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"Nienke de Boode gives "The Veil - First Two Episodes" a 7."
Written by Nienke de Boode on 6 May 2024.
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The Veil - First Two Episodes
The most wanted woman in the world, or a mother in over her head? Super spy ‘Imogen’ has to figure out who her traveling companion really is.
In FX’s captivating slow spy thriller, introduces Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as an operative going by the name ‘Imogen’. She is tasked with finding out whether the accusations against another woman (Yumna Marwan, Little Birds) stuck in a refugee camp at the Turkish-Syrian are accurate. According to others in the camp, this woman is ‘Daesh’ (ISIS). She instead claims to be Adilah El Idrissi, an Algerian Parisian who may have made some questionable life choices, but is no terrorist. The woman she is accused of being, Djinn al Raqqa, however, is a hardened extremist responsible for the deaths of many. Is Adilah the Djinn?
It is Imogen’s specialty and task to find the truth. To do so, she travels to the refugee camp in order to get Adilah out of there, to France. The first two episodes cover their travel through Turkey. The episodes blend action scenes with conversations between the two women, as we slowly learn more about them and their pasts. Both are clearly highly intelligent, capable, and careful, but seem to be slipping up occasionally, revealing little details about themselves. As the episodes progress, it becomes clear that there is some pressure on resolving the matter quickly: an imminent terrorist threat ups the stakes of their game.
This story has kept me intrigued up to now. The pacing is slow but not too slow, and the narrative leaves you wanting more. Some of the choices made by some of the characters do not make too much sense yet, but it is quite possible that they will start to become more sensible as the story progresses and we learn more about their backgrounds and motives. The portrayal of Turkey, however, has been somewhat disappointing in its heavy reliance on stereotypes. The sets and sceneries, on the other hand, are beautiful and have clearly been crafted with attention to detail. From the snowy mountains and deserted roads, to little book shops and city streets: the cinematography is top-notch.
The acting performances have been stellar overall, though Moss's British accent occasionally detracts from immersion. Nevertheless, both Moss and Marwan deliver compelling portrayals, supported by a talented supporting cast.
The real question is whether this complicated story can be resolved properly in the coming episodes. Can they stick the landing? One can build up all kinds of intricate backgrounds, stories and characters, but if the ending falls flat, it is not much use. All I can say for now is that I am at least intrigued enough to finish this series to see how they will go about it. It has been a promising start.
In FX’s captivating slow spy thriller, introduces Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as an operative going by the name ‘Imogen’. She is tasked with finding out whether the accusations against another woman (Yumna Marwan, Little Birds) stuck in a refugee camp at the Turkish-Syrian are accurate. According to others in the camp, this woman is ‘Daesh’ (ISIS). She instead claims to be Adilah El Idrissi, an Algerian Parisian who may have made some questionable life choices, but is no terrorist. The woman she is accused of being, Djinn al Raqqa, however, is a hardened extremist responsible for the deaths of many. Is Adilah the Djinn?
It is Imogen’s specialty and task to find the truth. To do so, she travels to the refugee camp in order to get Adilah out of there, to France. The first two episodes cover their travel through Turkey. The episodes blend action scenes with conversations between the two women, as we slowly learn more about them and their pasts. Both are clearly highly intelligent, capable, and careful, but seem to be slipping up occasionally, revealing little details about themselves. As the episodes progress, it becomes clear that there is some pressure on resolving the matter quickly: an imminent terrorist threat ups the stakes of their game.
© Hulu
This story has kept me intrigued up to now. The pacing is slow but not too slow, and the narrative leaves you wanting more. Some of the choices made by some of the characters do not make too much sense yet, but it is quite possible that they will start to become more sensible as the story progresses and we learn more about their backgrounds and motives. The portrayal of Turkey, however, has been somewhat disappointing in its heavy reliance on stereotypes. The sets and sceneries, on the other hand, are beautiful and have clearly been crafted with attention to detail. From the snowy mountains and deserted roads, to little book shops and city streets: the cinematography is top-notch.
The acting performances have been stellar overall, though Moss's British accent occasionally detracts from immersion. Nevertheless, both Moss and Marwan deliver compelling portrayals, supported by a talented supporting cast.
The real question is whether this complicated story can be resolved properly in the coming episodes. Can they stick the landing? One can build up all kinds of intricate backgrounds, stories and characters, but if the ending falls flat, it is not much use. All I can say for now is that I am at least intrigued enough to finish this series to see how they will go about it. It has been a promising start.
About author, Nienke de Boode
She started with watching NCIS, CSI and Bones, but over time her passion for TV shows has grown to what it is today, with dozens of shows that need to be watched. You can always wake her up for a good crime show, but she is also open to different things. Comedy and fantasy are on her list of favourites as well. Since October 2014, she also writes for MySeries to combine her love for TV shows and writing.
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