The Capture‘s first series saw Lance Corporal Shaun Emery (Callum Turner) go full circle. In episode one, he was released from prison – acquitted for a crime he had, in fact, committed – and then in episode six, he was imprisoned for a crime of which he was innocent. In between, the BBC surveillance thriller introduced viewers to a world in which you literally can’t believe your eyes. As DCI Rachel Carey (Strike‘s Holliday Grainger) discovered, the intelligence services were using ultra-sophisticated deepfake technology to conjure up court-admissible ‘evidence’ to ensure the criminal conviction of anybody they wanted convicted. The situation turned out to be even more morally murky when the CIA whistle blower threatening to go public with the practice of CCTV footage “correction” turned out to be a double (triple?) agent planted by the CIA so that some elements of the practice would reach the right online conspiracy forums. As CIA boss Jessica Mallory (Famke Janssen) explained to underling Frank Napier (Ron Perlman), it suited people in high places (or one person in one very high, oval-shaped place) for the veracity of video evidence to be called into question: “Where there’s doubt and confusion, there’s deniability.” Now back for Series 2, The Capture, by writer-director Ben Chanan, is taking deepfake surveillance to a new level. With Shaun Emery serving time and out of the picture, Carey leads a new investigation as the latest recruit of MI5. Here’s the official synopsis: And here’s who’ll be joining her for six brand new, twist and shock-filled episodes:
Paapa Essiedu as Isaac Turner MP
Ambitious MP Isaac Turner is the Minister for Security, currently working on the China Research Committee’s response to a bid made by Chinese facial recognition company X4nda to implement its software at UK borders. He’s played by Paapa Essiedu, recently seen as the lead in Sky sci-fi thriller The Lazarus Project. Essiedu played Kwame in Michaela Coel’s startling I May Destroy You, was Alex in stylish gangster drama Gangs of London and has appeared in The Miniaturist, Kiri as well as numerous stage roles.
Andy Nyman as Home Secretary Rowan Gill
Indira Varma as Khadija Khan
BBC Newsnight presenter and journalist Khadija Khan is a commentator on the Chinese security bid who gets dragged in to the deepfake scandal in The Capture series two. She’s played by Indira Varma, a familiar face from countless screen roles including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Game of Thrones, Luther and Rome.
Tessa Wong as DC Chloe Tan
Chloe Tan is a fast-tracked detective constable newly assigned to Homicide to work a murder case with Flynn and Latif. She’s played by Tessa Wong, a graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for whom this is one of her first screen roles.
Charlie Murphy as Simone Turner
Wife to MP Isaac Turner, Simone is played by Charlie Murphy, probably best known for the role of Ann Gallagher in Sally Wainwright’s BBC crime drama Happy Valley (soon to return for its third and final series) for whom Murphy also played Anne Brontë in literary feature To Walk Invisible. Murphy was Makee in recent videogame adaptation Halo, starred as real-life political firebrand Jessie Eden in Peaky Blinders and played seer Queen Iseult in The Last Kingdom alongside roles in The Village, Deadline and forthcoming miniseries Damage.
Harry Michell as Rhys Edwards
One of Isaac Turner MP’s aides or ‘spads’, Rhys Edwards is there to help manage Turner’s public image. He’s played by Rhys Edwards, recently seen as the odious Maurice in BBC Two Kate Atkinson adaptation Life After Life, Callum in the first season of Netflix fairy teen drama Fate: The Winx Saga, Paul in investment banking thriller Devils and Nick in Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis’ ‘everyone forgets The Beatles’ film Yesterday.
Natalie Dew as Aliza Clarke
Aliza is another of Isaac’s aides, and works with Rhys behind-the-scenes on the Minister’s public profile and policies. She’s played by Natalie Dew, who was reporter Alisha in David Hare’s recent Hugh Laurie-starring political thriller Roadkill, and lead Emily opposite Sanjeev Bhaskar in comedy Sandylands.
Also Joining the Cast
Joshua Jo as Edison Yao, Chris Corrigan as Alan McKenzie, Matt Tait as Will Daniels, Lauren Mackie as Claire Price, Joseph Arkley as Gregory Knox.
Returning Cast
Holliday Grainger is back in the lead role of DCI Rachel Carey, now working for MI5 alongside Lia Williams as MI5 spook/DSU Gemma Garland, Rachel’s ex-boss and ex-lover Commander Danny Hart played by Ben Miles, and Nigel Lindsay as DSU Tom Kendricks. Still over in Homicide are DS Patrick Flynn played by Cavan Clerkin, and the newly promoted DI Nadia Latif played by Ginny Holder. Ron Perlman is back as CIA agent Frank Napier, with Lewis Clarke returning as one of Frank’s tech operatives Louie. And The Durrells‘ Daisy Waterstone is back as Rachel’s step-sister Abigail.
