Suspicion (2022 TV series)

Last updated

Suspicion
Suspicion TV poster.png
Promotional poster
Genre
Created by Rob Williams
Based on False Flag
by Maria Feldman & Amit Cohen
Directed by Chris Long
Starring
ComposerGilad Benamram
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Running time44–50 minutes
Production company Keshet UK
Original release
Network Apple TV+
Release4 February (2022-02-04) –
18 March 2022 (2022-03-18)

Suspicion is a British thriller television series based on the Israeli series False Flag . Set in London and New York City, the series premiered on Apple TV+ on 4 February 2022. It received generally mixed reviews from critics. The series was cancelled after one season.

Contents

Premise

Five people – three men and two women – have their lives turned upside down after being identified by London police as suspects in the kidnapping and subsequent disappearance of American media mogul Katherine Newman's son Leonardo.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date  [1]
1"Persons of Interest" Chris Long [1] Rob Williams February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
Leo Newman, son of communications mogul and ambassadorial nominee Katherine Newman, is kidnapped from the Park Madison Hotel in Midtown Manhattan by perpetrators wearing masks of the British Royal family. CCTV footage of the kidnapping is uploaded and goes viral online. FBI special agent Scott Anderson is assigned as the lead investigator, and meets with Newman. The NYPD flags four British citizens who were in New York at the time as suspects. Three of them, bride-to-be and finance manager Natalie Thompson, dissatisfied IT technician Aadesh Chopra and Oxford University lecturer Tara McAllister, are arrested back in the United Kingdom and placed in the custody of National Crime Agency senior investigator Vanessa Okoye. Sean Tilson, a man carrying several passports, disguises himself and escapes being arrested by the PSNI after landing in Belfast from New York.
2"Room for Doubt"Chris Long [1] Rob WilliamsFebruary 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
The three suspects stayed at the Park Madison Hotel the same time as Sean. Natalie for a hen night with her NYU student sister Monique, Aadesh to be interviewed by Cooper-Newman, and Tara begrudgingly at Cooper-Newman’s charity conference on behalf of Oxford to thank them for funding. All three deny involvement, or knowledge of Sean Tilson when questioned. Monique hides a large sum of cash and takes a burner phone she finds in Natalie’s bag. Okoye mentions Tara’s past questioning of Newman funding and Leo being admitted to Oxford. Anderson joins Oykoe and accuses Aadesh of hacking hotel CCTV, Natalie of funding the kidnapping and Tara of organising. Sean retrieves money and a handgun from his grandfather's house in Bangor, clandestinely sails to Merseyside and steals a car, killing two people in the process. Without enough evidence to charge, Okoye releases the three under close surveillance. A ransom video of Leo is broadcast to the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanding Newman “tell the truth” or he will be killed.
3"Strangers" Stefan Schwartz Terry Cafolla February 11, 2022 (2022-02-11)
Sean’s involvement in the kidnapping is released to the press by the FBI. He arrives in London, revealed to have been texting Natalie’s burner. Confronted by Monique, Natalie confesses she embezzled over £400k from Nemus Group, a client who demanded she pay back double, with New York being the final cash drop. Monique is extracted by NCA officers before she can return the money to Sean directly. Natalie is re-arrested after she transfers funds to a Cayman Islands account. Anderson tells her Cooper-Newman are majority shareholders in Nemus. Aadesh is confronted by conspiracy theorists at work and becomes alienated from his wife and in-laws, and Tara is suspended from work. Okoye has Natalie agree to meet Sean the following day to exchange the money, and Natalie declines legal representation from her solicitor fiancé. Eddie Walker, an Oxford student, is identified as a fifth suspect, having drunk near the Park Madison Hotel bar mere hours before the kidnapping.
4"The Devil You Know"Stefan SchwartzMegan GallagherFebruary 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)
Eddie is also released under surveillance after denying involvement or knowing Leo. He finds Aadesh after seeing the conspiracy videos online, and suggests they locate Natalie and Tara to go public together and proclaim their innocence. At the meeting Sean tries to kill Natalie and escapes capture by NCA firearms officers. He is stabbed while meeting a contact, Brolin, for new identity documents, who he kills. Anderson reports the failure to Newman, who decides to address the kidnappers in a public broadcast. She confesses the fundraising that secured her ambassadorial nomination failed to disclose money came from a source under economic sanctions. The kidnappers intercept the press conference screens, saying she still has not told the truth and demand she reveal what Eric Cresswell, a disgraced former scientist, knows. Natalie is released on bail. Tara, Natalie, Monique, Aadesh and Eddie are kidnapped by an armed rendition team, who take them to an airstrip demanding Leo’s whereabouts. They are rescued by Sean, but Monique is killed in the gunfight.
