With a whopping 92% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a whopping 7.7 million people tuned into The Capture when it aired in the heady pre-Covid days of 2019. 

It is no overstatement to say that they loved it. They loved it to little pieces. And no wonder, really. Because, spinning an intense-as-hell story, the first season ticked so many boxes for thriller fans everywhere.

Following suit, the second series premiered over the bank holiday weekend to the same overwhelmingly positive reactions. This time round, deepfake technology is providing even more nightmare-inducing paranoia, but new characters and eerie plotlines means this series of The Capture is already a firm favourite of ours – and we’re only two episodes in.

We may want to binge-watch it all immediately but we’re just going to have to accept the weekly episode drops for this series.

It’s safe to say that we’re already hooked.

Last night’s (Monday 29 August) episode only left us with more burning questions.

As if we needed reminding but Holliday Grainger really is a force to be reckoned with in the BBC series.

And we may or may not already be counting down the days till the third episode.

For those who may need a recap, The Capture series one saw Holliday Grainger’s DI Rachel Carey uncover a multi-layered conspiracy – one which involved the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command using deepfake technology to create CCTV footage of someone doing something incriminating without them even being there.

They called it “correction”. We, all of us watching agog at home, branded it downright terrifying and rushed to cover our webcams as quickly as possible. 

Now, at long last, the BBC has brought us an anticipated second season and if you haven’t already blitzed through the first two episodes, perhaps a watch of the trailer will convince you. Trust us, it’s as eerie as we were expecting. 

We also have a slew of images for the show’s much-anticipated second season (those of which are dotted throughout this article), as well as further series details that have prompted us to feel incredibly paranoid about surveillance technology all over again.

In the first look images, we finally get a glimpse of Paapa Essiedu’s character, as well as other new cast members like Rob Yang.

And returning faces like Ron Perlman, who looks particularly sinister may we add.

With that, here’s everything you need to know about The Capture season two.

What’s the plot of The Capture season two?

Once again, the TV show will force us to question if we can really believe what we see.

“Britain is under siege: hacked news feeds, manipulated media, and interference in politics,” promises the official synopsis.

The synopsis adds that the action will be escalated far beyond the CCTV thrills of the first season, thanks to its focus on ‘invisible’ assassins, deepfake technology, and mass corruption at the heart of the British media. Which sounds… well, pretty close to the bone, considering the year we’ve all had.

“Entrenched in the UK’s own ‘Correction’ unit, DCI Rachel Carey finds herself in the middle of a new conspiracy – with a new target,” it continues.

“But how can she solve this case when she can’t even trust her closest colleagues?”

Who stars in The Capture season two?

I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu joins the series as Isaac Turner, a young rising star MP with ambitions for the very top.

“I’m so excited to be coming on board with The Capture. Ben [Chanan] has written one of the freshest and most prescient scripts of recent times and I can’t wait to see what this incredible cast and crew can do with it,” says Essiedu.

Indira Varma (This Way Up, Game of Thrones) and Andy Nyman (Hanna, Unforgettable) also join The Capture for the second season. And, of course, Grainger, Ron Perlman, Ben Miles, Lia Williams, Cavan Clerkin, Ginny Holder, and Nigel Lindsay are all reprising their roles from the first season.

Is there a trailer for The Capture season two?

There is and boy, does it pick up where the drama of last season left off. In it, we’re introduced to Isaac Turner (Essiedu), a young MP who becomes the target for some serious deepfake scandals. 

The trailer starts with the murder case of a Chinese national who was assassinated in his own apartment. With CCTV all over the flat, it should be an open and shut case, right? Well, this is The Capture after all and even with cameras dotted both inside and outside of his home, there’s no sign of the shooters anywhere.

As the team try to show Turner the extent of the surveillance problem they have on their hands, he appears live on primetime news – even though he stands before them. The “real-time image manipulation” is out in full force and more so than ever, holds deadly consequences for Turner and those around him. It’s chilling stuff, that’s for certain.

Watch the trailer here:

What are people saying about The Capture season two?

Chanan, who has written all six episodes of the upcoming season, says: “I am thrilled to be working with Paapa Essiedu on The Capture season two. I’ve honed the story of Isaac Turner, a young, ambitious, idealistic British politician with Paapa in mind, and there’s no actor I’d rather collaborate with in bringing it to life.

“I also feel incredibly lucky to be welcoming Indira Varma and Andy Nyman to the show, where they join the brilliant Holliday Grainger, Ron Perlman, Lia Williams and the cast from series one. A dream cast, across the board!”

Grainger, meanwhile, adds: “Ben’s meticulously researched world challenges the boundary between possible and probable dark truths and constantly keeps you guessing. I can’t wait to explore what he has in store for Rachel Carey next.”

When can we watch The Capture season two?

The first two episodes of The Capture are available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with further episodes airing every Sunday and Monday on BBC One at 9pm.

Images: BBC/Ruth Crafer