As the second episode of Treason begins, Ella Lawrence (Beau Gadsdon) finds herself restrained in the back of a van. Once it stops, she is pulled from the vehicle. Adam (Charlie Cox) returns home and reassures Maddy (Oona Chaplin) they will find Ella. He doesn’t think the attack is personal or that Callum (Samuel Leakey) is at risk. Adam is convinced that this is them coming for him. When Kara (Olga Kurylenko) calls, Adam steps outside to take it and demands to know where Ella is. Kara denies taking her. Maddy uses the pen to record their conversation. Although Adam doesn’t trust her, Kara insists she can help him find Ella. He warns her that he is coming after her.
Adam sends a team to find and raid Kara’s boat, but she manages to escape with her laptop. Back at home, Callum sulks and asks when Ella is coming home. She tries to listen to the recording only to be interrupted when Frank Scott (John Lightbody) enters for a drink. Maddy manages to find a quiet place to listen to the recording. She calls Dede Alexander (Tracy Ifeachor) to tell her that someone has taken Ella. Agents eavesdrop on the conversation as Maddy reveals the woman might be Russian and he called her Kara. Dede reveals she is not there on vacation. Instead, she volunteered for this assignment because Maddy is her friend.
The CIA has been watching Adam’s rise. They believe he has been compromised ever since Baku when he saved the embassy. It is believed met his contact there, they have been feeding him info ever since, and they’re coming to collect now. Maddy is warned that her family might be in danger because of something Adam is caught up in. Maddy hopes she isn’t using what happened in Helmand to manipulate her. Dede claims she is just trying to save her again. They need to meet since she wants the recording. Olamide Bello (Kevin Harvey) tells Adam that he should just focus on finding his daughter. The foreign secretary has also visited to speak to him.
Audrey Gratz (Alex Kingston) approaches him to say she can’t imagine what he is going through. He is told they have a few sightings prior to the abduction. There are limits as to how much they can intrude on his official communications. Adam is told to inform them as soon as the kidnapper contacts him. Audrey thinks he should consider stepping aside, but Adam refuses to do that. She’ll have to fire him and Adam doesn’t that’d be good in the middle of a leadership campaign. Robert Kirby (Simon Lenagan) talks about rewriting their deals with NATO while campaigning. Kara meets with an old associate. She reminds Melnikov that he said she could always come to him for help.
She needs a vehicle, cash, and somewhere to lie low. He doesn’t want to be seen with her because he is now funding Robert Kirby’s campaign to be PM. Kara tells him that she poisoned Martin. She believes Adam will give her whatever she wants if she can get his daughter back. He tells her that there is a rumor about Audrey Gratz. He has tried to get evidence, but he can’t substantiate it. MI6 would have it and he wants anything they have on her. Kirby is a good man who knows how to repay loyalty. They agree to the deal. Maddy tells Frank that she wants to take Callum to the shops. She uses the opportunity to meet with Dede, but makes it clear it doesn’t mean she believes what she said about Adam.
Maddy gives her the recording. Before Dede leaves, she urges her to find out what she can about the woman on the phone. At home, Maddy finds a box with pictures including one that looks like Adam and Kara together. Adam learns that they have a picture of the man driving the van when his daughter was kidnapped. Kara calls him to say she has an ID on the man who kidnapped Ella. She wants to meet like they used to. After the call, Adam makes an excuse to leave. Adam calls Maddy to say he has a lead and will be bringing Ella home. Adam leaves his bodyguard outside so he can deal with it alone. He meets with Kara who drives him away. The woman holding Ella gets a call telling her to move the girl.
Once they arrive, Kara warns Adam that the man who took his daughter is Kyle Mills. He works for Joanne Allinson who helps bring people in and out of the country illegally. Her company leases a unit on the fourth floor. As Adam goes inside, the control room learns where the suspect is at. Adam fights with Kyle while Kara takes on Joanne. By the time Adam reaches the room where his daughter was kept, she is already gone with Kara. Adam calls Pete to tell him to get over there. Dede visits Maddy at home. She tells Maddy that police tracked Ella to a location in East London, but she was gone when they got there. Adam calls to tell her that someone else took Ella and he didn’t see that person clearly. Kara takes Ella to a safe space.
Dede tries to learn more about Kara. She claims it doesn’t matter how Adam got here because he has crossed over now. Kara removes Ella’s restraints and tells her that she works with her dad. Ella asks about the girl in the picture. Kara says her name is Fariha and she has a brother named Kush who is a Chelsea fan. She explains they’re friends instead of her kids, but she’d do anything for them and their families. Kara takes a call in private to tell Adam that she needed to prove she didn’t take Ella. She’ll give Ella back once she gets what she needs. Kara wants intel on Audrey Gratz. After the call, Adam finds the file that Martin had at the club. He visits Mary Angelis (Clare Holman) who explains she is about to head back to the hospital.
Adam knows who has Ella and what he needs to get her back. It is a piece of intel that he believes Martin might’ve kept at home. Adam tells her that Martin was having lunch with Lord Lambert when he was poisoned. He had compromising files on Lambert so he suspects Martin might have more at home and he needs to see them. Adam pleads with her to tell him where the files are. Although she doesn’t think anything good will come of it, she agrees to show him where the files are. Once he gets the file, he calls Kara who tells him where to meet. Adam finds a file on himself and learns he is a CIA person of interest. It mentions that he might’ve been compromised by a foreign asset. Adam goes home to tell Maddy what is going on. He admits he can’t take his security team with him so he needs them to believe he is at home.
They manage to sneak out. Maddy waits in the vehicle while Adam goes inside to give the file to Kara. She decides to get out and follow him though. When Adam makes the exchange, Kara won’t tell him what she is doing to do with the file. He mentions that Gratz is the frontrunner for prime minister. Maddy tries to record their conversation. Kara takes the file and tells Adam that she’ll drop Ella off near Southwark Bridge. Adam and Maddy pick up Ella on the bridge moments later. Later, Adam meets with Kit Harper (Syrus Lowe). He tells him about his daughter being kidnapped and handing over intel on Gratz to get her back. He admits he gave the information to a former Russian spy and it’ll likely be used to impact the outcome of the leadership election.
Adam shows him his letter of resignation that he hasn’t signed yet. He wants to protect his family. Kit suggests it is too late for that and treason carries a life sentence. If Maddy knew, she could be guilty of conspiracy. Adam is hoping he can get immunity from prosecution in exchange for information. Kit believes he needs to find and expose the Russian agent. Kara calls her comrade to tell him she has the file. Kit tells Adam to get Angelis on the hook and then get the files.
Treason Review
The second episode of Treason primarily focused on the search for Ella with Adam once again giving information to Kara to get his daughter back. The same problems remain making it difficult to fully commit to the story and care about the characters. Most of the performances are good, but one character in particular just doesn’t mesh well with the rest and seems out of place.
The believability of Treason is probably still the biggest problem though. Both episodes have had eye-rolling moments that require viewers to ignore reality to accept what is happening. Truthfully, Treason hasn’t been terrible or spectacular through two episodes and that likely isn’t going to change in the episodes ahead.
Viewers who haven’t watched similar shows may appreciate Treason more than others, but it is typical Netflix quality at this point. It really just seems like Treason is going through the motions with wooden characters that lack depth so it is difficult to care beyond wanting to find out what happens. The episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of Treason are available on Reel Mockery here. Want to support us or advertise on Reel Mockery? Find out how to get in touch here.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
