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Counterpart (TV series)

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Counterpart
GenreThriller
Science fiction
Created byJustin Marks
Starring
ComposerJeff Russo
Country of originUnited States
Original languagesEnglish
German
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locations
Cinematography
  • Luc Montpellier
  • Martin Ruhe
  • Philipp Blaubach
  • Tobias Datum
  • Hagen Bogdanski
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time56–60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkStarz
ReleaseDecember 10, 2017 (2017-12-10) –
February 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)

Counterpart is an American science fiction thriller television series created by Justin Marks on the premium cable network Starz. It was picked up for two 10-episode seasons.[1][2] The first episode was directed by Morten Tyldum. The premiere episode first aired on December 10, 2017. It stars J. K. Simmons in a dual role.

The 10-episode second season premiered on December 9, 2018.[3] In February 2019, Starz canceled the series after two seasons; however, the series' production company Media Rights Capital stated it was shopping the series to other platforms.[4] In April 2019, Marks officially confirmed that a third season would not happen.[5]

Premise

Howard Silk has been working for a Berlin-based United Nations agency, Office of Interchange (OI), for thirty years; however, his rank is too low for him to be told what his work really involves. In fact, OI oversees a crossing point to a parallel Earth (the "Prime world"), a copy of Silk's world. The second season reveals that this crossing point was unintentionally opened or created by East German scientist Yanek in 1987; Yanek brought in four other scientist friends to collaborate with their parallel counterparts to research the connection. The two Yaneks eventually experiment with a seemingly innocuous change between their worlds (only one gives his daughter a cassette tape of recorded music), ultimately pushing the two versions of Earth down a path of significant divergence, including millions of deaths (from a virus) on the Prime world.

Silk's "other" self, his counterpart from the Prime world, is, among other things, an OI Prime field agent who regularly makes crossings to Silk's world (the "Alpha world") to retrieve "others" who have gone rogue. Factional in-fighting in OI Prime, where some operatives hold the opinion that the Alpha world caused the deadly virus, spills over to the Alpha world, endangering Silk and his comatose wife, Emily.

Cast and characters

Main

  • J. K. Simmons as Howard Silk (Alpha), an Interface employee at the Office of Interchange (OI), a Berlin-based UN spy agency,[1] and as Howard Silk (Prime), an accomplished clandestine agent for Section 2 of OI in the Prime world.
  • Olivia Williams as Emily Burton-Silk (Alpha), Howard's wife and an employee of Housekeeping (the counterintelligence function) at OI, and as Emily Burton (Prime), Howard's ex-wife and mother of their daughter Anna, and also an employee of OI Housekeeping.[6]
  • Harry Lloyd as Peter Quayle (Alpha), OI Director of Strategy in the Alpha world and Clare's husband, and as Peter Quayle (Prime), troubled prisoner at Echo, an underground facility in the Prime world, who never met Clare Prime.[6]
  • Nazanin Boniadi as Clare, Alpha Peter Quayle's wife and a mole trained since childhood in the Prime world, briefly played Clare (Alpha) when she killed her to replace her.[7]
  • Sara Serraiocco as Nadia Fierro/Baldwin, a mysterious assassin from the Prime world, briefly played Nadia (Alpha) who is killed in front of her.[7]
  • Ulrich Thomsen as Josef Aldrich (season 1), OI Director of Housekeeping in the Alpha world.[8]
  • Nicholas Pinnock as Ian Shaw, an aggressive OI Housekeeping operative and watchdog in the Prime world, Emily Prime's lover after her marriage broke down.[7]
  • Mido Hamada as Cyrus (season 1), an OI Housekeeping operative under Aldrich.[9]
  • Betty Gabriel as Naya Temple (season 2), a former FBI agent hired by the OI in the Alpha world to clean house.[10]
  • James Cromwell as Yanek (season 2), the warden of Echo, an underground facility in the Prime world, the scientist from Alpha in 1987 (played by Samuel Roukin) whose inattentive moment allowed an experiment to run amok and create Prime and the single corridor connecting the two worlds.[11]

