It’s no secret that Netflix likes to pump out content, for better or for worse. Critical and commercial success stories such as Stranger Things, The Sandman, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and now the explosive series Wednesday have dominated the original content charts for the streamer and helped it maintain its status as it competes with an ever-expanding lineup of streaming services. These TV shows stand out in a sea of constant new releases for Netflix that tend to rely on more generic plot lines and casts, the majority of which you haven’t even heard of or don’t stumble upon until long after they have ended naturally or by force. While Treason might not light Netflix on fire in the same way the Addams family or the residents of Hawkins, Indiana have, this succinct espionage thriller is certainly a worthy addition to your watch list.

Written by Matt Charman, the Oscar-nominated writer behind the Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance-led historical thriller Bridge of Spies, Treason is another project that puts its characters in a carefully crafted and intricate web of lies. At the helm of this taut, five-episode drama is Charlie Cox, who is best known for his work as the titular character in Daredevil. His captivating portrayal of the iconic Marvel hero kept audiences’ attention and earned audiences' trust, though there surprisingly haven’t been many other substantial, meaty roles for Cox to sink his teeth into up until now. Treason puts the English actor front and center as Adam Lawrence, a trusted MI6 operative who has been steadily climbing up the ranks for 15 years. When Sir Martin Angelis (Ciarán Hinds), the head of MI6 is poisoned at a restaurant and left unfit to perform his governmental duties, everyone puts the backup plan into action and assumes their new roles and responsibilities.

Ciaran Hinds in a suit in Treason
Image via Netflix

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The pilot smartly starts with Adam speaking to his young son Callum’s (Samuel Leakey) class about what exactly it is that he does for a living. Not only was this a clever way to explain to a likely oblivious audience the hierarchy of the MI6, but it establishes the bond he has with his son. This sweet introduction to Cox’s character is soon interrupted by that infamous call informing Adam of the poisoning that abruptly ends his guest speaking spot at Callum’s school. While the entire organization must adjust to the new reality immediately, it is Cox’s fresh-faced agent character who is the most in over his head. Though he does his best to bury his anxiety, the stress and distractions that come with the new position as the head of MI6 inevitably bubble to the surface. Cox coats his performance in a layer of confidence, but it’s clear to the viewer that Adam is unsteady about something. That’s where the title of the show comes in.

It isn’t just the big new job that is stressing Adam out. It’s the fact that his complicated past is becoming his even more complicated present. The Russian spy named Kara (Olga Kurylenko) that poisons the chief of the MI6 actually has a personal and professional history with Adam that no one knows about. Not only is she back, 15 years later, to cash in her chips and get answers from Adam about who killed her men on that mission in Baku, but her return is also going to contribute to the shattering family dynamic. Adam’s wife Maddy (Oona Chaplin) quickly notices a change in him with the new position, including abruptly leaving the movie theater with the kids to take a work call and late-night classified document surfing on his computer. Even when Adam is physically present with his family, he is mentally miles away.

Olga Kurylenko in Treason
Image via Netflix

Storylines about a person’s significant other being skeptical of their partner's secretive, high-level job are nothing new, and are frankly, quite boring. Typically, the partner is underdeveloped, remaining on the surface as a plot device and a brief respite from the main attraction. Heck, it can get pretty repetitive and annoying pretty fast. Treason, however, puts a unique twist on the tried and true formula by giving Adam’s wife Maddy complexity and agency. Yes, Cox’s story is what drives the narrative and sucks you in. How could the new person in charge at MI6 also be the very someone who is suspected of being a double agent for Russia? But it’s Maddy who you will find to be the most interesting, as she proves to be a formidable threat to Adam’s job security. She served in the military and knows a lot about how international affairs work. More specifically, she knows how deadly everything can get. The fact that Maddy served with a woman named Dede (Tracy Ifeachor), who now has an important role in the CIA and has resurfaced in search of Adam, is icing on the secret cake.

The ever-changing balance of power between Maddy, Dede, and Kara is what makes this spy thriller stand out from the pack. Cox’s performance is consistently strong from beginning to end, though his storyline remains relatively stagnant. Once it’s established that he is not morally and ethically fit for the job as his credentials might indicate and that he is suspected of being a double agent who has committed treason (all of this is revealed within the first episode, and even the trailer), the interest and intrigue in his character wanes a bit. It becomes clear that the excitement and unpredictability really lie with the three women, who all have their own agendas. Dede wants to squeeze any possible leads from Maddy, who is trying to understand her husband’s role in the madness and whether he had or is having an affair with Kara. Though Kara initially comes across as a flat antagonist with one purpose (to disrupt the status quo of our messy lead), she surprisingly becomes the most dynamic character in the series. Several different situations enable her to show her softer side and hint at a traumatic past ripe for unpacking.

Though it very much feels like it is poised to be an ongoing series, Treason works very well as a compact five-episode story. While Cox’s turn as a deeply flawed MI6 agent is gripping, it’s Chaplin, Kurylenko, and Ifeachor’s constantly-swaying allegiances that’ll keep you locked in. Where the finale of this (allegedly) limited series leaves these three women is satisfying, but it also leaves room for potential new storylines to develop. Dare I say it's even spin-off worthy?

Rating: B+

Treason will be available to stream December 26 on Netflix.