Story: 'Liaison' is about two agents who must work together to protect the United Kingdom from cyberattacks after two genius hackers breach Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s police server in Syria.

Review: After the compelling 'Homeland,' there was a lull in the world of espionage drama, but with Liaison's debut episode, it appears the creators have a chance to make up for it. The series, which was produced on a large canvas and includes episodes set in Syria, Turkey, France, and the UK, promises to be an exciting ride in its future episodes. While the suspense and thrill are all present, there is also a sense that something is off. It's unclear whether the preposterous narrative of this series will be able to hold viewers' attention in subsequent episodes, but based on the pilot, it seems like the brilliant ensemble will make every effort to make this one an entertaining one.

The series' plot takes place in the UK after Brexit and begins in Syria when two hackers are attempting to leave the country after breaking into Bashar al-Assad's secret police servers. The hackers view the information and discoveries from the servers as "gold," and they apply for refuge at the French Embassy in Syria. They are attacked before they can enter the embassy, and in order to save their lives, they flee to Turkey, from where they travel to England to live with their uncle. The UK has already seen two significant hacking incidents between these two events, which motivates Alison and her boss Richard from UK Home Office to take action. Higher-ups in France task Gabriel, a private contractor who works for people who often work for the French government, to retrieve the pen drive from the two hackers that have the damning information. The first episode helps build up the plot and concludes with Gabriel announcing his arrival at Alison's home, merely hinting at their past as ex-lovers.

Liaison does a good job at mounting a 'slightly improbable plot' in a hasty way, despite the fact that it would be difficult to evaluate a series based on a single episode. The first episode features a lot of development, and it gives you a clearer understanding of which direction the series will take moving forward. In the role of a private contractor who conducts clandestine operations, Vincent Cassel more than succeeds in his role. The makers are able to effectively portray to viewers Gabriel's persona and what makes him tick. Eva Green performs admirably in her role as Alison, a Home Office staffer. Her hawkish demeanor and skepticism fit the series' events perfectly. Peter Mullan in the role of Richard is a casualty of the series. He could have offered a lot more to the series than his caricaturish role.

Although Liaison's narrative is a little implausible, viewing the series as an exciting spy thriller would be one way to enjoy it. The series has a lot going on, including action, politics, and espionage, all of which may not be novel but they certainly keep you interested. In the upcoming episodes, Alison's relationship with a black human rights attorney will undoubtedly be a major story point and character development. Even if you might not remember this spy drama after a few months, the pilot episode has enough to keep you interested in the remaining episodes. Whether it will be able to match the charisma of 'Homeland' or not depends completely upon which way subsequent episodes go.