Spy City Review: Out of the Past (Season 1 Episode 2)

The intrigue ramps up on Spy City Season 1 Episode 2, “Out of the Past,” slightly making up for its slow start in Spy City Season 1 Episode 1, “Operation Beethoven.”

Making Severine the possible mole instead of Eliza is interesting, but it’s likely a red herring unless this show prefers to have multiple moles, which would put it more in 24 territory than, say, John le Carré.

Severine kills a man in cold blood on this episode, which, even though he was a Nazi, comes as a shock since she didn’t seem like the type. But then again, you never know with spies. That may be the point of Spy City Season 1 Episode 2: no one can be trusted, even those you’re in bed with, literally and figuratively.

Scott realizes this the hard way when he discovers that Severine had a French assassin ready to go if he disagreed with her methods. However, why is he surprised? He’s worked in intelligence for years, knows Severine has an attachment to her dead husband which borders on unhealthy, and he served in a long and bloody war, full of treachery.

A new character, Ulrike Faber, is introduced.

She seems like an unassuming photographer until she quickly allows herself to get roped into Scott’s spying schemes, in the name of money. Photographers can be starving artists, yes, but from the look of her home, which we get a glimpse at, and her equipment, she’s not starving.

Maybe she’s in it for the intrigue, or maybe she’s yet another enemy agent.

That might be yet another problem with Spy City — the intrigue is getting a little silly a little too quickly. Severine wants Fiesler, the Nazi, dead, but really, she’s looking for another person, who may be a Soviet asset, Udo Hoff.

There’s also a coincidence that doesn’t really make any sense: Faber is at a musical performance by Eliza’s boyfriend, who’s being observed, presumably by an East German spy.

The performances are still good, the visuals are still gorgeous, the production design is still excellent, but the writing seems to have taken a hard acceleration before pumping on the breaks in this episode.

There’s also a distinct lack of humor, which isn’t essential but would certainly lighten up the serious moments. The CIA agent who serves as Scott’s friend in Berlin rescues the Nazi’s dog, which is a light moment.

Honestly, though, not light enough; there’s something a little eerie about the whole proceeding like the dog is going to die or something? Quick, someone check Does the Dog Die!

Spy City is a well-made show, that cannot be emphasized enough. But it’s a troubling show writing-wise because it only has six episodes, and from the first two episodes, there might be some focus issues.

Unless, of course, everything ties together in the end, but it feels at this point that the ending the show is building towards will be convoluted at best. Then again, spy dramas are often convoluted in the end — perhaps that’s the nature of spycraft.

What did you think of this episode of Spy City? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Spy City airs Thursday on AMC+.

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