Peacock's New Show With a Marvel Star Is a Perfect Pick if You Miss the 'Bourne' Movies

If you miss the classic spy thriller feel of the early 2000s, with its intricate conspiracies, paranoid atmosphere, and agents who can't tell reality from a trap, Peacock has something for you.

The new series The Copenhagen Test, with Marvel star Simu Liu, is a deliberate and skillful immersion in the aesthetics of Mission: Impossible, and in particular the Jason Bourne saga, but with a contemporary digital twist.

What Is 'The Copenhagen Test' About?

Alexander is a talented Secret Service operative striving for a promotion. His life consists of missions and painful memories of the Copenhagen Test, an ethical simulation he completed years ago.

After receiving the long-awaited promotion, he discovers the terrible truth: his consciousness has been hacked. Through an implanted chip, unknown individuals can see and hear everything around him, effectively turning Alexander into an unwilling double agent.

Alexander must complete missions while constantly doubting the authenticity of his surroundings. Where does the truth end and the simulation created by a powerful AI called Orphanage begin?

'The Copenhagen Test' Is a Must-See if You Like Such Spy Franchises as 'Bourne' & 'Mission: Impossible'

The Copenhagen Test draws inspiration from Mission: Impossible for its interest in near-future high technology and meticulously detailed special operations.

At its core it's similar to the Jason Bourne movies – the story of an agent who becomes a pawn in someone else's game, suffers from memory lapses, and is forced to fight the system of which he was once a part.

Add the mind-bending structure of Christopher Nolan's Inception, where reality overlaps reality, and you have the recipe for The Copenhagen Test.

The filmmakers play with the audience: the deliberately cheap opening scene takes on meaning and becomes the key to the entire narrative.

'The Copenhagen Test' Is Sometimes Too Clichéd and Far-Fetched, but It Gets the Job Done

While striving to pay homage to the classics, The Copenhagen Test sometimes falls victim to its own clichés. From predictable character reactions to dramatic pauses and shootouts in cramped spaces, it's all stuff we've seen countless times before.

Despite its multilayered nature, the plot sometimes feels contrived and relies too heavily on convenient coincidences.

Nevertheless, the series stays afloat thanks to several strong elements. First, Simu Liu's compelling performance conveys his character's inner turmoil, fatigue, and paranoia.

Second, the attempt to add a social dimension through the protagonist's immigrant identity and his desire to prove his loyalty to his new homeland gives Alexander a depth that is often lacking in characters of this genre.

Finally, the idea of digitally hacking one's mind and completely simulating reality feels frighteningly relevant.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Copenhagen Test'?

• The Copenhagen Test has 70% from critics and 82% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.2/10.