5"What Does a Kidnapper Look Like?"Stefan Schwartz Nick Leather February 25, 2022 (2022-02-25)
Sean drives the group to a property Brolin was assigned to visit. He tells them he isn’t involved with Leo's kidnap, that they’re each other's best chance of discovering who is framing them. Sean tells Natalie he was simply hired as a collector for Nemus, unaware of their Cooper-Newman links. Tara confesses she started an anonymous campaign against Leo Newman, stopping after her daughter was briefly kidnapped as a warning. Aadesh accesses Brolin’s laptop and discovers emails with Martin Copeland, the COO of Cooper-Newman. Aadesh confesses he hacked the company to offer his services as a consultant, and found a secret email server. All appearances seem Copeland is behind the kidnap and implicated the group, possibly as revenge for Newman naming Leo not him as her successor. Sean plans to confront Copeland in New York. He allows the others to accompany him when Natalie offers the remaining money in her offshore account to finance the trip. Eddie messages someone via a secret phone.
6"Be the Gray Man"Chris LongTerry CafollaMarch 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)
The kidnappers hack every Cooper-Newman client, mounting worldwide pressure and an online campaign for her to tell the truth. Newman meets with longtime client and International Oil and Petroleum (IOP) Energy CEO Amy, where the two discuss how Cresswell’s knowledge can never become public. Monique’s body is found by Okoye and Anderson, with the scene professionally scrubbed. The group travels to London to change their appearances and obtain fake passports from Sean’s contact Masoud. He becomes suspicious when Eddie speaks Farsi, and convinces Tara to make the trip as an example to her daughter. Okoye reveals to Anderson that Eddie is actually an undercover NCA officer named Liam McKenna. Aadesh is identified on CCTV at Stansted Airport. Deducing they will all be travelling, the FBI reluctantly allows the group to enter the US so they can be further tracked. After arriving in New York City, Sean secretly meets with Copeland alone, and confirms things are all set.
7"Questions of Trust"Chris LongNick LeatherMarch 11, 2022 (2022-03-11)
Cresswell approaches the police in Gloucestershire, saying someone is trying to kill him. Aadesh overhears Eddie reporting to the NCA, but he lies and tells him he works for Newman. Owen Neilssen, Anderson’s boss, questions Newman about Copeland’s links with the UK suspects. At a Brooklyn warehouse, Sean demands Aadesh contact Copeland via the same secret server to meet them. He kills two assassins sent by Copeland, following their meeting the previous evening. After using their phone to tell Copeland that everyone including him is dead, he offers to take the group to Copeland so they can finally get answers. Sean pays someone to drive his van to the FBI New York Field Office as a distraction, allowing them to travel to the Park Madison Hotel undetected. Newman arranges an televised interview, which reveals that Cooper-Newman helped IOP bury an accurate climate change report commissioned by Cresswell in 1995. The group kidnaps Copeland at the hotel, where he admits sending the rendition team to kill them as potential threats to the company. Sean demands his money. Before Copeland reveals the truth about Leo’s kidnapping, Natalie shoots him dead as revenge for Monique.
8"Unmasked"Chris LongMegan GallagherMarch 18, 2022 (2022-03-18)
Sean flees the hotel separate from the group. The kidnappers, still unsatisfied, broadcast footage of Leo with a countdown in Times Square. The group are confronted by Leo and his friends at gunpoint, who orchestrated the kidnapping and #TellTheTruth campaign with Tara, who is revealed to be Cresswell’s daughter Evie. They all wanted his mother to confess her actions in the coverup, and frame Natalie, Aadesh and Sean, who the public already believe are guilty. Eddie draws a pistol and disarms Leo, shooting his computer which cuts the Times Square feed. Sean returns and injures Eddie, then takes Leo. Newman further confesses and apologises on livestream how Cooper-Newman orchestrated a disinformation campaign to discredit Cresswell and protect their clients interests, contributing significantly to modern climate change denial and fake news culture. Leo is “found” in a nearby basement by the police after Newman pays Sean $1 million, which he plans to use for a new identity given his professional reputation is ruined. He warns her if she double crosses him he will kill Leo for good. Natalie is arrested for killing Copeland, but Tara and Aadesh escape. Reunited with Leo, Newman indicates she knows he arranged the kidnapping.

