Counterpart - Season 1 Review
This review of Counterpart's first season is spoiler-free!
Is it just me, or have we been facing a draught of government corruption and espionage series in recent years? With shows like Scandal and House of Cards going off the air, and some major network flagships disappearing as of late, it feels like the majority of great television has been focused on fantasy and superheroes. Sometimes though, the best television is based in the real world. Obviously I don't mean the actual real world, that'd be extremely boring and blah as we'd probably just watch people commute to work and come home and watch TV and cook dinner... ANYWAYS you get my point. Counterpart goes back to a genre that saw it's peak before the turn of the century. When this show first premiered, many were saying it was so good that it was filling the hole in our hearts (and DVRs) that Breaking Bad once filled. While I understand the comparison, I don't necessarily agree with that, in the way that those articles meant it. Let's dive into Counterpart!
Our story begins with Howard Silk. Working for a government spy agency in Berlin, Germany; Silk is a low level agent working in the interface department. He doesn't know what exactly he does, but he doesn't ever really care to ask. Upon the occurrence of a mysterious incident, he's brought into the fold and given information he never would believe: his world has a connection to a parallel world just like his, except different. Becoming a critical part in the game forming between the two worlds, Howard's life is turned upside and he quickly realizes that his only hope to survive the ever changing circumstances around him is to trust himself, from the Prime Earth. There's so many layers to Counterpart it's impossible to list them all here in a nice and neat fashion. But to put it simply, every character has their own story and arc and there's just so much depth and care with this story that I was immersed from the very beginning. It's gripping and once you're hooked you'll never let go.
As I mentioned in the series premiere review of Counterpart, this series is all about J.K. Simmons' Howard Silk. Whether it be Silk Alpha (the original world's who is a low-level interface agent), or Silk Prime (a high level in the know and all around much more experienced agent); they have their own stories and own feelings that they feel like different actors portraying them. It's a testament to the capabilities that Simmons has as an actor, and it shows just how much care is put into the show as a whole. But, as I mentioned above, this show has more layers than most shows I watch, and another character who gets her own story is that of Sara Serriaocco's Nadia. While she doesn't play doubles for very long, Nadia Prime is facing a crisis of self and is trying to find who she is and who she can be. While it's not as interesting as the main story, it often times feels like a welcome reprieve from the A level story and it's great to see a character who looked to be nothing more than a throwaway have a larger part in the overall narrative.
With Counterpart, there's question that arise throughout the first season challenging the mindset of it's stars. The most important and perhaps most befuddling question the season faces is are we the same at our core, no matter the world we come from. Through the 10 episode first season we meet two Howards who are different in almost every way, but once they come into contact with one another, they begin to slowly realize how much they have in common. Sure they've lived different lives to this point and are barely recognizable to one another, but when the season comes to a close they're truly forced to evaluate who they think they are and whether or not they are truly different people. It's a powerful sentiment and leads a lot of the internal conflict many of the characters face.
While I can't be the one who makes the bold statement that Counterpart is on the same level of Breaking Bad, there's something special about this show that many other shows don't have. It has sci-fi elements, espionage elements, and just so much depth to it's story that every scene matters and you never feel bored. Anchored by excellent performances from all of the main cast (J.K. Simmons being the obvious star of the show), Counterpart is something special. It's often hard to find a good show that thrills it's audience and manages to grab it's viewers. Counterpart is something special and something that any fan of television needs to experience. I can't wait for Season 2 and a return to Prime Earth.
