In Treason Charlie Cox is the spy you don’t expect

Lawrence is not overwhelmed by events, maintains calm and objectivity, true strengths of a spy. Adam must not only find proof of his innocence, escape a charge of treason and protect his family; he also has to prove, first of all to himself, his worth, not to be a mere puppet at the mercy of the forces that have pushed his career forward. Treason requires a fair level of attention to follow the sudden turn of events, but it is also challenging to psychological level because allies and rivals are constantly changing roles: the miniseries is an exercise in logic and observation, immersed in the atmosphere of a novel by Le Carré. Charman makes the story contemporary with references to the election of the British prime minister, the machinations of the Conservatives, the meddling of shady Russian figures and the notorious kompromatthe dossiers containing the most compromising secrets of political figures and in sight with which to blackmail them to manipulate the progress of governments.

The resolution of the mystery is predictable (aside that turn at To live and die and Los Angeles that captures like a cold shower): they are the process to get there and even more the dynamics between the characters that Charman is interested in telling. Treason is the story of an office spy with the features of Charlie Cox Of Stardust and Dare devil. If the rest of the casting is adequate, we have misgivings about the latter, more Harry Palmer than James Bond, on his perpetually bewildered innocent gaze and his constantly out of place presence, like that of a kitten in a lion’s cage. More than a man fighting for himself, for his family and for his country, he seems like the damsel to save and it is no coincidence that Lawrence is surrounded by a contingent of people – all women – who help and protect him, such as the superspy Kara (Olga Kurilyenko); his wife Maddie (Oona Chaplin), a reserved woman who turns into a lioness to defend her loved ones; prime ministerial candidate Audrey Gratz (Alex Kingston), a political figure embroiled in a scandal; Adam’s teenage daughter, Ella (Beau Gadsdon), who in more than one case comes to the rescue of her father.