Netflix’s Gripping New Spy Thriller Is Based On An Astonishing True Story
Could you offer more?
How do you recruit a good spy? It’s not exactly something you can put in the classifieds, nor is something you can major in in college. Much like astronauts, spies have to have “the right stuff,” and those who have it, have it, and those who don’t, don’t.
That means that the perfect spy can come from anywhere, including, as Netflix’s latest series Legends proves, the customs checks at the airport. Based on a true story, this classic spy thriller dives into the depths of deep cover, telling a 1980s story full of intrigue, drama, and suspense that makes for the perfect weekend binge.
Legends is set in the final days of the Thatcher era, and The Iron Lady’s administration has one thing top of mind: controlling opium usage, which is running amok. Across the pond, Reagan had his “Just Say No” campaign, but in the U.K., the victim list is growing and the proximity to the Middle East means it can easily be smuggled in. Don (Steve Coogan) is tasked with something that seems impossible: recruiting and training Customs agents to become deep cover secret agents.
He starts with a simple flyer reading “Could You Offer More?” and then a complex and mysterious series of tests that whittle the contenders down to just four: Erin (Jasmine Blackborow), information specialist; Kate (Hayley Squires), a tough-talking Cockney with dreams of greatness; Bailey (Aml Ameen), a cautious but ambitious agent; and Guy (Tom Burke), a lone-wolf type in whom Don sees much of himself reflected.
With little to no rules and plenty of freedom, they are told to develop their “legends,” their alter egos who they have to completely embody, often thinking on their feet and improvising. But, much like all the best spy stories, the cover story becomes too much, and these spies forget who they really are; this happens in particular to Guy, who poses as a smuggler by himself and finds his legend following him home to his wife and daughter.
In each of the six episodes, these four agents are faced with issue after issue as they try to infiltrate two different sides of the opium trade, one in Liverpool and another in London. But when the two sides collide, these agents will have to think on their feet and push everything to the limit, including recruiting locals, turning moles, and dealing with the constant scrutiny of these career criminals.
Steve Coogan delivers an impressively nuanced dramatic performance as mentor Don.
Steve Coogan, better known as a British comedy legend, delivers an incredibly nuanced performance, but he’s just as matched by the rest of the main cast, who have the unenviable task of performing two different roles, the agents and their legends, and are constantly blurring and flip-flopping the two.
There are plenty of echoes of other British thrillers in this series, especially since Hayley Squires recently starred in Season 2 of The Night Manager. But that’s an asset, not a liability. These spy stories are classics for a reason, and the true story element and period setting make it original enough to stay fresh.
If you love classic crime thrillers, 1990s Britain, or just wish Get Out was entirely about the TSA agent reveal at the end, then this is the show for you. It proves that anyone can have the potential to a be a hero, even if they spend their days checking luggage for fresh fruit.
