films and series, which require secrets by their very nature. Altogether, The Copenhagen Test is a thrilling series that seeds just enough of a sci-fi element throughout for something truly fresh in the spy genre.”
Collider
“A few noteworthy performances aside, The Copenhagen Test leaves hardly any room for its character to breathe. It’s a shame because when it does, like during Alexander’s bonding moments with his immigrant parents or talks with Michelle and his co-workers about what drives his commitment, the show has something to say about what it means to fight for your country, even if that country doesn’t necessarily support you.”
The A.V. Club
“Even though the Peacock original serves up genre tropes audiences have seen before, having an Asian cinema star front and center takes those ideas in different directions. Motivations feel more grounded, family connections more solid, and there is a degree of authenticity to Liu’s performance that sidesteps action hero expectations. A focus on family is one thing that really gives The Copenhagen Test depth and sets it apart from other, less inventive genre entries, tempering the AI elements and giving audiences a worthy emotional foundation to invest in.”
CBR