Production

Development

In July 2019, Apple TV+ announced the development of an English-language version of award-winning Israeli thriller False Flag , created by Maria Feldman and Amit Cohen, with Keshet International, the distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, the same company behind the original Hebrew-language series. [2] In March 2020, Apple ordered an eight-part series to be produced by Keshet's British production arm, Keshet UK, and directed by Chris Long, with Rob Williams serving as showrunner. Both also executive produced along with Howard Burch, Avi Nir, Anna Winger, Maria Feldman, Amit Cohen and Liat Benasuly. [3] The show was cancelled by Apple TV+ in July 2023. [4]

Casting

Along with the series order in March 2020, Uma Thurman was cast to star in Suspicion, with Kunal Nayyar, Noah Emmerich, Georgina Campbell, Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Angel Coulby also joining the cast. [3] In November 2020, it was reported that Tom Rhys Harries had joined the cast. [5]

Filming

As of March 2020, production had reportedly begun in the United Kingdom on Suspicion, but had to be suspended due the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] In September 2020, Apple was reportedly preparing to restart filming in England, with filming confirmed to have started in November 2020 in Brixham. [7] [8] Filming also occurred in New York City in May 2021, with several cast members being seen on set in Central Park, Washington Square Park, and the Upper East Side. [9] Season one concluded filming on May 18, 2021. [10]

Release

The eight-part series premiered with two episodes being released on Apple TV+ on Friday, 4 February 2022, with the remaining six episodes airing every Friday thereafter. [11] In 2025, the series was re-released on ITVX in the UK. [12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 50% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.20/10.The website's consensus reads: "While this espionage thriller achieves a genuine atmosphere of paranoia, it is dogged by the Suspicion that star Uma Thurman is being wasted on a shallow mystery." [13]

The Hollywood Reporter 's Angie Han writes, "Suspicion is broadly competent, in that the dialogue is serviceable, the performances unobjectionable (though those watching for Thurman should be warned she’s barely in it at all), the narrative easy enough to follow." [14] Barbara Ellen of The Observer said the drama was "undone by erratic drama and nonsensical themes". [15] The Wall Street Journal's Dorothy Rabinowitz was more complimentary, dubbing it "ambitious". [16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Shows A-Z – Suspicion on Apple+". The Futon Critic . Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ White, Peter (July 30, 2019). "Apple Developing English-Language Remake Of Keshet International's Israeli Thriller 'False Flag'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  3. 1 2 White, Peter (March 11, 2020). "Uma Thurman To Headline Apple Drama Series 'Suspicion', Based On Israeli Thriller 'False Flag'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ Goldbart, Max (August 1, 2023). "'Suspicion' Axed By Apple TV+ After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ "White Lines' Tom Rhys Harries joins Uma Thurman in new Apple TV+ show Suspicion". Metro . November 9, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (March 16, 2020). "Keshet Suspends U.K. Filming on Uma Thurman Series 'Suspicion' Over Coronavirus Fears (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ Kanter, Jake (September 30, 2020). "Apple Restarts UK Drama Production, As 'Suspicion' & 'Slow Horses' Prepare To Shoot". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  8. ↑ Smith, Colleen (November 10, 2020). "Covid fears as Apple TV crew lights up harbourside at night". DevonLive. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ Steves, Ashley (May 25, 2021). "NYC What's Filming: Apple TV+'s 'Suspicion,' Starring Uma Thurman". Backstage . Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ Thurman, Uma [@umathurman]; (May 18, 2021). "Last day on set for Suspicion. Back to work with joy. Radioman never fails" . Retrieved June 9, 2021– via Instagram.
  11. ↑ Nicholas Cannon (January 11, 2022). "'Suspicion': release date, cast, plot and all you need to know about Uma Thurman's new thriller". whattowatch.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  12. ↑ Fallon, Heather (March 4, 2025). "ITVX snaps up Apple TV+ drama Suspicion". Broadcast. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Suspicion". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  14. ↑ Han, Angie (February 3, 2022). "Apple TV+'s Suspicion: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  15. ↑ "The week in TV: Cat Burglar; Suspicion; the Fear Index; We Are Black and British". TheGuardian.com . February 27, 2022.
  16. ↑ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (February 3, 2022). "'Suspicion' Review: A TV Show Undergirded with Irony". Wall Street Journal.
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