Traitors TV-Show Review 2019 Cast Crew
Stars: Emma Appleton, Luke Treadaway, Michael Stuhlbarg
Fiona "Feef" Symonds (Emma Appleton), the middle class daughter of a conservative parliamentarian, selfishly regrets that the Second World War has ended. The war brought him an American lover and an opportunity for adventure; Peace brings a life traced: marriage, children, the comfort of being one of the establishments. When he is offered the opportunity to protect his country from hidden enemies as a field agent who works undercover in the Central Office, Feef takes it. "Thank God I met you," he tells the spy from the United States. UU That the recruit will see it.
In July 1945, the establishment of the people of Feef began to feel less ... established, a change demonstrated by rainwater dripping from a chandelier on the dining table in the family pile. Being kidnapped by the war effort has left the property worn and damaged. The cheapest option, advises lawyer Hugh Fenton (Luke Treadaway), is the demolition.
Fenton, a socialist, I could well say that. His inaugural speech in parliament after taking the "safe" seat of Symonds for the Labor Party is a wrecking ball that promises to end social inequality. He tells the House that someone (Feef) told him recently that it did not matter which part was in Number Ten. They are in shock, he promises.
Or it is a threat. The traitors, created and written by Bash Doran under the working title of Jerusalem, are charged with them. Nazi officers (in fact, allied officers) play to cut off Feef's fingers during his interrogation training, and there is Rowe (Michael Stuhlbarg), the manager of the United States. UU That will do "whatever it takes" to direct its surveillance mission. It is a threat that he does well when he murders Peter, Feef's lover, a compatriot who stands in his way.
Traitors is a satisfying spy thriller for adults. It is safe enough to tell your political story without dressing in the "alternative reality" and tracing the political parallels of today without neglecting the reality of your period. The Russian political influence in the West is a modern theme, yes, but it is also one of 1940 and one of 1920, and, hell, one of 1720. The politics of its characters, from the passionate socialism of Hugh to the conservative dream of Feef , it belongs. At his age and ours. Lines like Feef's left hand "I do not have much faith in democracy, people do not know what they need" could have been criticized for relevance after the referendum, but it is not.
The traitors are also wise enough not to confuse acuity with gravity, and leave a blessed place for moments of lightness. The government official who advises Feef on wood species ("You have to consider fungal decay, you have to do it") is a joke from a monologue by Alan Bennett. The interrogation of Feef by the Nazis that turned out to be a training exercise is an entertaining surprise. The husband of his college friend and his "very intelligent" mother bring even more smiles. Like Killing Eve before, Traitors knows that comedy does not have to undermine or dissolve the tension of the thriller.
The cast is strong too. Appleton is captivating like the playful and impulsive Feef, a young girl who, almost with irony, is distracted by the danger of Kate Atkinson's heroine. Together with the fervent Hugh of Treadaway, the privileged balance of Feef becomes an attractive invention.
The scenes of Appleton and Treadaway together are fascinating, but the real draw will be Feef's encounters with Keeley Hawes' Central Office employee, Priscilla Garrick, who only glimpsed here in the scene of almost comical interviews with Fresh Meat and Greg McHugh. from The word. The Michael Stuhlberg of Boardwalk Empire is once again dangerous and captivating as Rowe.
Director Dearbhla Walsh and her team adopt the theme that Britain after World War II is literally out of center. The angles of the traitors are slanted and high, creating the effect of instability. The country may have been crushed, but the shots are dynamic.
Above all is the spy's fun: invisible ink, secret missions, glamorous dresses and murderers that hide behind the curtains of the bedroom. Doran's script weaves politics, history, laughter and espionage into a satisfying first episode that augurs well for what is to come.
Traitors continues next Sunday, February 24 at 9 pm on Channel 4.
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Traitors TV-Show Review 2019 Cast Crew