Recurring

  • Kenneth Choi as Bob Dwyer, OI Director of Strategy in the Prime world[9]
  • Guy Burnet as Claude Lambert (seasons 1–2), the Prime ambassador to the Alpha world, later revealed to have a close personal relationship with Claude (Alpha)[12]
  • Stephen Rea as Alexander Pope (season 1), Howard Prime's mentor and an influential associate of the Indigo program[13]
  • Bernhard Forcher as Andrei, Howard Alpha's Go partner.
  • Sarah Bolger as Anna Burton-Silk, Howard and Emily Prime's daughter[13]
  • Bjorn Johnson as Heinrich, an expatriate from the Prime world and part of Howard Prime's contact network
  • Lotte Verbeek as Ringleader, one of a trio of infiltrators from the Prime world
  • Jamie Bamber as Eric Burton, Emily's brother.
  • Karim Saleh as Marcel, an OI Interface employee in the Alpha world
  • Richard Schiff as Roland Fancher, OI Director of Diplomacy and Quayle's father-in-law[13]
  • Nolan Gerard Funk as Angel Eyes, one of a trio of infiltrators from the Prime world[14]
  • Liv Lisa Fries as Greta, a barista in the Alpha world who becomes involved with Baldwin[15]
  • Jacqueline Bisset as Charlotte Burton, Emily's mother[15]
  • Christiane Paul as Mira, the head of the Indigo program's school in the Prime world, daughter of Yanek, and briefly appears as Mira (Alpha)[15]
  • Stefan Kapičić as Lieber, Ian Shaw's right-hand man[15]
  • Jacqueline Antaramian as Ava Fancher, Roland's wife[15]
  • Ingo Rademacher as Friedrich, Quayle's best friend[15]
  • Marco Khan as Raash, Howard Prime's right-hand man, a loyal and reliable operative[15]

Management

The five scientists involved in the inaugural connection between the worlds in 1987 are revealed to be "Management", creating and secretively directing the Office of Interchange agency. In addition to the two Yaneks, Management is portrayed by:

  • Ivanno Jeremiah as both worlds' younger Juma
  • Louis Mahoney as both worlds' elder Juma
  • Gregory Zarian as younger Volker Alpha
  • Lawrence Zarian as younger Volker Prime
  • Martin Umbach as both worlds' elder Volker Prime
  • Laura Bellini as younger Ilse Alpha
  • Sarah Bellini as younger Ilse Prime
  • Anke Sevenich as both worlds' elder Ilse
  • Martin Glade as both worlds' younger Martin
  • Dieter Hallervorden as both worlds' elder Martin

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110December 10, 2017 (2017-12-10)April 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)
210December 9, 2018 (2018-12-09)February 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)

