Samuel, a Russian-born Jewish inventor who specialises in the development of hearing aids, is tasked with a secret mission by MI5 to use his technological expertise to contribute to western Cold War efforts. Following the tensions of the space race and the first hydrogen bomb test, Samuel's efforts factor in to the emergence of the modern world.
Episode 1
May 22, 2019
During the tumultuous summer of 1958, Samuel prepares to launch his new invention, which is attracting some suspicious followers, before meeting the mysterious Kathleen.
Episode 2
May 29, 2019
The secret service tasks Samuel with spying on the Shaws in exchange for an order of his invention, and Hannah discovers that Kathleen has a tragic family secret.
Episode 3
Jun 5, 2019
Samuel spies on his new friends while his relationship with Kathleen intensifies. Hannah and Kathleen investigate Anthony’s disappearance.
Episode 4
Jun 12, 2019
Kathleen visits the boarding house in search of Anthony, but has no luck. Armstrong explains to Samuel that they have reason to believe that people connected with the Shaw family could be enemies of the state. Not knowing who to believe, Samuel confronts Mr Field.
Episode 5
Jun 19, 2019
After the shooting, Field places the Petruhkin home and factory under protection. Samuel makes his own plans and goes into hiding where he meets Kathleen in secret.
Episode 6
Jun 26, 2019
Samuel learns the truth about the Shaws and the MI5 men. His is invited to an extraordinary secret meeting, while Hannah becomes increasingly worried about her father’s safety.
Peter McGinn
@narrator56
I enjoyed this series, mostly, especially the way it represented the 50s era, which to me sometimes feels more ignored than the decades of the 40s and 60s. I felt the acting was very good and the writing mostly good. Every major character is given a subplot, which I usually found realistic and entertaining. One review I read pointed out that the movie suffered from being politically correct, and I always worry about that description. That reviewer was unhappy that white men made up all the bad guys. Perhaps the black man kissing a white woman struck him as unlikely in that era. I had no problem with the plot or the way the time period was depicted. But I will say that the final half-hour or so got away with a plot development it hadn't earned. I won't give it away, but our inventor's interaction in the final scenes, where he is suddenly trusted, seemed abrupt. It would have been more realistic if they had built up to it better. On the other hand, I liked the last second plot twist involving the Timothy Spall character. Ultimately I liked it despite a few flaws in the plot.
