This underrated Peacock thriller deserves way more attention
This underrated Peacock thriller deserves way more attention
‘The Copenhagen Test’ stars Simu Liu as a spy whose brain gets hacked, and it’s one of Peacock’s best under-the-radar shows.
Peacock has quietly built a pretty interesting lineup of original series over the past few years. The problem is that those shows don’t always get the same buzz as the platform’s bigger draws like reality TV, next-day NBC hits, or live sports. That means some genuinely great thrillers end up slipping through the cracks. One of the best examples is “The Copenhagen Test.” It’s slick, tense, and packed with big ideas about surveillance and loyalty, and if you missed it when it dropped, you’re not alone. If you’re looking for the best under-the-radar thriller series on Peacock, this is the one I’d point you to first.
Best under-the-radar thriller TV show on Peacock
Why ‘The Copenhagen Test’ is the most underrated thriller series on Peacock
One of the things that hooked me immediately about “The Copenhagen Test” is how epic the premise is. Simu Liu plays Alexander Hale, an intelligence analyst who discovers nanites in his medication have literally hacked his brain. Cool, right?! But also terrifying. From that point on, everything he sees and hears is being transmitted to an unknown enemy. Instead of pulling him from the field, his agency forces him to keep working while pretending he has no idea he’s compromised. So every conversation, every mission, every decision becomes this nerve-wracking performance where he’s trying to figure out who’s watching him while acting like nothing’s wrong.
The show leans all the way into that paranoia. The agency he works for literally builds a controlled world around him, assigning him a girlfriend, shaping his work environment, and scripting parts of his daily life just to keep the illusion going. It creates this weird “Truman Show” vibe where you’re constantly wondering which characters are real and which ones are part of the operation. That tension definitely helps keep the show humming. You’re not just watching a spy story — you’re watching a guy trying to survive inside a giant psychological experiment.
Another thing I appreciate about this show is the representation it has. Spy thrillers almost never center on first-generation Chinese-American leads who have to navigate questions about identity and loyalty inside the U.S. intelligence world. Simu Liu has talked about how unusual it is to see someone who looks like him playing a spy, and that angle adds another layer to Alexander’s story. The show quietly explores what it means to be asked to prove your allegiance to a country that doesn’t always fully trust you. It gives the series a human dimension you don’t usually see in thrillers. And Simu Liu is great in the lead role, bringing just enough vulnerability to make Alexander feel human while the world around him keeps getting more surreal.
So why didn’t this thing blow up? Timing probably played a big role. Peacock dropped all eight episodes right after Christmas, which is one of those weird stretches where everyone’s either traveling or catching up on bigger holiday releases. The show actually pulled respectable viewing numbers in its first week, but without a long marketing runway or a weekly release schedule to keep people talking, it never built the kind of buzz thrillers usually need.
That’s a shame, because if you like smart spy stories, there’s a lot to chew on here. Creator Thomas Brandon calls the series “spy-fi,” and that description fits perfectly. It got the classic espionage tension you want, with speculative tech thrown in and a deeper layer about loyalty, privacy, and identity. It’s twisty, ambitious, and way more interesting than the average streaming thriller. Sure, it’s not perfect, and it’s not for everyone. But I love an original, ambitious swing, and “The Copenhagen Test” is definitely that.
The Copenhagen Test
When an analyst discovers his eyes and ears have been hacked, he’s drawn into a controlled world designed by his agency to draw out their enemies.
What is ‘The Copenhagen Test’ about?
“The Copenhagen Test” follows Alexander Hale, a Chinese-American intelligence analyst who suddenly discovers his brain has been hacked by microscopic nanites hidden in his medication. From that moment on, everything he experiences is secretly broadcast to an unknown enemy. Instead of shutting down the operation, his agency forces him to keep working as if nothing had changed. The idea is to lure the enemy into the open, but it also means Alexander has to live every moment knowing someone might be watching.
What makes the show so compelling is how it turns that idea into a psychological chess match. Alexander’s bosses construct an artificial reality around him to control the situation, placing people in his life and carefully managing the information he receives. That leaves him stuck in a world where he can’t trust anyone, including the people supposedly trying to help him. The deeper he digs into the mystery, the more complicated things get. Dun dun dun!
After you watch the first episode of ‘The Copenhagen Test,’ let us know what you think in the comments below.
Other underappreciated thriller TV shows on Peacock
If you’re into “The Copenhagen Test” and want more underrated thrillers on Peacock, there are a few other series worth checking out. Start with “Ponies.” It’s a stylish Cold War espionage drama about two unlikely CIA operatives navigating spy games in Moscow, and it has that same mix of character drama and geopolitical tension that makes great spy stories so addictive. Another strong pick is “All Her Fault.” This one leans more into psychological thriller territory, following a mother whose life unravels after her son disappears during a playdate. And then there’s “The Capture.” If you love conspiracy-driven thrillers about surveillance and manipulated reality, this show is right up your alley. It dives deep into the idea of deepfakes and government cover-ups, creating a tense cat-and-mouse game where nothing you see can fully be trusted. If you enjoy the paranoia and tech-driven twists of “The Copenhagen Test,” this one should absolutely be next on your list.
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