Season 1 (2017–18)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
11"The Crossing"Morten TyldumJustin MarksDecember 10, 2017 (2017-12-10)[b]0.394[18]
Howard Silk is a low-level bureaucrat in a Berlin-based UN agency called the Office of Interchange, where he works in the Interface division, exchanging coded call-and-response messages with another agent. Despite his long tenure, Howard has never learned the purpose of Interface or OI. Peter Quayle, OI's Director of Strategy, later denies Howard a promotion to his department, citing Howard's age and lackluster career. After work, Howard visits his comatose wife Emily, who had been struck by a car and is now in hospital. The next day, Howard is taken to a room with Quayle and Aldrich, the Director of Housekeeping. A man identical to Howard is brought in: Howard Silk (Prime).[a] Quayle explains that during the final years of the Cold War, the East Germans accidentally created a portal to a divergent parallel universe in the basement of what would become the OI building. Howard Prime explains that an assassin from the Prime world codenamed Baldwin has crossed over with a kill list that includes Howard's wife. That night, Howard Prime impersonates Howard Alpha at Emily's hospital and ambushes Baldwin before she can harm Emily Alpha, but she escapes. Howard Prime returns to his world and visits a bar where he encounters Emily Prime - who is still alive, contrary to what he had told Howard Alpha about her death.
22"Birds of a Feather"Stephen WilliamsJustin MarksJanuary 28, 2018 (2018-01-28)0.506[19]
After Howard Prime's estranged wife tells him of a rendition order against him, he kills the contractors sent to bring him in and then meets with Alexander Pope, his mentor and an influential member of Prime OI, to discuss whether the rendition order was official or a rogue assassination attempt. Pope gets him a 36-hour visa to the Alpha side. Meanwhile, Howard Alpha has been promoted to the Analysis division, and later meets with Aldrich and Prime to discuss Baldwin. Prime tells them her real name is Nadia Fierro, and her Alpha version is a virtuoso violinist. Baldwin (Nadia Prime) meets with her handler Clare, who orders her to kill Nadia Alpha. Emily Prime is revealed to be in a relationship with Ian Shaw, a fellow operative. Baldwin goes to kill Nadia Alpha, but is unable to follow through. Alpha OI agents corner Baldwin, resulting in Nadia Alpha's death and Baldwin (Nadia Prime)'s arrest. Afterwards, Howard Alpha fumes over Nadia Alpha's unnecessary death and punches Aldrich. Emily Prime meets with Pope and declares she wants to keep the peace between both worlds. Pope answers, "I wonder when we've ever had peace" and "if there will ever come a reckoning for what they did to us".
33"The Lost Art of Diplomacy"Jennifer GetzingerAmy BergFebruary 4, 2018 (2018-02-04)0.299[20]
Upon learning of imminent negotiations for Baldwin's return, Howard Prime visits Prime world ambassador Claude Lambert to have him stall for time while Aldrich and Howard Alpha interrogate Baldwin. Lambert dismisses Howard Prime's request, and Emily Prime and Ian cross over to question him about the Baldwin fiasco. At the negotiations between Lambert and Alpha OI Diplomacy director Roland Fancher, lingering tensions over the cause of a deadly pandemic that devastated the Prime world initially block progress. Emily Prime explains to Howard Prime that Pope had ordered his rendition, while Howard Prime reveals his source on the schism in Prime OI's Management is from the Alpha world. The negotiations wrap up, but Baldwin fails to crack and is later freed in an ambush engineered by Clare. Howard Prime realizes the negotiations were a ploy and suspects Lambert's involvement. To circumvent the revocation of his crossing privileges, Howard Prime decides to switch identities with Howard Alpha. In the Prime world, Emily Prime discovers Howard Prime's source was Emily Alpha, who had asked Howard Prime to reach out to her husband if she was harmed. At her apartment, Emily Prime is drugged by intruders, who stage the drugging to look like a self-inflicted overdose.
44"Both Sides Now"Alik SakharovErin LevyFebruary 11, 2018 (2018-02-11)0.360[21]
Howard Alpha and Howard Prime discuss their routines. Baldwin denies to Clare that she revealed anything to her captors. Howard Alpha crosses over to the other side and is taken to Prime's apartment by Raash, an associate of Howard Prime. Howard Prime arrives at Alpha OI to work, but leaves when he finds the position is drudge work. Howard Alpha discovers that Howard Prime has an estranged daughter, Anna Burton-Silk, and learns from her that Emily Prime is still alive but hospitalized due to an apparent overdose. Lambert secretly meets with Clare, relaying her superiors' dissatisfaction and orders to remove Baldwin. With Quayle in tow, Howard Prime visits an old contact, Heinrich, who reveals that both Pope and Lambert are with a faction of fanatics who have been smuggling crossers to the Alpha world for years. Among the crossers was a mole who has been placed high-up in Alpha OI's Strategy. Howard Alpha bluffs his way through a meeting with Emily Prime and Ian, but Emily catches on. Clare deceives Baldwin and sends an assassin to dispose of her; Baldwin kills the assassin. Howard Alpha and Emily Prime decide to work together to aid Howard Prime. Howard Prime concludes that he must live Howard Alpha's life until Quayle can smoke out the mole.
55"Shaking the Tree"Stephen WilliamsZak SchwartzFebruary 18, 2018 (2018-02-18)0.416[22]
Three infiltrators cross over from the Prime world. Clare confronts Heinrich over Howard Prime. Howard Alpha encounters Pope, who is aware that Alpha and Prime switched and attempts to sow distrust between Howard Alpha and Emily Prime; Howard Alpha informs Emily Prime, who believes Pope was behind her "overdose". They seek out a diplomatic courier linked to the fanatics and Lambert. Emily elaborates that the Prime world's pandemic was a form of flu that killed half a billion people in the early 1990s. Prime world defector Alice (who lives with her Alpha world counterpart) explains to Quayle and Aldrich that Prime OI's Strategy implemented an unauthorized program called Indigo, which set up "the School" to train sleeper agents from childhood; Indigo was funded off-the-books by Prime OI staff who blamed Alpha OI for the pandemic. Alice also mentions that an agent codenamed Shadow may have been sent to infiltrate Alpha OI five years ago. When Howard Alpha's friend and Go partner Andrei tries to visit Emily Alpha under another name, Howard Prime breaks into his apartment and uncovers Emily Alpha's research, but discovers Andrei is only a civilian who had been having an affair with Emily. Clare gives the three infiltrators their orders, unaware that Baldwin is stalking her. Howard Alpha tries to forge a relationship with Howard Prime's daughter Anna.
66"Act Like You've Been Here Before"Jennifer GetzingerJustin Britt-GibsonFebruary 25, 2018 (2018-02-25)0.429[23]
Angel Eyes, an infiltrator, experiences Berlin's nightlife. When questioned by his compatriot, Ringleader, he reassures her that he still thinks that the people of the Alpha world are "filthy" and deserve to die. Anna discusses her father's odd behavior with her mother, Emily Prime. Ian is told of Emily and Howard Alpha's encounter with the courier and submits him to a lie exam, which Howard Alpha "beats" because he has no knowledge of Howard Prime's activities. Emily Prime shares a Potsdam address which she gleaned from the courier with Ian. They, Howard Alpha, and a squad of agents travel there, but Pope is tipped off by the lie exam administrator and alerts the building's residents. Baldwin (Nadia Prime) attends the funeral of her other, Nadia Fierro Alpha, then strikes a bargain with Clare to finish her contract. She later develops feelings for Greta, a barista. Howard Prime confirms Emily Alpha's research consists of photocopied Alpha OI Strategy documents that had been passed to Prime OI, and asks Quayle to identify the documents' origin. When Heinrich is found dead, Howard Prime deduces that the mole is somehow getting intel directly from Quayle. While Aldrich concludes from his own investigation that Quayle is Shadow, Quayle notices the documents are from his personal files, leading him to suspect his wife, Clare.
77"The Sincerest Form of Flattery"Alik SakharovGianna SobolMarch 4, 2018 (2018-03-04)0.268[24]
In 1997 in the Prime world, Clare Fancher is taken in by the School after her parents succumb to the flu epidemic. She is ruthlessly molded into a copy of her other, and taught by supervisor Mira to hate the Alpha world for unleashing the flu virus. In 2013, Clare crosses over after her other becomes engaged to Quayle, then a Deputy Director in OI, and observes her in preparation for assuming her identity. When Clare Alpha breaks the engagement off after Quayle cheats on her, Clare Prime kills her, replaces her, and sets the marriage back on track. In the present, Quayle sends Clare on an errand and has Howard Prime search his house for evidence of her duplicity. They find a cyanide capsule in Clare's medicine cabinet, and realize Clare has been tracking Quayle's whereabouts through his phone. Since Clare is unaware she has been exposed, Quayle is forced to play innocent during his birthday party, but drinks heavily. After the guests depart, an agitated Quayle openly accuses his wife of being a spy and tries to get her to swallow the cyanide, but Clare confesses that she let the pill expire because of her baby, the first thing in her life which is truly hers.
88"Love the Lie"Alik SakharovAmy BergMarch 11, 2018 (2018-03-11)0.310[25]
Ian's team raids the School. The fanatics fight to the end while Mira escapes. Howard Alpha finds the students' bodies, all of whom were poisoned to prevent their capture. While most evidence was destroyed, Ian and Emily Prime deduce the School's purpose. Howard Alpha uses Howard Prime's clout to obtain the identities of the three infiltrators, and the two arrange to meet in an Interface room. After Howard Alpha shares the intel, he and Howard Prime clash over their growing dislike for each other. Emily Alpha wakes up, but remains unresponsive, and her mother Charlotte informs Howard Prime that she'll be taking up residence in Berlin to supervise Emily's care. Baldwin kills the first of her three remaining targets. Kept handcuffed in their bedroom, Clare (Fancher/Prime) reveals some details of her infiltration and her faction's plans to husband Quayle, but dissuades him from turning her in because of how it would affect him and their infant daughter. Aldrich visits, and uses the story of how he had driven his counterpart mad to deprive Prime OI of his talents in order to convey that Quayle should surrender himself. That night, Quayle admits to Aldrich he leaked the documents, but claims that Howard Prime was the true mastermind all along.
99"No Man's Land, Part One"Stephen WilliamsErin LevyMarch 18, 2018 (2018-03-18)0.342[26]
Howard Prime eludes capture by Aldrich, as well as a clumsy attempt by Quayle to capture or kill him. Aldrich is skeptical that either Quayle or Howard Prime is Shadow. Ian and Emily Prime apprehend Kaspar, the informant who had told Pope of the Potsdam raid, before Pope's operatives can silence him. While being pressured to flip, Kaspar reveals that Pope arranged Emily Alpha's accident to end her snooping. Howard Alpha decides to return to the Alpha world. Baldwin passes various ID items and personal effects from her victims to the three infiltrators, who then take up their dead counterparts' roles in Alpha OI. Clare orders Baldwin to assassinate Howard Prime and Emily Alpha. Quayle deliberately crashes his car with Clare in the passenger seat. Howard Prime turns himself in to Aldrich to expose Clare as Shadow and warn about the infiltrators. Having smuggled weapons past security, the infiltrators massacre nearly a dozen Alpha OI staff. Aldrich and Howard Prime kill two infiltrators, but Angel Eyes manages to enter the neutral territory of the crossing before succumbing to his wounds. Aldrich refrains from pursuing him, noting "we can't touch him now".
1010"No Man's Land, Part Two"Jennifer GetzingerGianna Sobol & Justin Britt-GibsonApril 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)0.383[27]
Security forces monitor the wounded Angel Eyes in the neutral zone from both sides of the crossing. Quayle and Clare survive the collision with minimal injuries. Clare explains that the attack was just the beginning. The Management departments of both OIs order their staff to leave Angel Eyes untouched; Alpha OI wants Prime OI to claim him in order to demand reparations, while Prime OI wants to avoid culpability for the unsanctioned Indigo program. When Angel Eyes dies unclaimed, Alpha OI seals off the crossing. Howard Alpha begs Pope for help crossing back, but he kills Pope when the latter pulls a gun on him, and Ian uses the opportunity to have Howard put in solitary confinement. Greta rejects Baldwin after connecting her to the late Nadia Fierro, Baldwin's other. Aldrich uses Emily Alpha as bait to trap both Howard Prime and Baldwin, but Prime outwits him and bribes Baldwin into walking away from the contract killing. Baldwin then kills Aldrich to avenge Nadia. Meanwhile, Clare kills Cyrus, an OI Housekeeping operative, in her house when he confronts her. Howard Prime calls a truce with Quayle, agreeing to keep Clare's secret in exchange for Emily Alpha's safety. Later, as Howard Prime takes up Howard Alpha's life in earnest, Emily Alpha regains consciousness.

Season 2 (2018–19)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
111"Inside Out"Charles MartinErin LevyDecember 9, 2018 (2018-12-09)0.248[28]
The crossing remains closed. Alpha Management informs former FBI agent Naya Temple about the parallel worlds and hires her to work with Quayle to identify possible Prime sleepers in Alpha. With Aldrich gone, Clare assassinates both Alices. Roland tells Management that all Prime citizens in Alpha who could be found have been detained, but some are hiding. Howard Prime brings Emily home from the hospital as she tries to recover her memory after awakening, but she struggles with Howard's unexpected impatience and her own aphasia and memory flashes. After a family dinner, Quayle presses Clare for information to bolster his position against Temple. Clare leads Quayle to Edgar Brandt, but Brandt is then assassinated in OI custody. In a planned meeting, fugitive former ambassador Lambert tells Clare to activate the first sleeper cell. Howard Prime arrives home after work to find Clare visiting Emily. Quayle makes a tape detailing Clare's real identity, which he locks in his home safe. Using computer links, Management discusses the Indigo plot and Mira.
122"Outside In"Kyle Patrick AlvarezJustin Britt-GibsonDecember 16, 2018 (2018-12-16)0.206[29]
Mira and Aldus arrive at a safehouse after the Indigo school escape, where Mira indicates that the plan must continue. Howard Alpha is interrogated after his killing of Pope, and his interrogator reveals that Management thinks Emily Alpha was involved with Indigo. Emily attends a meeting with Diplomacy, including the stranded Alpha diplomats and, after the meeting, questions the strategy of lying to them about Indigo. Mira finds and kills a member of Management, who, before his death, tells her that she will never find his communication case. Ian meets an acquaintance named Nomi. Alpha Management offers to reopen the crossing in return for Mira, and Management assigns Emily the task of locating her, promising that Howard Alpha will be freed if she does and promoting her to Deputy Director of Strategy. With Ian's help, Emily locates Aldus, who kills himself after apparently recognizing her. Among his files, she finds a ten-year-old picture of Emily Alpha in the Prime world. Mira kills two parents from Indigo who had provided Emily with information and is told that Howard Alpha has been assigned to a "black site" called Echo as she requested.
133"Something Borrowed"Kyle Patrick AlvarezTom PabstDecember 23, 2018 (2018-12-23)0.176[30]
While watching Greta from a distance, Baldwin is drugged and kidnapped. Lambert tells Clare to activate the last Indigo cell, then returns to an apartment that he shares with his other. A tracking device is placed inside the medications given to Howard before his transfer to Echo. Quayle has bugged Clare. As fragments of her memory return, Emily notices subtle changes in her husband. Howard Prime is approached by three of his agents stranded in Alpha; they captured Baldwin and are seeking Lambert. He secretly makes a deal with Baldwin to kill Lambert. Howard arrives at Echo, meeting the other Quayle and many co-workers. Yanek, who is both in charge of Echo and a prisoner, becomes philosophical when Howard refuses to spy on his wife, stating that any man confronted with two versions of his life will have one destroy the other. Naya visits Emily, who does not believe that Aldrich was Shadow because Shadow was a woman. Clare meets the leader of the last Indigo cell: her School boyfriend Spencer. Ian finds the missing communication case. Emily Prime follows her other's trail and locates her former OI contact in Prime, who says that Emily discovered that Alpha had developed and spread the pandemic flu in Prime and notes she had a secret hiding place in Prime. Howard Prime discusses Lambert with Quayle and Clare. Howard is beaten up in Echo.
144"Point of Departure"Lukas EttlinGianna SobolDecember 30, 2018 (2018-12-30)0.181[31]
155"Shadow Puppets"Lukas EttlinMaria MelnikJanuary 6, 2019 (2019-01-06)0.244[32]
166"Twin Cities"Justin MarksJustin MarksJanuary 20, 2019 (2019-01-20)0.267[33]
In 1987 East Berlin, Yanek, a scientist, is trying to secure passage to the West for his family, in part because his son is being watched by the Stasi. He agrees to take clandestine photographs of a device in his workplace, but in an accident, the Prime world is created. Yanek meets his other at the Crossing, and invites him into the Alpha world. Assembling a group of scientists, they introduce them to their others, and begin conducting a range of experiments between the two worlds, studying cause and effect. By 1989, they have widened their experiments, beginning to operate as "Management". Yanek Alpha's home is raided by the Stasi, and his son dies during the raid. Yanek Prime's son survives the same raid. Devastated, Yanek Alpha begins regular secret crossings to Yanek Prime's home, and kills Yanek Prime in a fight witnessed by young Mira Prime. In order to make reparations, Alpha Management give Yanek Alpha over to Prime Management as a prisoner. He protests, believing the incident proves one side will ultimately destroy the other if the Crossing is left open. Alpha Management instead creates a biological weapon - a virus - as insurance. After the virus is released into the Prime world, either accidentally or on purpose, Prime Management ceases to trust Alpha Management, and they begin using the communication cases, never to meet in person again. In the present, Mira Prime shows Yanek the Management communication case and tells him about Indigo. She says she shares his belief that the Crossing must be closed, and asks for his help. She issues an ultimatum to Management via the communication case, demanding the Crossing be closed, and a meeting in person.
177"No Strings Attached"Hanelle M. CulpepperMaegan HouangJanuary 27, 2019 (2019-01-27)0.262[34]
188"In from the Cold"Hanelle M. CulpepperErin LevyFebruary 3, 2019 (2019-02-03)0.235[35]
199"You to You"Charlotte BrändströmGianna SobolFebruary 10, 2019 (2019-02-10)0.207[36]
2010"Better Angels"Charlotte BrändströmMaegan Houang & Justin MarksFebruary 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)0.260[37]

