Episode four of The Capture explores the aftermath of last week’s brutal crescendo, when Pierson dispatched Frank Napier and his associates with chilling efficiency. Rather than simply escalating the action, this instalment takes time to sift through the consequences of that violence – while simultaneously widening the scope of the conspiracy with the introduction of yet another shadowy, hard-to-pin-down department.
Still shaken by the reappearance of Pierson within SO15, Carey attempts to press on with business as usual, interviewing James Whitlock. But the ‘usual’ doesn’t last long. The new head of counterintelligence abruptly removes her from the room and reveals that he has stashed The Wizard in the boot of his car. It’s his bargaining chip. Rachel is ordered to escort him to a safe house, though her instincts – unsurprisingly – pull her elsewhere.
Drawn back to the underground lair, Rachel finds the aftermath of Pierson’s massacre laid bare. The shock nearly overwhelms her, and it’s Danny Hart who steps in, whisking her away to Garland’s house. Yet if this is meant to clarify allegiances, it does the opposite. Hart and Garland remain frustratingly opaque figures: operators with an agenda that feels adjacent to the truth, but never quite aligned with it.
Meanwhile, the episode intercuts this with a significant expansion of Pierson’s backstory. He’s revealed to be part of an elite, almost mythical unit – something beyond special forces, beyond even the SAS, and answerable only to themselves and MI6. A group of uniformed men attempt to neutralise him by disabling his heart device, only to discover (as we already know) that Pierson is not so easily stopped. Now, fearing what he might expose, they escalate, they dispatch their best operatives to finish what Napier couldn’t.
Back in the interrogation room, Whitlock continues to mutter the name Simon, a thread that feels increasingly reminiscent of Line of Duty and its infamous H mystery. Whether this is homage or overreach is still unclear, but it does add another layer of intrigue. Crucially, it seems Whitlock may be telling the truth about being set up. Garland and Hart’s manoeuvring – pressuring Carey to keep his files redacted in exchange for cleaning up the Napier situation – strongly suggests they’re orchestrating the frame-up. They’re using Correction technology to keep Napier alive.
As for Pierson, his role remains tantalisingly ambiguous. There are hints he might be aligned with Rachel – at least partially – but trusting him feels like a dangerous gamble, both for her and the audience.
There’s no denying it: this is all becoming slightly ridiculous. The layers of conspiracy are piling up, the plausibility is thinning, and the show has drifted from its original, tightly wound premise. And yet, The Capture still has that addictive momentum. Even as it threatens to spiral, you can’t help but go along for the ride.
Paul Hirons
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
The Capture is broadcast in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW