Step aside Gary Oldman, we’ve found our new favourite spy and he goes by the name of Richard Armitage. If you haven’t yet seen his performance as Daniel Miller, a CIA analyst who’s tasked with a series of undercover missions, in Berlin Station, you'll be pleased to know it's available to binge tonight - and when we say you're in for a rollercoaster ride, we mean it. Think of it like Slow Horses but (rather a lot) darker.
While the spy thriller, which won over an army of fans when it first premiered in the UK in 2018, doesn’t quite have the humour of Slow Horses, it has enough morally complex characters to sustain three brilliant series that deal with everything from conspiracies to corruption. Among them are weary veteran officer Hector DeJean (Rhys Ifans), Global Affairs Branch Chief Valerie Edwards (Michelle Forbes) and Station Chief Steven Frost (Richard Jenkins).
With three full series available to stream tonight, here’s everything you need to know about Berlin Station, including the plot, cast and release date.
What is Berlin Station about?
The contemporary spy series, which first aired on More4 in 2018, introduces us to Daniel Miller, a former CIA analyst in the US who’s transferred to his agency’s Berlin branch where he has an undercover mission. Tasked with sorting out messy cases involving damaging leaks, whistle-blowers, terrorism and more, he’s mentored by jaded veteran officer Hector DeJean (Rhys Ifans) and soon learns that the disorderly world of field work means dealing with deception, danger and moral compromises.
His primary case is identifying the source of a leak who’s supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower known as Thomas Shaw. And as he dives deeper into the German capital’s hall of mirrors and discovers conspiracies that lead back to Washington, he wonders if anyone can ever be the same after a posting to Berlin.
In 2019, fans were treated to a second series, which is set four months after Daniel almost lost his life. Having recovered from his injuries, he’s given a new clandestine assignment. Germany is now on the cusp of a pivotal election, and Daniel must infiltrate a far-right German political party believed to be planning an act of terror. The question is, can he do it before it’s too late?
What to read next
A surprise third instalment came to the UK in 2023, which sees Richard Armitage return once again for another high-stakes case. We follow him as he attempts to unravel a conspiracy involving an impending Eastern European invasion and clandestine operations in Estonia.
Richard Armitage, who plays Daniel, explained in a Channel 4 interview that there’s more to his character than meets the eye. “Daniel has quite a complicated backstory. When we start the story Daniel has been sent in as a mole hunter. There’s a whistleblower at large called Thomas Shaw and Daniel has been brought out of administration – he’s been a desk analyst for ten years. He’s brought out by Gemma Moore, the CIA Chief of the moment, to come to Berlin Station to figure out what’s going on and who’s doing it.
“Daniel was born in the US in Virginia. He moved to West Berlin with his military father when he was five. His mother was killed due to a very complicated affair. Subsequently they moved back to the US when he was about twelve years old. He then joined the military so he was in the first Gulf War. He came out of the military and went to university where he was recruited by Gemma Moore. He has an interesting mix of somebody who has a vested interest in their country, a political mind. He’s seen military action. He’s seen his father in a military position. But he’s also got a taste for a European sensibility.”
Who’s in the cast of Berlin Station?
The cast of Berlin Station includes:
- Richard Armitage (Red Eye) as Daniel Miller
- Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) as Hector DeJean
- Michelle Forbes (The Killing) as Valerie Edwards
- Leland Orser (Taken) as Robert Kirsch
- Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers)as Steven Frost
- Tamlyn Tomita (Come See the Paradise)as Sandra Abe
- John Doman (The Wire) as Richard Hanes
- Keke Palmer (One of Them Days)as April Lewis
- Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy) as BB Yates
Is Berlin Station any good?
Yes - if you’re a fan of shows like Slow Horses and Homeland, you’ll find a lot to like in Berlin Station. The writing is superb, the acting is even more so (Richard Armitage is as fantastic as you’d hope) and each series brings new twists that are almost impossible to predict. It gets a solid 10/10 from us.
How can I watch Berlin Station?
Berlin Station is available to watch now on ITVX.
What other spy thrillers can I watch now?
For another series that rivals Slow Horses, we’d recommend Spooks. The series lets us into the inside secrets of ‘Section B’ – the counter-terrorism department of MI5 - headed up by Senior Case Officer Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen). Over the course 10 series, the agents face everything from terrorist plots to arms smuggling and it’s quite the rollercoaster ride. You can watch Spooks now on BBC iPlayer. For something more recent, we’d suggest Secret Service, which puts us right to the heart of MI6 where Kate Henderson heads up the Russia Desk and finds herself in some serious trouble. Secret Service is available to watch now on ITVX.
