The Capture was a huge hit when it aired back in 2019, and now the twisty thriller is back for an equally tense second run, starring Strike’s Holliday Grainger as dogged cop DCI Rachel Carey.
The Capture season 2, which begins in the UK on Sunday, August 28 and in the US on November 3, finds Carey working in the top-secret ‘Correction’ intelligence unit that she previously battled against after she discovered that they fake CCTV footage and manipulate events in the name of national security.
But she is soon drawn into a challenging case involving a bizarre murder which, according to CCTV, appears to have been carried out by an invisible assassin. Along the way, she crosses paths with ambitious MP and Security Minister Isaac Turner (The Lazarus Project's Paapa Essiedu), who is concerned about a Chinese bid to introduce controversial facial recognition technology into UK airports. But events soon take an even more worrying turn…
What to Watch joined Holliday Grainger for an exclusive interview to find out more about The Capture season 2…
What has it been like to return to The Capture?
Holliday: “I was really excited to read the next instalment! I also love Carey because she doesn't suffer fools, she doesn't take rubbish and she doesn't really care if people like her. She's very passionate and single-minded and I really respect her for that.”
How is she feeling now she is working in the Correction unit?
Holliday: “When we left Carey at the end of The Capture season one, it was like, ‘Is she really going to join them? Or is she going to try to infiltrate them and beat them from the inside?’ That question is still hanging in the air, you're not quite sure which one she has chosen… She assumes she's being watched, she's in a state of anxiety and feels like her life is potentially in danger and she’s feeling paranoia and frustration. There’s a huge lack of trust. She goes on such a journey.”
What can you tell us about the case?
Holliday: “Well it starts with a murder, and in the course of investigating that, more levels of ‘correction’ are discovered by Carey and we get into the world of government and big tech and deep fake. The more that Carey unveils, the higher the stakes become…”
What is her relationship like with Isaac Turner?
Holliday: “Through season one, Carey went through a process of having the wool pulled from over her eyes, and when she meets Isaac, she watches him go through a similar process. I think there's a mutual understanding between them that creates an enforced closeness. Paapa is so brilliant! It was great working with him.”
Do you think the new season will make viewers feel just as uneasy as the first did?!
Holliday: “Absolutely! The themes of surveillance and CCTV and the police from the first season were so timely, but then season two focuses on big business and the bigger power players that we are all concerned about. And also the surveillance is no longer focused on CCTV. It's about the tech that's in our homes, so it's even closer!”
Are there any big action sequences you had to film this series?
Holliday: “Yes, we see Carey in episode one at self-defence classes, because she's so scared for her own safety and then later she gets to put into action what she's been learning… I did the training for self-defence and learned the fight routines and it’s almost like a dance!”
The Capture season 2 — when will it air?
The opening episode will air in the UK on Sunday, August 28 at 9pm on BBC One, with the second episode following on Monday, August 29.
The rest of the six-part series will be broadcast in weekly double bills on Sundays and Mondays. The first season is also available on BBC iPlayer.
The Capture season 2 is expected to premiere on November 3 on Peacock in the US. Season 1 is also available to watch on Peacock now.
