Betrayal Review: Is This ITV Spy Thriller Too Drab?

The February 2026 debut of the ITV series "Betrayal" has divided critics and audiences alike. While the show features a powerhouse cast led by Shaun Evans (Endeavour) and Romola Garai (The Hour), a scathing review from The Guardian has set the tone for the critical conversation, describing the four-part miniseries as so "drab and downbeat" that it often feels like it belongs to a different genre entirely.

At its core, Betrayal attempts to bridge two worlds: a high-stakes MI5 counter-terrorism operation and a grueling, realistic portrait of a marriage in collapse.

The "Drab" Aesthetic: Espionage Without the Glamour

The show's lead, John Hughes (Shaun Evans), is a 20-year veteran of British intelligence who has clearly reached his breaking point. Unlike the slick world of James Bond or even the cynical coolness of Slow Horses, Betrayal leans into a "bilious and knackered" aesthetic:

• Grim Locations: The action is pointedly set in unglamorous locales, including dirty car parks, Stockport service stations, and musty B&Bs.

• Malaise as a Motif: Critics have noted that the "Ipcress File"-style camera angles and dull grey palettes accentuate the character’s midlife crisis and professional burnout.

• The "Crime Drama" Feel: The Guardian argues that the show functions more like a standard police procedural than a spy caper, with Hughes acting like a "maverick dinosaur" pursuing one last case before his bosses can force him into redundancy.

A Tale of Two Shows

The primary criticism of Betrayal is its tonal inconsistency. Many reviewers feel the "spy half" and the "marriage half" are constantly at war:

• The Marital Grind: Romola Garai’s performance as Claire, John’s exhausted wife, has been widely praised. However, her scenes—centered on missed marriage guidance sessions and domestic resentment—are so grounded in realism that they make the "spy bits" (shootouts at airports, bugging suspects) feel ridiculous by comparison.

• Workaday Plotting: While the domestic drama is nuanced, the espionage plot—involving Iranian dissidents and sarin gas—has been called "Thriller 101" and "workaday" by critics at The Telegraph and The Killing Times.

Cast and Production Details (2026)

Conclusion: "Sustaining, but Not Nourishing"

By the middle of February 2026, Betrayal has found a solid audience on ITVX, with some viewers hailing it as "gripping" and "the best of the lot" for Sunday night television. However, the critical consensus remains that it is the dramatic equivalent of a "microwave dinner"—edible and functional, but lacking the "nutritional" depth required to truly stand out in the crowded espionage genre.

Shaun Evans’ performance is the glue holding the project together, bringing a "bewildered vulnerability" to a character who is physically and emotionally failing at the very job he uses to define himself.

Source - https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/08/betrayal-review-this-espionage-thriller-is-so-drab-and-downbeat-its-like-a-different-genre

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