What Is the Story About?
Alexander (Simu Liu) discovers his brain has been hacked, giving unknown adversaries a live feed of everything he sees and hears. Rather than removing the hack, his superiors order him to keep it open to serve as a double agent and flush out the culprits.
Caught in a web of surveillance and paranoia, Alexander must maintain a 24/7 performance, pretending he is unaware of the breach. His reality is further destabilised by Michelle (Melissa Barrera), an operative assigned to pose as his girlfriend to monitor him. As the mission progresses, the line between performance and reality blurs, forcing Alexander to navigate shifting loyalties to reclaim control of his own mind.
Performances?
Simu Liu as Alexander Hale looks compelling. He delivers a nuanced, layered, internal, and his most emotionally restrained performance in this show. Yes, he may appear heavily restrained and a bit flat or wooden in the initial episodes, but once we see him struggling with the side effects of his mental hack due to the pills containing nanites, he brings out the best in himself.
In the first half of the series, we see Liu playing the “performed” version for his observers and the internal, panicked version of a man who starts losing his mind bit by bit as the days pass.
He shines brightest in the scenes in which he portrays the physical toll of the hack, conveyed through migraines and seizures, and in his nuanced, layered depiction of a first-generation immigrant striving to prove his loyalty to a country that views him with suspicion. Plus, he looks quite comfortable in the action sequences, although they could have been more brutal and better choreographed.
Melissa Barrera (Michelle) is undoubtedly one of the best parts of The Copenhagen Test. Her chemistry with Liu looks genuine, seamless, and flawless, and their connection also provides the series with much-needed calm and warmth that contrasts with the spy- and surveillance-heavy atmosphere of The Orphanage. She easily slips into different characters and acting zones, especially when we see her preparing for her task.
Analysis
The Copenhagen Test (created by Thomas Brandon and Jennifer Yale) has a pretty interesting and high-stakes spy-fi concept, but it struggles to keep pace with its own ambition throughout its entire runtime. The central plot, which focuses on Alexander’s brain being hacked to function as a walking bug, is a unique and fresh update to the espionage genre.
However, the show is loaded with far too many twists and remains light on coherence. In the beginning, the twists are handled with care and executed almost perfectly, but the more they arrive, the more they lose their impact.
The series is far too obsessed with shocking plot elements and double-crosses, which lose most of their emotional weight and stakes by the time we reach the final two episodes. This overuse of twists makes the characters feel more like pieces of a puzzle than actual people.
The pace is slow, but given the nature of the show’s storyline and narrative style, the slow-burn approach works well most of the time, as it allows viewers the space to absorb and connect with both the characters and the twists. The pacing also creates a dense, atmospheric feel, which largely works. However, the eight-episode structure feels a bit overextended. The middle episodes often repeat the same cycle of migraine/seizure/paranoia, slowing the narrative that only recovers in the final two hours.
The dialogue also feels wooden and unoriginal at times, as it seems heavily influenced by familiar spy-drama and sci-fi tropes. That said, the exchanges between characters are handled well.
The direction (led by Vincenzo Natali and Jet Wilkinson) looks solid for the most part. It benefits greatly from convincing digital interfaces and sleek, stylish production design. In fact, the production design may feel too clean and polished, which might not sit well with viewers who prefer a grittier, dustier, and more grounded aesthetic, like Apple TV’s Slow Horses.
Moreover, the directors opt for longer, steadier takes instead of shaky cam techniques. This approach contributes significantly to the show’s atmospheric build-up and helps us connect with Alexander’s isolation and the psychological toll it takes on him.
The early episodes lean heavily into a claustrophobic, eerie, and tense mood, limiting the amount of action. This works well thematically, but the fight sequences should have been tighter. While they look realistic, many are poorly edited. This is especially disappointing given how physically capable Simu Liu has proven himself to be, particularly in Marvel’s Shang-Chi.
Whereas the final two episodes, despite being heavier on action and emotion, remain underwhelming. One of the most frustrating elements of the show is the way the makers handle Alexander’s terminal condition. After watching him endure immense physical and mental degradation for seven episodes, seeing him cured by a dose of adrenaline feels absurd. Come on!
Another major failure of The Copenhagen Test is its treatment of Schiff, the main villain. While his backstory is compelling, the character is denied sufficient screen time and a strong enough motive for infiltrating The Orphanage. Adam Godley is a highly talented actor, but the series fails to use him effectively.
Furthermore, Schiff’s sudden disposal in favour of revealing Victor as the true mastermind feels rushed. By framing the entire narrative as a loyalty test rather than a larger global conspiracy, the scope of the story shrinks considerably. By the time the final episode teases the possibility of a second season, many viewers may have already lost interest.
Music and Other Departments?
Compared to his acclaimed work on Industry, Nathan Micay’s score in The Copenhagen Test feels less compelling. There is not a single memorable piece of score that stands out in this one. But we do get some unsettling and effective use of sound design, particularly during the scenes of digital stutters and micro-glitches, successfully creating a sense of invisible weight on Alexander’s mind.
The use of anamorphic lenses further improves the storytelling, introducing subtle edge distortions that signal Alexander’s fracturing mental state. By avoiding shiny sci-fi tropes in favour of a grounded, 1970s-thriller aesthetic, the technical departments successfully ground the high-concept premise in a reality that feels uncomfortably close to our own.
The Orphanage sets reflect plenty of near futuristic vibe and are built pretty well. They are designed like sterile, white soft boxes. This looks totally different from Alexander’s personal life, which feels warm and messy with old-school, real-world objects. This contrast shows the main struggle of the show, which is the cold, digital control of the government breaking into a warm, human life.
Other Artists?
Sinclair Daniel (Parker) is undoubtedly the show’s breakout star. She plays an analyst whose job is to predict and analyse Alexander’s moves, emotions, and pretty much his entire daily routine. Daniel brings a great deal of emotional and moral depth to a role that could have easily been a standard tech-support trope. The more the series progresses, the more she regains her lost humanity, and her connection with Liu’s Alexander is genuinely heartwarming.
The supporting cast is largely in fine form. Saul Rubinek is another standout as Victor. He transitions from a warm, paternal mentor to a chillingly pragmatic architect of the surveillance programme, justifying his actions through a warped sense of paternal pride and necessity rather than outright cruelty or villainy.
Kathleen Chalfant as St. George appears poised, calculated, quiet, and assured, bringing a sense of Cold War-era gravitas that firmly steers the show’s spy and sci-fi elements.
Brian d’Arcy James (Peter Moira) adds further coldness and intensity to the overall tone, effectively embodying the administrative ruthlessness of intelligence agencies.
Highlights?
Strong Lead Performances
Sinclair Daniel’s Breakout Performance
Unique Spy-Fi Concept
Effective Production Design
Technical Detail
Drawbacks?
Over-reliance on Twists
Pacing and Length
Weak Dialogue
Underwhelming Villain
Poor Editing of Action Sequences
Underwhelming Finale
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts. A fascinating but flawed experience.
Will You Recommend It?
Only to the fans of spy and sci-fi thrillers. The plot gets tangled in its own twists toward the end, so it’s best enjoyed for its atmosphere rather than a perfectly tight narrative.
The Copenhagen Test Series Review by Binged Bureau
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