Notes

  1. ^ Per series creator Justin Marks, the "other" Howard is referred to as Howard Prime, and "our" Howard is referred to as Howard Alpha, or simply Howard.[16]
  2. ^ The pilot episode was later re-aired on January 21, 2018.[17]

Production

The series was ordered in April 2015 with J. K. Simmons announced to star.[1] Production began in December 2016 in Los Angeles, and it was announced that the series would be filmed in additional locations across the U.S. and Europe in 2017,[8] including Berlin, where the series is set,[38] and in Potsdam at Babelsberg Studio, which is co-producing the series.[39][40][41] Amy Berg served as showrunner, executive producer, and writer for the first season, but departed before season two.[42] Production began on the second season in February 2018 in Berlin.[43]

Reception

Critical response

Counterpart has been well received by critics. The first season has a "certified fresh" 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating 8.41 out of 10 based on 42 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Tense and gripping, Counterpart is an absorbing thrill-fest led by J. K. Simmons' multi-faceted dual lead performance."[44] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 76 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[45]

The second season has received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% approval rating with an average rating 7.89 out of 10 based on 18 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Double the J.K. Simmons brings double the aplomb in the second season of Counterpart, which finds time to deliver relevant societal critiques while deepening its labyrinthine lore."[46] On Metacritic, it has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[47]

Ratings

Season 1

Viewership and ratings per episode of Counterpart
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The Crossing" December 10, 2017 0.1 0.394[18] — —
2 "Birds of a Feather" January 28, 2018 0.1 0.506[19] 0.510 1.016[48]
3 "The Lost Art of Diplomacy" February 4, 2018 0.1 0.299[20] 0.532 0.831[49]
4 "Both Sides Now" February 11, 2018 0.1 0.360[21] 0.484 0.844[50]
5 "Shaking the Tree" February 18, 2018 0.1 0.416[22] — —
6 "Act Like You've Been Here Before" February 25, 2018 0.1 0.429[23] — —
7 "The Sincerest Form of Flattery" March 4, 2018 0.1 0.268[24] 0.485 0.753[51]
8 "Love the Lie" March 11, 2018 0.1 0.310[25] 0.344 0.654[52]
9 "No Man's Land, Part One" March 18, 2018 0.1 0.342[26] 0.333 0.675[53]
10 "No Man's Land, Part Two" April 1, 2018 0.1 0.383[27] 0.364 0.747[54]

Season 2

Viewership and ratings per episode of Counterpart
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Inside Out" December 9, 2018 0.04 0.248[28] 0.260 0.508[55]
2 "Outside In" December 16, 2018 0.02 0.206[29] 0.230 0.436[56]
3 "Something Borrowed" December 23, 2018 0.03 0.176[30] 0.170 0.346[57]
4 "Point of Departure" December 30, 2018 0.02 0.181[31] 0.248 0.429[31]
5 "Shadow Puppets" January 6, 2019 0.04 0.244[32] 0.173 0.417[58]
6 "Twin Cities" January 20, 2019 0.08 0.267[33] 0.197 0.464[59]
7 "No Strings Attached" January 27, 2019 0.05 0.262[34] 0.173 0.436[60]
8 "In from the Cold" February 3, 2019 0.07 0.235[35] 0.199 0.434[61]
9 "You to You" February 10, 2019 0.06 0.207[36] 0.196 0.403[62]
10 "Better Angels" February 17, 2019 0.07 0.260[37] 0.138 0.398[63]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2018 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Main Title Design Karin Fong, creative director; Jake Ferguson, lead designer/animator; Felipe Carvalho, designer; Nathan Lee, designer; Kiyoon Nam, animator; Zach Kilroy, editor Won [64]
TCA Awards Outstanding New Program Counterpart Nominated [65]
2019 Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series J. K. Simmons Nominated [66]
Saturn Awards Best Science Fiction Television Series Counterpart Nominated [67]

Home media

The first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 31, 2018, in region 1. The set includes all 10 episodes plus two behind-the-scenes featurettes.[68]

References

  1. ^ a b c Jaafar, Ali; Andreeva, Nellie (April 22, 2015). "JK Simmons to Star in Starz Drama Series From The Imitation Game Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Patten, Dominic (November 2, 2017). "Starz Sets JK Simmons Starrer Counterpart Premiere for Early 2018; Drops 1st Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  3. ^ Halterman, Jim (October 14, 2018). "'Counterpart' Season 2 Trailer: Two Worlds, Two Howards! (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  4. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 11, 2019). "Counterpart Cancelled at Starz, EP Says Season 3 Is Being Shopped Elsewhere". TVLine. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
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External links

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