Surface season two

After losing her memory and becoming embroiled in an embezzlement conspiracy in the first season, the latest chapter in Apple TV+’s Surface sees Sophie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who now goes by the name Tess, travel to London to uncover more about her mysterious past. Namely, her mother’s possible murder by a member of the powerful Huntley family. Her search for the truth connects her with former friend and Huntley sibling Eliza (Millie Brady) as well as journalist Callum Walsh (Gavin Drea), who’s also gunning after the Huntleys. Surface’s second season is a refreshing change. However, it’s sluggish pacing and conventional story beats struggle to spark much excitement within its opening episodes.

Alongside the shift from amnesia-mystery to murder-thriller, the biggest change for season two is the move from San Francisco to London. The lavish events and fancy hotel rooms that Sophie frequents are a welcome change of scenery. Mbatha-Raw effortlessly slides into this new setting as Sophie schmoozes her way into the upper echelons of society. Mbatha-Raw and Brady’s performance convincingly conveys the friction between the old friends’ relationship as they size each other up while keeping their cards close to their chests.

The plot thickens when Sophie’s husband, James (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), arrives on the scene having tracked her down. Jackson-Cohen plays the role of potentially devious spouse with an appropriate amount of scenery chewing, which helps to mask the character’s true intentions. Although the plot elements that Surface incorporates for its second season have been seen in a dozen other shows, the interweaving plotlines create a solid foundation for it to build upon. However, any intrigue or urgency that comes from the handful of early revelations is undone by a tedious pace that meanders from one plot beat to the next. With a lot more to come, there’s still plenty of time for the script to find its footing to end the series on a high.

The second season of Surface is a huge departure from what came before. Although its new setting and narrative develop this thriller in interesting ways, its dreary delivery and familiar tropes get in the way of the enjoyment.

Andrew Murray

Surface season two is released on Apple TV+ on 21^st February 2025.

Watch the trailer for Surface season two here: