What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2022
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Think of protagonist Owen Hendrick (Noah Centineo) as a cheekier and less capable version of Jack Ryan. Owens is not former military or a fancy “analyst” for the CIA. He’s a fresh-out-of-law-school hire who’s immediately taken advantage of by the more experienced people in his branch, who send him unprepared to question former CIA asset Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), who’s in prison and is trying to extort the CIA by threatening to release classified information unless they get her out.
He’s soon in over his head, trying to track down information on Max and her former handler, and finds he’s sandwiched between international politics and people from his own agency. There are some fun moments as the inexperienced wiseass fumbles his way through the assignment.
Centineo brings the right amount of charm and cocky stupidity to Noah, who seems to have a need to prove himself and also manages to display some guts when needed. Haddock is dark as sort of a low-rent version of Angelina Jolie—angular good looks with an angry tinge. The series flags when it spends too much time in CIA cubicles, but it has its moments. (eight 55-min. episodes) Δ
This article appears in Feb 9-19, 2023.
If you liked Bill Fairclough’s epic spy thriller Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series about a rookie accountant working for Pemberton’s People in MI6 and the CIA you may like The Recruit by Alexi Hawley about a rookie CIA lawyer (Noah Centineo) and vice versa. The plots are quite complicated in both productions but unlike The Recruit, The Burlington Files plots and characters are real, credible and much more intriguing. However, do remember Beyond Enkription is a fact based novel about a real spy called Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ) aka Edward Burlington. He was one of Pemberton’s People in MI6 and worked with real SAS Rogue Heroes and other ungentlemanly officers as explained in a news article dated 31 October 2022 available from TheBurlingtonFiles website.