Peacock Preview: THE CAPTURE

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Jul 13, 2020 Posted by Kyle Nolan in Features, Preview | Comments

On Wednesday July 15, NBC Universal launches its new streaming service, Peacock. In addition to offering lots of fan-favorite NBC Universal programs from the past, the service will also be the home to several brand new scripted original programs, some of which have aired in other countries, but making their U.S. debut. In the days leading up to the launch, we’ll be taking a look at some of these new scripted comedies and dramas.

The British mystery-thriller The Capture first premiered in the UK last fall on BBC One, and makes its U.S. debut on Peacock. The one-hour crime drama is set in present day London, where CCTV cameras are always watching and capturing everything that goes on in the city.

We live in a world where cameras follow our every move, but can that footage really be believed? Do we put too much trust and faith in what these cameras record? Lance Corporal Shaun Emery (Callum Turner, Emma.) had been convicted for wrongfully executing a Taliban prisoner during battle, but in his appeal, video footage proves his innocence. However, his victory is short-lived—he soon finds himself being accused of another brutal crime, which has been caught on CCTV cameras. But the soldier does not recall events playing out as seen in the footage, and proclaims his innocence.

DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger, Patrick Melrose, Strike) has just been transferred to the homicide division, and is assigned to the case. She initially believes she’s dealing with an open-and-shut case, and that there is no doubt that Lance Corporal is guilty. However, she starts to see some strange, inexplicable things that seem to defy reality. She starts to uncover a much larger, dangerous conspiracy, and the people involved will seemingly do anything necessary to keep their secrets from getting out. Rachel soon finds herself in a very dangerous position, not knowing who she can or should trust.

The Capture was my favorite of all of the new Peacock shows. It’s a well-crafted thriller that keeps you guessing as to who is really who they say they are, and what is actually going on. The writers have also done a nice job of developing and fleshing out the characters over the course of the season. As the season goes along we learn more about the personal lives of these characters, and how these are factors in their decisions and motivations. There are lots of twists and turns to the story, and the writers do a nice job of jumping back later in the season to show the viewer how things really played out, versus what you may have initially thought was happening. Things become much clearer from a different perspective! The season closes out with a surprising turn of events that makes you eager to find out what happens next.

The series features an amazing cast, which also includes Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), Cavan Clerkin (The Last Kingdom), Ben Miles (Coupling), Paul Ritter (Friday Night Dinner, Chernobyl), Sophia Brown (Marcella), Famke Janssen (The Blacklist), Ginny Holder (Death in Paradise), Lia Williams (The Crown), Ralph Ineson (Chernobyl), Barry Ward (The End of the F***ing World), Laura Haddock (The Level) and Nigel Lindsay (Victoria)

At launch, all 6 hour-long episodes of the first season will be available to watch for Peacock Premium subscribers, while those with the basic free tier should be able to at least check out the first episode. This series makes for an exciting binge, and I hope we get additional seasons on Peacock (a second season was already confirmed for BBC One in the UK).