Hanna 2: High Intellect and Octane Espionage

Hanna 2 starts a little slow, with a few too many episodes devoted to Hanna getting back to The Meadows and re-uniting with/saving Clara.  But once it gets over that, this second season delivers a story with far more punch and complexity than the first season, especially the complexity part.

The essence of the narrative is the power of the brainwashing that takes place in this facility.  It's so strong that it works completely on all the young women, with the exception of Hanna and Clara (well played, again, by Esme Creed-Miles and Yasmin Monet Prince) .  The question, until the last few episodes, which are pure twists and turns on adrenalin, is how far gone the two of them are.  

Mireille Enos is back as Marissa, and her loyalty to Hanna is clear throughout.  Dermot Mulroney is new in the story as Carmichael, and he makes a suitably single-minded and recalcitrant villain.   So, too, is the soft-spoken Anthony Welsh as Carmichael's prime and gently lethal assistant Leo.  But my favorite new character (well, almost new, she was in two episodes in the first season) is Áine Rose Daly as Sandy.  There are few combinations bound to be as effective as a pretty face and an evil mind in these espionage kind of tales.  The pretty face is easy, either you have it or you don't.  The evil mind is not, and Sandy provides an excellent rendition of that pivotal role, with subtlety and focus.

The sector of the spy drama genre devoted to creating a cadre of super young agents is well worn, but Hanna 2 does a good job of keeping it new and surprising.  Part of its secret is in the details, as in the "face and trigger" method of conducting a smooth assassination.   Part of it is the way it masterfully uses digital text to convey affection that the cadre knows in their hearts is a lie, but they find so difficult to resist.  But the part of the narrative that will be most responsible for keeping you glued to the screen until you've watched every episode is the implacable intelligence of the villains, keeping you and the heroes on the edge until the very end.